RFU to cut 42 staff in bid to balance books

The growth in the women's game is seen as an area for growth in RFU revenue and the Red Roses will not lose key staff as a result of the latest cuts

More than 40 staff will be laid off by the Rugby Football Union as it seeks to stem "unsustainable" losses.

The job losses come as part of restructuring with 64 roles at risk, and 22 new posts created.

The RFU said it would "protect headcount and investment" in the community game and the changes will not have a direct impact on England's men's, women's or age-grade and development teams.

The union recently sold the naming rights to Twickenham to insurance giant Allianz in a deal believed to be worth about £100m over 10 years.

However, its most recent financial report - published in December - forecast an ongoing operating deficit of £5m which it described as "unsustainable in the long term".

A new Professional Game Partnership between the RFU and Premiership clubs, which gives England more control of its elite men's players in exchange for £33m a season, has added to the union's costs.

While a rise in the cost of "utilities, travel, and the operating costs of running a business", combined with "a decline in broadcast revenues and consumer confidence" have also increased financial pressures.

Matchday and event income from Twickenham makes up the majority of the RFU's revenue and the newly-rebranded Allianz Stadium is a leading contender to stage the climax of the first Rugby Nations Championship in 2026.

The new biennial tournament pits the best international sides in the northern and southern hemisphere against each other and culminates in a series of ranking play-off games at the end of the year.

Qatar had bid to host the first four editions of the event, but the unions involved opted against taking up a lucrative offer.

"You could have three matches here (Twickenham), two somewhere else and one somewhere else, in London," said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.

"That would be a natural destination. Conversations are happening and have been on-going since the Qatar decision. There are other possibilities of other European venues, but London is a strong possibility."

Sweeney suggested that the tournament could be taken to the United States in 2030 as a precursor to the Rugby World Cup staged there a year later.