Dr Jack Sugden
Liverpool Business School
Faculty of Business and Law
Email: J.T.Sugden@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 5221
A senior lecturer in sport sociology, governance and law at LJMU since 2021 Jack also has 13 years’ experience working in the development and peace field. He has managed, coordinated and researched such projects in Israel/Palestine, South Africa, West Africa, Jordan, Northern Ireland, and Colombia.
Jack is a founding member of the 'Action for Refugees’ network and has conducted participant ethnographies into rugby and identity in Fiji and mental health in mixed martial arts. Jack has also been working closely with the Fans Supporting Foodbanks movement, as part of a British Academy funded project to help them measure their impact and grow their influence through the '#Right to Food' campaign, he is now a trustee and advisor to the movement. Most recently Jack is leading a funding bid alongside UNESCO and the African Union due to his role as special advisor to the African Traditional Sports and Games Council.
Prior to teaching at LJMU Jack was a lecturer in sport management and development at Edge Hill University which he joined in 2016. Prior to this, he was a peace and development practitioner in various global fields, which led to a scholarship to study a PhD in sport, culture and integration in the Pacific Islands while at The University of Technology, Sydney.
Degrees
2017, The University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, PhD
2012, Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom, Masters in Comparative Ethnic Conflict
2009, The university of Manchester, United Kingdom, BA Hons International Politics
Chapters
Sugden J, Sugden J. 2025. Critically Proactive Research Through Space and Time: A Conversation Between Father and Son Giardina M, Donnelly M, Waldman D. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport & Physical Culture SAGE. New York Author Url Publisher Url
Sugden J. 2024. Untangling complexity: The ethnic, gender and class dimensions in Fijian sport and society Kanemasu Y, Besnier N. Towards a Pacific Island Sociology of Sport: Seeking New Horizons 22 Emerald Insight. Leeds, United Kingdom DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden J, Schulenkorf N, Sugden J. 2024. Sport for Development: History, Themes, and Lessons Learnt Sherry E, Schulenkorf N, Phillips P, Rowe K. Managing Sport Development An International Approach Routledge. London 9781003303411 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Schulenkorf N, Sugden J, Sugden J. 2024. Sport for Development: History, Themes, and Lessons Learnt Managing Sport Development: An International Approach, Second Edition :124-138 DOI
Sugden JT, Sugden JP. 2023. Peace and reconciliation - Critical reflections across theory and practice Schulenkorf N, Wealty Peachy J, Spaaij R, Collison-Randall H. Handbook of Sport and International Development :176-186 Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham 9781800378919 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Lakisa D, Sugden J, McDonald B. 2020. Pasifika rugby migration and athlete welfare Routledge Handbook of Athlete Welfare :251-262 Routledge DOI Publisher Url
Sugden JT, Sugden J. 2020. Critical reflections on the future of global sport governance in a post-Covid-19 world Paul P, Brody R, Bo L. Sport and the Pandemic Perspectives on Covid-19's Impact on the Sport Industry Routledge 9780367616656 Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden J, Spacey G. 2016. Football 4 Peace: An Activity-Based Community Relations and Reconciliation Initiative Conrad D, White A. Sports-Based Health Interventions Case Studies from Around the World :117-128 Springer 9781461459958
Schulenkorf N, Sugden J, Sugden J. 2016. Sport for conflict resolution and peace building Managing Sport Development :147-158 Routledge DOI Publisher Url
Lakisa D, Sugden J, McDonald B. Stairway to heaven: Pasifika rugby migration and athlete welfare Melanie L. Routledge Handbook of Athlete Welfare
Report
Sugden J, Faulkner C, Gransden C, Hindmarsh M. 2023. Fans Supporting Foodbanks Impact and Pantry Use in the Liverpool City Region
Sugden J. Play Life: Values-based Life Skills Training through Physical Activity for Children Play Life: Values-based Life Skills Training through Physical Activity for Children
Journal article
Sugden JT, Sheps S, Sugden J. 2023. Assessing governance without government: A proposal for the International Council of Sport Governance International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden J. 2021. Fight the biopower! Mixed martial arts as resistance Sugden J. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden J. 2020. Jiu-jitsu and society: Male mental health on the mats Sociology of Sport Journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden JT, Schulenkorf N, Adair D, Frawley S. 2020. The role of sport in reflecting and shaping group dynamics: The “intergroup relations continuum” and its application to Fijian rugby and soccer Sport Management Review, 23 :271-283 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden JT, Kanemasu Y, Adair D. 2020. Indo-Fijian women and sportive activity: A critical race feminism approach International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 55 :767-787 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden JT. 2020. Sport and ethno-racial formation: imagined distance in Fiji Sport in Society, :1-20 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden JT, Adair D, Schulenkorf N, Frawley S. 2019. Exploring Sport and Intergroup Relations in Fiji: Guidance for Researchers Undertaking Short-Term Ethnography Sociology of Sport Journal, 36 :277-288 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Sugden J. Dilemmas in embodied methods: towards more holistic description in qualitative research Qualitative Research, Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Books (authored)
Reeves MJ, Hayton JW. 2016. Sport Development 101 Routledge. London DOI Publisher Url
Thesis/Dissertation
Sugden J. Sport and Integration: An exploration of group identity and intergroup relations in Fiji Schulenkorf NICO, Adair DARYL, Frawley STEVE, Edwards DEBORAH.
