ABSTRACT
The ARU have recognized the importance of volunteers as the foundation and lifeblood of the organization from the grass roots through to the elite level of the game. As John O’Neill suggested, to separate the two levels would not be wise in a corporate sense, as one cannot exist without the other. The elite level requires a strong, coherent grass roots base for its player base and the elite level requires community interest in the game to sell tickets and merchandise, as well as marketing sponsorship deals and broadcasting rights. Yet, the volunteer management practices of CRCs had not been given the same level of consideration as management practices for the elite level, which adopted mainstream HRM practices at the time the game professionalized. This case has presented some of the implications of this and suggests that need for the ARU needs to develop the HRM practices of CRCs with full consideration and knowledge about study motivations for sport volunteers. An understanding of the multidimensional nature of sport volunteers within CRCs is imperative if the ARU is to sustain a volunteer workforce this is able to cope with the projected growth in rugby participation. The results of this study suggest that retention of volunteers can be positively affected through defining their roles, monitoring their performance, conducting a recognition programme and making volunteers part of the club through enhancing their social experiences. These results may be universally applicable to volunteers of other community sport organizations.
