Interrelations of Trait and State Anxiety with Game Performance of Rugby Players

Abstract

The Martens' Sport Competition Anxiety and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 tests were administered to 22 male university rugby players to assess the relationship between the tests and their effectiveness in predicting game performance. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test was completed early in the season and the State Anxiety Inventory an hour before two games during a tournament. A multiple regression between the Competitive Anxiety Test and the three subscales of the Sport Anxiety Inventory-2 showed a significant relationship between the Competitive Anxiety Test and the single subscale of somatic anxiety. A separate multiple regression with performance as the criterion variable produced no significant findings. A significant correlation was noted between somatic anxiety and performance for those players who performed below their normal ability. The significant increase in self-confidence between games may have been detrimental to the performance of the team.