England could ditch Twickenham for Milton Keynes over council row
England could quit Twickenham and play their rugby internationals in Milton Keynes because of Richmond upon Thames Council, chief Bill Sweeney has warned.
The Rugby Football Union needs to fund a £663m redevelopment of Allianz Stadium in Twickenham but has previously admitted that some of the financing for this would need to come from non-rugby events such as hosting concerts. Populous will be looking at the masterplan.
Currently the RFU is allowed just three non-rugby events per year at the 82,000 seat venue, which are capped at a capacity of 55,000. But English rugby’s governing body wants that number to rise to 15, with a capacity increase to go alongside it.
The impasse, Sweeney says, could force the RFU to move arenas.
Twickenham to the waste pile?
“There are plenty of places that would like to have us. Birmingham and Milton Keynes would love to have us there,” Sweeney told the Business of Sport podcast.
“Part of the renovation from 2027 means we are in discussions with Richmond Borough Council to stage more non-rugby events. For us it is three and we are only allowed one on a Friday.
“We have had the Rolling Stones. We could have had Beyonce but she wanted three nights and we are only allowed two nights consecutively.
“We are saying that if we are going to invest £600m into the Allianz — and we have a study which shows how much economic value it contributes to the borough — you are going to have to work with us in terms of an increase in the number of events we can stage in order to monetise the stadium.”
The MP for Milton Keynes North Chris Curtis responded, saying the City would love to be England’s new home.
“Milton Keynes has a proud history of welcoming investment and growth because we know it benefits both our residents and the nation,” he said. “That includes making space for sport, from the world’s fastest Formula One team to the home of British badminton.
“If Richmond is putting up roadblocks, Milton Keynes would be proud to step in, carry the ball forward, and offer England Rugby a new home.”
The RFU previously assessed a potential move from Twickenham to Birmingham before committing to the redevelopment, while it also considered buying 50 per cent of Wembley Stadium.
But the governing body signed a deal with insurance giant Allianz, which is reportedly worth £100m across 10 years, and they’ll be keen to cash in on that revenue stream.