The RFU has abandoned a radical plan to ditch Twickenham and buy a share in Wembley Stadium, instead pledging a massive overhaul of England’s home ground.
According to multiple reports in England, last year the RFU board considered the option to leave Twickenham as an alternative to a planned £663 million (R15 billion) redevelopment of the stadium.
Twickenham has been the home of English rugby since 1909 and the RFU has been reluctant to leave the ground, given that England matchdays account for 85 percent of the governing body’s income.
The RFU has been reluctant to stage England matches elsewhere, but according to the Guardian, considered moving to historic soccer ground Wembley when redevelopment plans were discussed last year.
According to the reports, the shock move was discussed in a 69-page blueprint entitled ‘Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme’, which revealed RFU’s board voted in favour of retaining the option to leave last year, but to ‘defer formal engagement with the FA’.
The contingency plan has now reportedly been shelved and the RFU will now move ahead with what it describes as the preferred way forward (PWF) in its blueprint.
The RFU will prioritise work that will add up to approximately £300 million (R7 billion) as the overall cost of redeveloping Twickenham is currently unaffordable.
This will include renovating each of Twickenham’s four stands and the roof, redeveloping the stadium’s car parks and improving transport to the stadium. The work is planned to be carried out between 2027 and 2028.
Twickenham will be fully operational in 2031.
Photo: Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
