Ethical behaviour in sport: Fair play versus winning among elite rugby players

The question in literature is sometimes asked if a winning philosophy is replacing a fairness philosophy or the other way around (Rees, 2003). The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the ethical behaviour and values of elite rugby players on certain aspects of fair play versus winning. Eighteen elite emerging international rugby players from South Africa, average age 20.5 years, were randomly selected to take part in the study. A questionnaire, developed by Rees (2003), was used in which respondents were asked what fair play in sports meant to them through fixed-choice and open questions. The results showed that this group of players lacked some principles of a winning philosophy that can be expected from top international rugby players.