Twickenham to be renamed in controversial change for home of English rugby

England rugby's historic Twickenham home is to be renamed as the Allianz Stadium as part of a new sponsorship deal, the Rugby Football Union has confirmed.

The change will come into force from September and means the insurance company will hold the naming rights to a total of eight stadiums worldwide including Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena in Germany.

The iconic stadium at Twickenham has played host to England’s mens games since 1909, with fans from all over the world flocking to see their teams play at the highest level.

In addition, the 82,000-seater stadium also hosts international women's matches, key domestic games, community events and music concerts - making it a sporting and social hub of activity for all ages.

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 per cent share in Wembley, according to the broadcaster.

The Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme (TSMP) revealed that the RFU board had discussed the proposal in March last year but no official approach was made to the Football Association (FA) to determine the change.

However, it has since emerged that 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 newly renamed venue is set to host the final of the 2025 Women's World Cup next year - but the first international game to take place under it’s new title will happen next month, when England's women taken on world champions New Zealand on 14 September.

The change of name will no doubt come as a shock to many England Rugby fans, especially as Twickenham is now no longer in the stadium name at all - but the move does follow in the footsteps of the Irish, Welsh and Scottish unions that have long since established their stadium names with the help of a sponsor.

It is thought that the impact of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the need to update the stadium may have played a key role in accepting a sponsorship title, but although the name may take some getting used to, the RFU insist that the money generated by the sponsorship deal will filter down the game to all levels of the sport.

Although the exact sum remains confidential, it is believed that over the course of 10 years, the investment could be worth in excess of £100m.