Stephen Brown, the newly-appointed chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, has admitted that the body would be open to adding a sponsor’s brand to Twickenham’s official.
The ground is the only venue out of the four home union stadiums that does not have a naming-rights sponsor. Scotland plays its games at BT Murrayfield, Wales’ home ground is the Principality Stadium and Ireland plays at the Aviva Stadium.
The RFU has pledged to invest £54m ($71.5m/€61m) into the redevelopment of Twickenham’s East Stand and a stadium sponsor is being considered as a means to maximise revenue.
Brown said, according to UK newspaper The Telegraph: “We wouldn’t rule out any appropriate commercial opportunity for the venue, the fan base and the stakeholders.
“At the end of the day, we have an obligation to maximise the potential of our assets and ensure we have money to reinvest. We wouldn’t rule it out at all, but it would have to be right. It’s more than just the value – it has to match what we’re trying to do here.”
He added: “Twickenham is synonymous with English rugby. Maybe there is a different way of doing it – you don’t have to have a branded stadium.”
Brown replaced Ian Ritchie as RFU chief executive last month, having previously served as the organisation’s chief officer of business operations.
Brown was responsible for Twickenham in his previous role, as well as the RFU’s technology, finance, human resources, legal and governance, IPF, international relations and public affairs.
Image: Diliff
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