The Rugby Football Union’s renaming of Twickenham as the Allianz Stadium in a sponsorship deal will “take us into the future”, chief executive Bill Sweeney has said.
The 82,000-capacity home of England men’s games since 1909 will take the name of the insurance company from September in a move described by Sweeney as being worth “well over £100 million” and “fair value” for naming rights.
“I really don’t believe we’ve sold out,” said Sweeney, via BBC Sport. “But we believe this will help us build on the legacy of the stadium, this will take us into the future, into decades from here.
“The investment from Allianz will enable us to make Twickenham an even better experience for fans and players.
“We believe this is an investment into the future with the sort of partner we need to go on that journey.”
One of the world’s leading insurers, @allianzuknews, and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announce the next step in their partnership, as Allianz extends its support for rugby by making a significant, long-term investment in the game.
As part of this agreement, the home of England… pic.twitter.com/h0uXQgkQgG
— Twickenham Stadium (@Twickenhamstad) August 6, 2024
Twickenham renamed
The RFU had been considering selling their base in Twickenham and buying a 50 per cent share in national stadium Wembley, according to the outlet, which said that idea was dropped in favour of redeveloping the stadium, which the Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme reportedly quoted as costing £663m.
Sweeney said seeing London Irish, Wasps and Worcester all go into administration during the 2022-23 season had been “extremely painful”.
“It’s money that we need to invest back into the game,” said Sweeney. “We’ve had a tough time coming out of [the height of the] Covid [pandemic].
“The game’s under pressure. This is money we need to generate, to invest back into the community game so we keep that pipeline going.”
🏡❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZqdVTtBTo3
— Twickenham Stadium (@Twickenhamstad) July 23, 2024
Allianz Stadium
The RFU’s newest sponsors now hold the naming rights to eight stadiums, including Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in Germany.
England women will play world champions New Zealand in the first international match under the new name on September 14.
The venue will host the final of the 2025 Women’s World Cup and is also a setting for prestigious domestic matches, community events and concerts.
