English RFU ditches plan to sell Twickenham

[trendylfj]

I have just read this regarding the possible spending on the Twickenham Stadium of £663 million revamp. What on earth is going on and where is this money coming from?

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... f-wembley/

[GB72]

No doubt any works will be paid for by debt financed by money that should be going to the wider game.

Twickenham should be sold. It is old in places, hard to get to, not a great stadium, is limited as to the number of days it can be used and is not an attractive prospect for other sports or concerts when compared to the newer football stadiums.

All the talk of growing the game and the simplest way to do that is to play the top level matches around the country.

I have an issue with all of the massive new stadium that are built in areas already serviced with a similar sized stadium, mainly due to local rivalries etc preventing a sensible ground share. I see no need for a massive national stadium for a niche sport that could adequately be served by dozens of other grounds all around the country.

Just trying to think how many other countries have what is to all intents and purposes, a national stadium for rugby only.

[sam16111986]

Twickers is a sell out for international games and I believe game day revenue is substantial for the RFU. Renting someone else's stadium for a game won't see the same kind of revenue as the landlord will either want to keep match day takings or want a big chunk of rent. Trying to find available football grounds mid Prem season will also be tricky.

[tigerburnie]

All the talk of growing the game and the simplest way to do that is to play the top level matches around the country.

Like France are doing this year, I have enjoyed going to the cabbage patch in the distant past, but wouldn't go now, Murrayfield is a quite pleasant place to visit for a game, even the Scots tried playing a game in Aberdeen, wasn't seen as a success though.

[Not a jock]

All the talk of growing the game and the simplest way to do that is to play the top level matches around the country.

Like France are doing this year, I have enjoyed going to the cabbage patch in the distant past, but wouldn't go now, Murrayfield is a quite pleasant place to visit for a game, even the Scots tried playing a game in Aberdeen, wasn't seen as a success though.

My recollection is different. I went to matches vs BaaBaas (2005) and Samoa (2010). Pittodrie wasn't full but good crowds, I believe. Kenny Logan played for the BaaBaas and was concussed pretty much the first time he was involved. A certain large Samoan winger played in Nov'10 - there'd been a heavy snowfall and it was Baltic so the snow didn't melt like it usually does by the sea in Aberdeen. I doubted that the Samoans had ever played in such conditions but it didn't seem to faze them. There was at least one other game versus Canada but I don't remember going to that one. It was good to see some top class rugby without the cost and time of trekking to Edinburgh.

Twickers seems to attract more of the "I was there" crowd boasting around the water cooler on a Monday morning. Revenue maximized and prioritized over the interests of true rugby fans. It's not just at the ground but also the wider area's pubs and trains!

[Rugbygramps]

Sort of related. The last episode of Lenny and Dan’s podcast deals with all things post international at Twickenham and how they are pushed from pillar to post to various corporate events, and finally end up in the RFU dinner listening to the Blazers drone on when they would much rather be spending time with friends and family. I wonder if the tests were moved around, Old Trafford, St James park etc they would become less formal affairs for the fans to enjoy.

It is worth listening to just for the story of Marler having to provide a urine sample in Japan