1 This is an Author’s Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Sport in Society [copyright Taylor & Francis] Sport in Society, 2009, 12(9): 1124-1138 The Glue that Holds the Community Together? Sport and Sustainability in Rural Australia Ramón Spaaij School of Management, La Trobe University, Australia; Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract Drawing on the author’s research in northwest Victoria, Australia, this article examines the forms of capital that are created in and through rural sport as well as the processes of social inclusion and exclusion that structure access to social networks and to the resources these networks contain. In the face of economic and social changes that affect the region, rural sport participants view local sport clubs as vital community hubs fostering social cohesion, local and regional identities and a shared focus and outlet. Sporting competitions in northwest Victoria also contribute to cultural and economic capital for some participants, and to relatively limited stocks of linking social capital. While the creation and transference of these capitals are to a large degree regulated by wider social divisions, structural changes in the area present increased opportunities for other people, including young women, to take on leadership roles and to develop new skills and knowledge through sport participation. Introduction The extrinsic significance of sport has emerged as a major theme in contemporary sports research. Several studies address sport’s contributions to regeneration and community development in urban areas. Coalter and his colleagues have noted that there has been little systematic analysis of the precise role that sport can play in the regeneration of local urban economies. 1 While urban aspects of ‘development through sport’ have recently gained increased academic attention 2 , this is not the case for rural areas, some of which experience multiple forms of social disadvantage. 3 There is an odd paradox in regards to rural sport: