Sweeney wants more non-sport events at Twickenham
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney says it would be "very difficult" to remain at Twickenham and "justify" significant investment for improvement unless it can increase the number of non-sporting events at Allianz Stadium.Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast,, external he pointed out other venues - such as Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - are able to bring in extra revenue by hosting many more non-sporting events such as concerts.Sweeney said: "Part of the renovation of the stadium from 2027 means we are in a discussion with Richmond Council about the ability to stage more non-rugby events. For us, it's three and we're only allowed one on a Friday."We've had the Rolling Stones. We could have had Beyonce but she wanted three nights and we are only allowed two nights consecutively, and we've got a restriction on capacity of 55,000.
"We're having a conversation now [with the council] and saying that if we are going to invest £600m into the Allianz - and that's going to bring X amount of revenue, we have got the study to show 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."There are plenty of places that would like to have us there. Birmingham and Milton Keynes would love to have us there."Asked if the RFU could move if the council were not willing to increase the number of non-sporting events from three, he added: "It would be a tough call 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."BBC Sport has approached Richmond Council and the RFU for comment.In February 2024 it was reported the RFU had considered selling Twickenham and buying a 50% share in Wembley, according to a document seen by the BBC.The Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme (TSMP) revealed the RFU board discussed the proposal but no formal approach was made to the Football Association (FA).Instead, it chose to focus on redeveloping Twickenham, which has been England's home ground since 1909.Twickenham was renamed as Allianz Stadium last year as part of a new sponsorship agreement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Data, downloads and detective work - chasing rugby's salary cheats
Andrew Rogers has lots of pieces of technology to help him. A Batphone-style hotline isn't one, though."It is not a case of having a red phone in the corner that lights up," says Rogers, the Premiership's salary cap whistle-blowers concerned a club might have breached the £6.4m cap on players' pay sound the alarm in more subtle ways."I've worked in rugby for nearly 20 years," says Rogers, who set up the agent registration scheme at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) earlier in his career."It is a social sport and it is very valuable having a trusted network of individuals and people who will talk to you. "It can be very informal. That is one of the joys of it - how you obtain information, how you assess it and understand the value of it, whether it's credible."The Premiership has had a salary cap since 1999, with the aim of keeping the league closely fought and owners with deep pockets and a yearning for success, though, it can be an it emerged in 2020 that Saracens' dominance, titles and star-studded squad were underpinned by payments that breached the cap, their lawyers claimed the whole concept was unenforceable under competition challenge was dismissed, Saracens were demoted and Rogers was given new, wider powers to catch the next club that might try it. "There is a saying 'never waste a crisis', and that judgement against Saracens was a big springboard to enhance the whole system," he now has an ocean of data to dive of players' contracts, image rights deals and other employment arrangements are sent to Rogers within 14 days of being year, every club makes a declaration - signed off by the chief executive, director of rugby and other top officials - confirming how they reward player also fills in an annual return detailing what they earn, their living arrangements, any companies they are involved with and information about their bank and his team have full access to all club accounts over the past five years to audit those numbers are then cross-checked against interviews more than 40 officials and players from across the league, digging further into their finances and ferreting out any he knows it is still not enough. His prying eye has to extend further."A lot of the time the stuff that's really going on is 'off book'," he says."We can do all these brilliant things 'on book' and all the audits, but you know where someone is saying 'listen, I'll make sure you get this', that's more likely to be through a conversation via a WhatsApp or an email."That was one of the things that came out of Melbourne Storm case back in 2010 - the Australian rugby league team who had a big salary cap 'rort' as they call it there."There were lots of fake emails, external created to try and cover tracks."When they extend their investigations, Rogers and his team will harvest data from players and officials' phones, searching for key terms that might refer to illicit, undeclared payments."It's really key," he says. "We will be looking at messages between agents, owners and players etc and it's a very, very helpful and insightful medium."Sometimes Rogers doesn't need a tip-off to spark a more in-depth probe. A club can bring suspicion on themselves."I look at the total value of a contract and consider whether it I would deem it market rate for that player," says Rogers."We have a database of salaries and information, and I can slice and dice it depending on a players' age, position, experience, be it international or Premiership."So if there's a 25-year-old scrum-half who has played 40 games in the Premiership and has got two international caps, where does he sit with other people within that kind of range? Is there an issue there or not?"For some clubs, there clearly isn't. Many in the league are operating well under the cap. Last year's champions Northampton have argued for a runaway leaders at the top of this season's standings and favourites to win their first English title in 29 years on Saturday, seem to be running closer to the depth and quality of their squad, which will be augmented by the signing of England wing Henry Arundell and Gloucester full-back Santiago Carreras this summer, is Diamond, Newcastle's director of rugby, said this season that they had done "magnificently"Bristol counterpart Pat Lam estimated that Bath had spent several million pounds more on their squad than the Bears could says all 10 Premiership clubs are in communication with him to ensure they do not run the risk of beefed-up punishments that now include relegation and the removal of titles."There are a lot of clubs who will be in almost daily