ENGLISH rugby could have a new home thanks to pop superstar Beyonce.
The RFU has called Twickenham home for a whopping 115 years.
GETTYTwickenham has been the home of English rugby for 115 years[/caption]
REXBut the Three Lions could end up leaving their iconic ground[/caption]
GETTYPop superstar Beyonce could play a small role in the RFU upping sticks from Twickenham[/caption]
The southwest stadium has undergone several revamps during that time, with the RFU keen on another redevelopment worth a whopping £600million.
RFU chiefs, however, recently learned the proposed redevelopment won’t be financially viable unless the ground is allowed to increase the number of non-rugby events it stages each year from three to fifteen.
The current licence restrictions from Richmond Council saw Twickenham pipped to a series of money-spinning gigs from pop superstar Beyonce.
And RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney has warned they could move its headquarters to either Milton Keynes or Birmingham if they aren’t lifted.
During an appearance on the Business of Sport podcast, he said: “There are plenty of places that would like to have us. Birmingham, Milton Keynes would love to have us there.
“Part of the renovation from 2027 means we are in discussions with Richmond borough council to stage more non-rugby events.
“For us, it is three [events] and we are only allowed one on a Friday.
“We have had The Rolling Stones. We could have had Beyonce but she wanted three nights and we are only allowed two nights consecutively.
GettyRFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney hopes the current number of non-rugby events Twickenham can host will be increased[/caption]
“We are saying, ‘If we are going to invest £600million into the Allianz — and we have a study which shows how much economic value it contributes to the borough — you are going to have to work with us in terms of an increase in the number of events we can stage in order to monetise the stadium.’
“It would be a tough call [leaving Twickenham] 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.”
The RFU, at present, can’t afford to build a new stadium in southwest London.
As such, it explored the idea of selling Twickenham and buying a 50 per cent share in Wembley Stadium, as well as the possibility of building a new HQ in the Midlands.
Both ideas, however, were put on the back burner in order to pursue a modernisation plan, which is set to get underway in 2027.
The RFU leaving Twickenham would have a huge financial impact on the area as the stadium is worth a whopping £91m to the local economy.
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