Mitchell Calls Twickenham Name Rights Sale a 'Smart Move'.

Posted 1 months ago

John Mitchell, head coach of the England women's rugby team, sees the renaming of Twickenham to Allianz Stadium as a "smart move" by the Rugby Football Union.

Starting in September, the stadium will be renamed under a new sponsorship deal.

Mitchell’s team will play their first match at the newly named Allianz Stadium against world champions New Zealand on September 14.

“I can only see the positive sides,” Mitchell told BBC Sport.

Mitchell explained that running high-performance sports teams comes with significant costs, and while Twickenham has been central to English rugby since 1909, the new name, Allianz Stadium, represents a positive change.

“The move to Allianz Stadium is a smart one,” he said. “I don’t see many negatives.”

Twickenham has been the home of England men's rugby for over a century and hosted the women’s team for their first standalone match against France in 2023.

England, set to host the 2025 World Cup, will play their final game at Twickenham against Ireland during this year’s Women’s Six Nations before the stadium’s name changes.