An international comparative study on cognitive structures on rugby fotball positions of high school player in Japan, England and France

Abstract

We carried out an international comparison of the cognitive structures of rugby football positions among high school players in Japan with those in France and England. First, multidimensional scaling (INDSCAL : Individual Differences Scaling) was applied to Japanese, English and French cognitive structures of rugby football positions. Twenty-six Japanese, 25 English and 23 French rugby players served as subjects. The results obtained by INDSCAL identified four dimensions : (1) formation, (2) maintaining an opportunity for attack, (3) scrum and lineout, (4) scanning. The second and fourth dimensions are newly identified, and are considered to be as important as the former for functional positioning on the field. Cluster analysis divided the 74 subjects into 4 clusters by weighting of the INDSCAL subjects' space. It was concluded that the Japanese cognitive structures of rugby football positions have a different character from those in England and France. Consideration of these results with those of former studies indicates that the players' cognitive structure of rugby football positions is influenced by the number of positions previously experienced. This analysis highlighted a difference in the cognitive structures of rugby football positions among high school players. Therefore, it will be necessary to create a coaching program for players in the early stage of learning giving consideration toward a dynamic positional viewpoint.