RFU fiscal muscle with Allianz naming deal

Article posted by Coliseum, August 9^th, 2024

Image: Coliseum GSVA

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) recently announced that the Twickenham Stadium in Twickenham, England (UK) will be known as the Allianz Stadium after signing a new long-term partnership with the German insurance company.

From September, the venue currently known as the Twickenham Stadium will be called the Allianz Stadium.

‘RUGBYPASS’ stated that the Twickenham Stadium now falls into line with all the other Home Unions’ home grounds with Ireland (the 51,700-capacity Aviva Stadium), Scotland (the 67,144-capacity Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium) and Wales (the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium) having sold naming rights to their stadiums.

London (UK)-based the Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871 and was the sport’s international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It promotes and runs the sport, organizes international matches for the England national team and educates and trains the players and the officials.

The 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium in Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England (UK) is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union, the English rugby union governing body which has its headquarters there.

The Allianz SE is a German multinational financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core businesses are insurance and asset management. Allianz is the world’s largest insurance company and the largest financial services company in Europe.

‘RUGBYPASS’ further stated that having broken new ground, the RFU are set for a significant financial boost although the value of the deal is yet to be disclosed. For some traditionalists, though, it won’t be a price worth paying.

The stadium sponsorship is the eighth of its kind for Allianz which welcomes the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium into a family of world-class stadia around the globe.

The Allianz Stadium will join celebrated venues such as the 75,024-capacity Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, the 43,713-capacity Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, and the recently reopened state-of-the-art multipurpose venue – the 42,500-capacity Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Allianz will also be a key partner of the RFU’s community engagement program launching a new Allianz Future Fund that will enable the community rugby clubs to apply for funding. It also comes at a time when all of rugby’s major unions are struggling financially.

Enthused Bill Sweeney, RFU head honcho, “We’re really pleased to be expanding our partnership with Allianz enabling further investment into the community and the professional game. This is an opportunity to celebrate our stadium’s proud legacy while developing it for the future. 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. Over the coming years, the RFU and Allianz will work together to enhance the visitor experiences and provide the fans and the local community with the best possible matchday and event experiences. As we head towards hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 it is entirely fitting that the first game to be played at the newly named Allianz Stadium will be the Red Roses (England women’s rugby team) versus New Zealand on September 14^th.”

The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup will be the 10^th edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for the national rugby union teams organized by World Rugby. It is scheduled to take place in England (UK) between August 22^nd and September 27^th, 2025. The opening game will take place at the 48,707-capacity Stadium of Light in Sunderland with the final scheduled to be held at the Twickenham Stadium (to be known as the Allianz Stadium from September 2024).

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