Saq
The English Rugby Union (RFU) has announced that Twickenham will be renamed the Allianz Stadium following a major naming rights deal with the insurance giant.
The “long-term partnership” will see the home of English rugby renamed as part of a deal that will also focus on community and grassroots investment, as well as supporting the future of the men’s and women’s senior teams.
This landmark agreement follows a period of turbulence during and after the Covid pandemic which saw the RFU and other unions assess options to protect the future financially and increase investment in the sport.
The union considered a radical plan to sell the land entirely earlier this year, before choosing to focus instead on redeveloping the Twickenham site, although no plans have yet been signed off.
The deal ends more than 100 years of English rugby’s reign at Twickenham. The Red Roses will be the first English team to grace the stadium under its new name on September 14 against New Zealand, while the first men’s international will follow on November 2 against the All Blacks.
Allianz Stadium will also host further autumn internationals against Australia, South Africa and Japan, as well as next year’s Women’s World Cup final in September 2025.
A statement from the RFU said: “Allianz and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) today announce the next stage of their partnership, as Allianz extends its support for rugby by making a significant, long-term investment in the game.
“This partnership will be transformative. Allianz and the RFU will provide significant support to grassroots football through financial investments to secure future investment in community football.”
This is the eighth such deal for Allianz, which also sponsors Bayern Munich’s stadium, known as the Allianz Arena. The German company previously sponsored Saracens’ stadium in north London and in 2020 became the title partner of the top division of English women’s rugby, the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).
RFU CEO Bill Sweeney said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Allianz, which will allow us to further invest in the community and the professional game. It is an opportunity to celebrate the proud heritage of our stadium whilst developing it for the future. This partnership will help us to evolve the game in a direction that serves all levels of rugby, from juniors to elites, from club coaches to our national coaches and everything in between.”
“Over the coming years, the RFU and Allianz will work together to enhance the visitor experience and provide fans and the local community with the best possible match day and event experiences.
“As we prepare to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025, it is fitting that the first match to be played at the new Allianz Stadium will be the Red Roses’ game against New Zealand on 14 September.”
The idea of selling the naming rights to Twickenham has long been mooted and was discussed internally in the build-up to England hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
However, the then management warned that they were unlikely to drop Twickenham from the stadium’s name entirely, given the rich history and longevity of the world’s largest rugby stadium, which opened in 1909.
The deal follows similar naming rights agreements between the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Principality for the Millennium Stadium, and the Irish Rugby Union (IRFU) and Aviva. Scotland’s Murrayfield is currently sponsored by Scottish Gas.
The Cardiff and Dublin stadiums were relatively new at the time of the deals and are now commonly referred to by the sponsor’s name. Such an association is unlikely for Allianz given Twickenham’s reputation among rugby fans.
The deal comes at an intriguing time at the RFU. Finance director Sue Day, a former England captain, will leave the organisation to oversee women’s football at the Football Association (FA) in December.
The highly respected Day is believed to have been considered a potential successor to chief executive Sweeney before making the decision to take on a new challenge earlier this year.
Saq