External committees:
The African Traditional Sports and Games Council, Advisor and external collaborator, Advisory board, https://traditionalsportsgames.org/index.php/world/26-africa/227-uatsg. 2025
Football for Peace International, Director, Directors board, https://www.football4peace.org.uk/. 2016
Public engagement:
Public talk or lecture, National sport authority staff, physical educators, elite and community coaches from across the continent of Africa, UNESCO delegates, Invited speaker, Sports Ecosystem Leadership Masterclass, Online, Artifical Intelligence in African Sport for Development and Peace work, I gave a public guest lecture to delegates across the African Union on the above subject., https://www.linkedin.com/in/barakitso-group-33193222a/?originalSubdomain=za. 2025
Public talk or lecture, local adults, volunteers, foodbank organisers, member of parliament, councillor, Merseyside Health Minister, Organiser and speaker, CASA, 29 Hope Street, Fans Supporting Foodbanks reaserch and impact presentation, Fans Supporting Foodbanks presentation of research and impact to local volunteers, MPs, health minister and councillors. 2024
Award:
Liverpool Business School, Rising star award. 2024
Liverpool Business School, LBS Sustainability in Research and Knowledge Exchange Award. 2023
Sport Management Australia and New Zealand, 2016 Research Award - $2000, https://www.smaanz.org/smaanz-awards-and-grants-information. 2016
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Chicago, IL, USA, The North American Sociology of Sport Association annual conference, Holistic description in qualitative research, https://nasss.org/chicago24/. 2024
Other Professional Activity:
Named a trustee of 'Fans Supporting Foodbanks' as a result of my research into the area, https://fanssupportingfoodbanks.co.uk/. 2024
Teaching qualification:
Certified Management and Business Educator. 2024
External collaboration:
Cheif Michael Mustafa, The National Sport Authority of Sierra Leone, https://nsa.gov.sl/. 2024
MP Ian Byrne - statement of impact, Parliment, https://ljmu-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/lbsjsugd_ljmu_ac_uk/EdNDNhihh-xAqItYS1KctmYBxt5KDtNKFbRprSoozo8wsw?e=5cuHMY. 2024
FUNDACION BUEN PUNTO, The Colombian ministry of sport - Coldeportes, https://fundacionbuenpunto.org/. 2023
Dr Stephen Sheps, Toronto Metropolitan University, https://www.torontomu.ca/rta/people/faculty/stephen-sheps/. 2021
Professor Yoko Kanemasu, The University of the South Pacific, https://www.usp.ac.fj/discipline-of-social-sciences/socpp/socpp-staff-profiles/yoko-kanemasu/. 2016
Media Coverage:
Wrote a long read/insights piece for The Conversation around the research I am leading into Fans Supporting Foodbanks 2023
twitter.com
theconversation.com
Article in The Conversation 2020
External PGR examinations performed:
PhD, Western University, Sydney, Indo-Fijian Women as Subversive Bodies in Fiji’s Sporting Arena: An Arts-based Study. 2022
PhD, The University of Adelaide, Sport and Livelihoods of Young People in Suva, Fiji: A Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis. 2022
PhD, The University of Ulster, An Analysis of the Management Process in Sport for Development Projects in Northern Ireland. 2021
PhD, Fiji National University, The phenomenon of forced migration: A socio-economic and cultural journey of the internally displaced Indo-Fijian farmers. 2017
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: 2 years, Grant value (£): 8,000, British Academy, Dr Clay Gransden LJMU, Dr Matthew Hindmarsh LJMU, ‘Fans Supporting Foodbanks’: civil society activism and resistance through sport. 2022