Money is said to make the world go round, but is this sentiment true even in sports? Does money play a role in how sportspeople perform, or is success in sports purely based on sheer grit, skill, talent, and determination?
A team sport is a kind of sport activity that requires several individuals to work together to outscore their opponents. Sports like soccer, cricket, and basketball are examples of team sports that are also some of the most popular sports in the world, and over the last century have also turned into some of the most lucrative businesses. This then suggests that success in sports is no longer just about competitiveness but also about making as much of a profit as possible.
In soccer, which is the most popular sport on the globe, one of the most successful teams in top-flight (they hold the FIFA Club World Cup championship and also happens to hold the record for the highest estimated annual revenue, according to the latest Forbes ratings) is Real Madrid. This team is known for having one of the best sports training facilities (Ciudad Real Madrid) and hosting the best coaching staff and players in every era.
Real Madrid can afford to hire the best staff in the world and acquire the best players, often bidding the highest amounts in transfer races. This financial advantage they possess over teams in their domestic and continental league often translates to a competitive advantage too, which has seen them win five La Liga titles and six UEFA Champions League trophies in the past 10 years. This is directly opposite to the performance of the current last-place team on the La Liga table, Malaga CF, which also has the lowest squad market value. These stats suggest a strong correlation between the amount of money invested in a team and the competitive success the team attains.
Finances seem to play a part at every level of competitive sports and an especially important role at the international level. In cricket, for example, the two most successful national teams in the past 10 years, Australia and India, also happen to be backed by the two wealthiest cricket boards in the world.
Seven out of 10 of the highest-earning cricketers come from these two countries. In this regard, one would argue that team performance is correlated with the amount of money invested in players and the team as a whole. Since the team is made up of several individuals, keeping individuals happy and giving them incentives likely increases team morale, and when that’s up, it’s very likely that the team will perform better.
The success of a team includes many aspects that all need to work coherently in order to achieve its goals. This year at Tuks, the men’s senior rugby team won the FNB Varsity Cup after crashing out of the competition in the semi-finals last year. In a discussion with one of the UP-TUKS players, David Engongo, he agreed that money plays an important role in ensuring that they, as the TUKS rugby team, are as ready as can be for their training sessions and game days. Engongo said that in comparison to last year, this year they had access to better resources, like a supplement sponsor, better gym equipment, and more access to the gym.
He also mentioned the fact that rugby is a very physical sport so conditioning has to be up to par with a certain level of physicality, and that the conditioning coaches and the entire coaching staff contributed to the success of the team. He further spoke about how, all in all, it bred a culture of like-minded people all working towards the same goal, like a family. These sentiments go to show that, yes, a lot goes into a team’s success, but the amount of money invested in the team is an important aspect even at the semi-professional level.
The professional team sport environment has greatly changed over the past century, and one of the main reasons for this is the amount of money that has been invested in sports. Big companies and corporations invest huge amounts of money in sports teams and sports competitions, which influence the effort, time, and planning put into playing the sports. Thus in most cases, at different competitive levels, the amount of money invested in the game is directly proportional to the quality of play.
