England team could depart Twickenham for new home, reveals RFU chief
Yesterday at 11:31 AM
The RFU's chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has hinted that England's rugby team could be looking for a new home after Twickenham – now branded the Allianz Stadium following a £130m naming rights deal – missed out on hosting Beyoncé's concerts this summer.
The US superstar is set to return to the UK in June, and Twickenham was keen to be the venue for her shows. However, strict licence restrictions from the local council mean the stadium can only host three non-rugby events per year, with a reduced capacity of 55,000.
The RFU wants to ramp this up to 15 events with a full 82,000 capacity, but the current limits meant Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was given the nod for Beyoncé's six UK shows.
Sweeney considers Birmingham or Milton Keynes move
Frustrated by the restrictions, Sweeney has now floated the idea of England relocating to Milton Keynes or even building a brand-new stadium in Birmingham if Twickenham's event licence isn't amended.
"There are plenty of places that would like to have us. Birmingham, Milton Keynes would love to have us there," Sweeney told the Business of Sport podcast.
RFU pushing for more events to justify £600m renovation
The RFU's plans to invest £600m into Allianz Stadium hinge on increasing event capacity and frequency, with Sweeney warning that limiting non-rugby events could jeopardise this investment.
"We've had The Rolling Stones. We could have had Beyoncé, but she wanted three nights, and we're only allowed two consecutive nights," he said.
Sweeney stressed that the economic benefits for Richmond borough should encourage the council to rethink its stance. "If we're going to invest £600m into the Allianz — and we have a study showing how much economic value it brings to the borough — they need to work with us to increase the number of events we can stage."
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2025 British & Irish Lions Squad: Bookies' Predictions for the Tour
With the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia fast approaching, the bookmakers have released their early odds on who will make the squad.
While a lot can change between now and the final selection, these odds give a strong indication of who the bookies believe will be donning the famous red jersey next summer.
The bolded players in our proposed Lions squad represent the starting XV, according to current odds.
2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS SQUAD (36)
BACK-THREE (6)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland) – 1/16
- James Lowe (Ireland) – 1/8
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland) – 1/5
- Tommy Freeman (England) – 4/9
- Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) – 8/11
- Darcy Graham (Scotland) – 2/1
CENTRE (4)
- Bundee Aki (Ireland) – 1/5
- Ollie Lawrence (England) – 1/4
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland) – 2/7
- Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) – 8/11
FLY-HALVES (3)
- Fin Russell (Scotland) – 1/10
- Fin Smith (England) – 8/15
- Sam Prendergast (Ireland) – 8/11
CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
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