Sports motivation in Chilean rugby players:: impact of occupational status

Introduction: Sports motivation plays a key role in long-term adherence and athletes' commit-ment. In the context of rugby, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation may vary depending on indi-vidual factors such as occupational status. Objective: To examine the relationship between motivation dimensions and sports adherence in Chilean rugby players, considering occupational status as a moderating factor. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 280 rugby players from 12 regions of Chile. The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-28) was used to evaluate intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pear-son correlations. Results: Intrinsic motivation for experiencing sensations had the highest av-erage score, followed by intrinsic motivation for achieving things. Identified regulation was sig-nificantly higher among students and workers compared to unemployed participants (p = 0.050). Introjected regulation showed significant differences across occupational status (p = 0.001), with higher levels among workers. Amotivation was negatively associated with sports participation, although no significant differences were observed between occupational groups (p = 0.419). Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation to sustain sports participation in rugby players. Additionally, strengthening identified regula-tion may improve commitment, particularly among unemployed players. Reducing amotivation is crucial to prevent sports dropout.