Stress and coping in Fijian rakavi (rugby) sevens players

Abstract

Little is known about stress and coping among professional rugby players from the Pacific. Guided by phenomenological research orientation, this study aimed to identify sources of stress and coping strategies using semi-structured interviews with a sample of 12 male Fijian professional rugby players. Findings of the template analysis indicate that organizational stressors and environmental issues were dominant but differed in nature between the training camp and competition settings. Players experienced more uncontrollable situations than controllable ones in both settings and thus made greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies as a means to reduce stress. Disengagement and ‘working off the energy’ were the most frequently cited coping strategies. ‘Silently the Fijian way’ was identified by the players as a culturally specific form of coping. The findings of this study provide a foundation for future research into stress and coping in the context of professional rugby in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.