Bill Sweeney, chief executive of England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU), has warned that the governing body could move to Birmingham or Milton Keynes if it is not granted permission to host more concerts at London’s Allianz Stadium.
The RFU is seeking to host more non-sporting events at Allianz Stadium, with plans also in the works for a major redevelopment work at the venue formerly known as Twickenham.
Currently, the stadium is limited to staging three concerts per year, two of which must be on a Saturday. Capacity for concerts is also restricted to 55,000 – compared to 82,000 for rugby matches.
The RFU is seeking permission to host up to 15 non-sporting events per year. The number would increase gradually to nine in 2026, 12 in 2027 and 15 per year from 2028.
Allianz Stadium has previously hosted concerts from the likes of The Rolling Stones, U2, Eminem and Rihanna, but often loses out on gigs to Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which are able to host a much larger number of non-sporting events each year.
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Sweeney revealed that the RFU had looked into hosting Beyonce concerts this year, but because Allianz Stadium is only permitted to host concerts on two consecutive nights it was not deemed feasible. Beyonce will instead host six shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Sweeney said: “We’re having a conversation now with Richmond Borough (Council) saying, look, if we’re going to invest £600m (€716m/$776m) into the Allianz and that’s going to bring X amount of revenue, we’ve got the study to show how much economic value it contributes to the borough.
“If we’re going to do that, you’re going to have to work with us in terms of an increase in the number of events that we can stage in order to monetise the stadium if we’re going to invest that money. And there are plenty of places that would love to have us there. Birmingham, Milton Keynes would love to have us there.”
When asked if the RFU would be willing to move, Sweeney added: “It would be a tough call for us. It would be very difficult. I don’t know how we would justify the investment in the stadium if we can’t get the increase in the event licences.”
Sweeney has said the investment in Allianz Stadium could reach £650m. Any redevelopment work would begin in 2027, with Sweeney stating that it would be phased to avoid any disruption to rugby matches at the stadium.
Earlier this week, Rider Levett Bucknall announced that it has been appointed as the project manager for the RFU’s planned redevelopment of Allianz Stadium. The full consultant team also includes Populous as architect and lead designer.
The RFU has opted to pursue a redevelopment of Allianz Stadium after reports emerged last year that the governing body had chosen not to approach the Football Association about sharing Wembley.
The RFU is hoping to submit planning and licensing applications in May or June of this year, with a decision on these applications expected by September. A period of consultation on the masterplan would then begin.
The RFU announced in August that German insurance provider Allianz had acquired naming rights to Twickenham. Sweeney confirmed on the Business of Sport podcast that the deal will run for 13 years and will be worth in excess of £130m.
