Developing collaborative local sport policies through major sport events: the case of the 2018 Ryder Cup

ABSTRACT

Purpose/Rationale

This article reflects upon the growing use of major sport events as a way to bring about new forms of collaborations between sports actors and local governments. It seeks to determine the extent to which these collaborations can produce sustainable local sports policies.

Design/Methodology/Approach

This work is based on a case study of the collaboration between the French Golf Federation and the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines community for the hosting of the 2018 Ryder Cup. It draws on a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews conducted with leaders from both organizations.

Findings

This work shows how an event-based relationship is a double-sided opportunity, as it serves to align interests in the short run but fails to drive local sport development in the longer run.

Research contribution

The paper adds new perspectives for the analysis of sport events’ legacy by studying a collaborative governance process for the implementation of a local sport policy. It also questions it through the collaboration between sports federations and local authorities.

Practical implications

Several issues identified in the results are discussed in order to envision ways to put major sport events at the service of host territories and question the utility of event-based local sport policies.

KEYWORDS:

• Major sporting event
• local sports policies
• Olympic Games
• golf
• collaborative governance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu stated in 2019 that she wanted to “lead this governance reform because this is the right moment to do this, five years before the Paris Olympic Games, we need this momentum”

2 The Walker Cup is an amateur golf competition opposing a team from the United States to a team from Great Britain and Ireland. It is traditionally hosted by large cities such as Los Angeles, Liverpool or Palm Beach.