England rugby stadium Twickenham given new name after more than 100 years in shock new deal

TWICKENHAM has been renamed the Allianz Stadium after over a century.

The iconic home of English rugby was opened in 1909 and has the capacity to hold 82,000 fans.

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Twickenham has been renamed for the first time[/caption]

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The new name will make its debut as England’s female stars take on New Zealand[/caption]

RFU chiefs have been hosting NFL matches and concerts in a bid to raise more funds.

The terms of the deal have not been announced but Sky Sports cite sources as saying the money will be a “significant boost.”

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney said: “We’re really pleased to be expanding our partnership with Allianz, enabling further investment into the community and professional game.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate our stadium’s proud legacy while developing it for the future.

“This partnership will support us in moving the game in a direction which serves all rugby, from minis to the elites, from club coaches to our national coaches and everything in between.

“Over the coming years the RFU and Allianz will work together to enhance visitor experiences and provide fans and local community with the best possible match day and event experiences.

“As we head towards hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 it is entirely fitting that the first game to be played at the newly named Allianz Stadium will be the Red Roses versus New Zealand on 14 September.”

Twickenham is the eighth worldwide stadium that is named after Allianz.

They also sponsor grounds in Nice, Turin, Munich, Sao Paulo, Vienna, Sydney and St Paul.

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Fans were not happy with the move on social media.

One wrote: “Twickenham will always be Twickenham to me!”

Another posted: “Good luck with that.”

A third added: “Nobody will call it that.”

Allianz previously sponsored the Barnet Copthall Stadium – the home of Saracens.

But the insurance giant pulled out of the deal after the club breached salary cap regulations to trigger a fall from grace.