Volunteer Satisfaction in Sport: Insights from Women Rugby Clubs in England

Sport clubs in England increasingly rely on volunteers to sustain their operations and reduce the cost of service delivery. It is estimated that sport volunteering in the UK represents 26% of the total volunteering activity (Sport England, 2003). However, recent trends suggest a decline in sport participation and a move towards more flexible, individual activities outside the formal structure of traditional sport clubs (Nichols et al., 2016). This is also associated with a decline in formal volunteering levels. Rugby Union is one of the sports that has experienced a decline in participation rates. In particular, women’s rugby is still a developing sport, that shares volunteers, coaches and playing facilities with traditionally larger male clubs. This case study explores aspects of the volunteering experience that contribute to volunteers’ satisfaction in women’s rugby. Affective and cognitive components of satisfaction have been identified as significant among volunteers in English women rugby clubs. Understanding aspects of volunteer satisfaction will enable the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to tackle the decline in volunteer numbers and retain them within the rugby club network.