The Orkney 2025 International Island Games: Stakeholder Strategies for Leveraging Non-Mega Events

Despite concern over missed legacy opportunities, and calls for stronger leveraging, little is known about how stakeholders plan strategic approaches for non-mega sporting events. This case study explores pre-event leveraging strategies aimed at creating a sports participation legacy for the Orkney 2025 Island Games. Semi-structured interviews with seven purposively selected individuals, drawn from three stakeholder groups embedded in the Games and local community, provided the data. Reflexive Thematic Analysis identified six themes: infrastructural development; coach and official development; community and school engagement; multi-stakeholder collaboration; funding and sponsorship; and sustainability and planning. Interviewees believed in the event’s legacy potential, but also acknowledged barriers, particularly limited funding from sponsors and government agencies, along with shortages of coaches and volunteers. While the study did not evaluate strategy success, the findings suggest that continued collaboration, and efforts to address barriers, are viewed as essential to supporting a sports participation legacy through leveraging strategies.