Strategic Renewal: The Case of The Irish Rugby Football Union

Padraig O'Donnell — 6 August 2026

This paper uses the empirical setting of the IRFU‘s strategic renewal journey from the amateur era in rugby to the professional era. The study is conducted at a micro level and uses intensive qualitative research techniques to answer the research question How and why strategic renewal and business models can lead to new institutional logic ? The study is also longitudinal in construct as it looks at this unique phenomenon from 1995-2010. The data set draws on 34 unique interviews and multiple sources of secondary data to show that the strategic renewal process the IRFU embarked resulted in a new professional institutional logic that has been maintained across the organisation. The findings draw on theories from business model research, governance and institutional logics. The research shows that the IRFU, used strategic coupling and de-coupling as a management tool throughout the journey.