Twickenham to be renamed in sponsorship deal
England have played their home games at Twickenham since 1909
- Published
England rugby's Twickenham home is to be renamed as the Allianz Stadium in a new sponsorship deal, say the Rugby Football Union.
The change will take place from September and means the insurance company now hold the naming rights to eight stadiums worldwide including Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena in Germany.
Twickenham has hosted England men's games since 1909.
The 82,000-seater stadium also hosts international women's matches, key domestic games, community events and music concerts.
The RFU have been looking for additional investment and, in a document seen by the BBC, were considering selling their south west London home and buying a 50% share in Wembley.
The Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme (TSMP) revealed the RFU board discussed the proposal in March last year but no formal approach was made to the Football Association (FA).
Those plans were shelved in favour of redeveloping the stadium and the RFU say the move will provide a "significant, long-term investment in the game".
"This is an opportunity to celebrate our stadium's proud legacy while developing it for the future," said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
"This partnership will support us in moving the game in a direction which serves all rugby, from minis to the elites, from club coaches to our national coaches and everything in between."
The venue will host the final of the 2025 Women's World Cup, while the first international fixture under the new name will see England's women play world champions New Zealand on 14 September.
It remains to be seen what impact the partnership will have on the RFU's plans to redevelop the stadium, which were quoted at a cost of £663m in the TSMP.
Analysis
BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones
Talk of selling the naming rights for Twickenham has rumbled along quietly in the background for years, but this has still come as something of a bolt from the blue.
The Irish, Welsh and Scottish unions have long since handed over their stadium name to a sponsor, but it had been thought the Rugby Football Union wouldn't need to sell the family silver given its traditional financial might.
However the impact of Covid, the cost of living and a stadium in urgent need of a revamp have all contributed to the RFU taking this historic step.
Many supporters will baulk at this news, especially given the word "Twickenham" isn't in the new name, but RFU bosses insist the money raised will filter down the game at all levels.
And while the figures are confidential, industry experts suggest the deal could be worth in excess of £100m over 10 years.
Allianz-named stadiums
The inclusion of Twickenham increases Allianz's portfolio to eight stadiums around the world.
The Allianz Arena in Munich is the home of German football club Bayern Munich, while the Allianz Stadium in Sydney is used by the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League, the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby, and Sydney FC of the A-League Men.
The Allianz Field in Minnesota is home to Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, the Allianz Riviera in Nice hosts Nice FC and Toulon Rugby, while the Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo stages football matches for Palmeiras.
The Allianz Stadion is home to Austrian football club Rapid Vienna and Italian giants Juventus play at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.