Abstract:
The 1995 Rugby World Cup and more recently the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup proved
that sport can unite a previously divided nation. In order to participate in these major
tournaments and events on an international level, national sports teams have to be
competitive. The funding models used by national sports federations play a vital role in
ensuring that national sports teams are competitive. The aim of this study was to explore
the relationship between the funding models used by the South African Sports
Confederation and Olympic Committee and the National Sports Federations; and the
performance at international competitions and events.
The main research methodology adopted for this study was exploratory in nature. The
research design utilised was a mixed-method approach with a longitudinal design and
entailed the collection and analysis of data for the period 2001 to 2014.
The results from the quantitative research did not reveal any clear relationship between
the variables under consideration and the performance of the national sports federations.
Additional information was gathered through semi-structured interviews, which proved to
be invaluable in explaining why the quantitative research did not reveal any clear
relationship, between the variables under consideration and the performance of the
national sports federations.