contact with me, checking things and making sure what they're doing is right and wanting to make sure that any approach is appropriate and compliant within the regulations," he says."The clubs will talk to me a lot, whether they're way off the cap or they're very close to it."Clubs can squeeze more talent under the limit by distributing pay unevenly across the course of a might choose to backload a new deal in the knowledge that another high-earner will be off the books by the time it comes to pay up, flattening out their spending and staying the right side of the for homegrown and international players also give them licence to spend more."Modern governance for me involves helping people work in the system," says Rogers."It's no longer the days where you set write a set of regulations, leave them on the shelf and then when low-hanging fruit happens, you dust off the book and take inappropriate action."This is about effective monitoring, good communication, support and education for those working within it and then constantly evolving the system to make it right for your own sport."On Friday he will get a chance to compare London officials in charge of financial regulations across 20 different sports will get together to talk about how they chase them will be representatives from football's Premier League, EFL, Uefa, the Women's Super League, Major League Soccer and La Liga, officials from the three biggest American sports leagues - American football's NFL, basketball's NBA, baseball's MLB - and figures from motor racing's Formula 1 and FIA."I speak to them a lot individually, but this is the first time we're all getting together, which is really exciting," says Gauthier will also be there. Rogers' counterpart from France's Ligue Nationale de Rugby has been March, Toulouse were fined 1.3m euros (£1.1m), external over undeclared financial help they gave France full-back Melvyn Jaminet to buy himself out of his contract at Perpignan and ease a move to the six-time European champions. Gauthier and Rogers meet at least twice a year, in Paris or London, and are close to formalising a data-sharing agreement that will help them compare contracts for a player swapping the Premiership for the Top 14 or one question that Rogers, Gauthier or anyone at Friday's summit can never be sure of is their much financial sleight of hand evades their detection?"The system is now really robust," says Rogers."Look at all the different information we get on a weekly and seasonal basis and the incredible set of tools we have - examining tax returns, bank statements, phones, emails and Whatsapps - if we need to go in and do a proper investigation on a club."All that goes a long way to reduce that risk."It would be foolish to say we're pretty confident there's nothing else going on - we've always got to keep an eye on things - but the system is in a strong place."Defensive systems, innovative tactics, technology, communication and a bit of old-fashioned human nous - the spreadsheet contest isn't that different from what happens on the pitch.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Families urged to apply for cost of living cash worth up to £600
The Household Support Fund is a cost of living scheme that is run by local councils - it is a pot of cash awarded to local authorities, which they then distribute to residents Families are being urged to check if they can claim up to £600 in cost of living payments through the Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund is a cost of living scheme that is run by local councils. It is a pot of cash awarded to local authorities, which they then distribute to residents. The help provided normally comes in the form of one-off payments that don't need to be paid back, or vouchers for food or energy. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council is issuing cash grants, which vary depending on the size of your household. Here is the help available: Up to £300 for households with one or more adults Up to £500 for households with one child Up to £600 for households and two children or more Get cost of living tips straight to your WhatsApp! As the cost of living crisis continues to burn a hole in people's pockets, the Mirror has launched its very own Money WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest cost of living advice and money-saving tips straight to your phone. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. To be eligible for the grant, you must be over 18, living in Richmond and be struggling from the impact of rising costs of food and energy or continue to be impacted by COVID-19. This can include: Reduced pay or lost job Benefits issues Struggling to afford food, energy costs and other essentials, including white goods Extra costs as a result of COVID-19 Richmond Council is also encouraging individuals to apply if: There are community care needs They have serious health problems There is a risk to a child's wellbeing Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money You can apply by contacting Citizens Advice Richmond by freephone on 08082 787873. If you're not a Doncaster resident, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you through the Household Support Fund. For example, City of Doncaster Council is providing help to households that are in receipt of one of benefits including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit which includes the housing element and means-tested free school meals. If you're in a household with one dependent child, you will get a £100 payment for food, while £200 will be paid for two dependent children, and £300 for three dependent children. The council described a dependant child as one you are receiving Child Benefit for. A single payment will be made for energy bills to households that meet the eligibility criteria. Hull City Council is giving £200 to pensioner households. Meanwhile, low income families will get a £40 school uniform grant, as well as food vouchers in school holidays for those eligible for school meals. Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to all households where a child is aged between two and 19 and is eligible for free school meals. Meanwhile, households with pensioners who are in receipt of council tax support will get £100 in bank payments or food vouchers this year.
Sky News
6 days ago
- Sky News
Beyonce rides into town for London leg of Cowboy Carter tour
Denim chaps and hot pants aren't most people's go-to outfit for standing outside on a drizzly June day in London but Beyonce fans with tickets to her Cowboy Carter tour joked they were enjoying their very own "rain-aissance". Referencing the singer's 7th studio album, for Wilfy - originally from Brazil - the weather wasn't going to dampen his spirits. "We came to rock and this time I'm going to see her 5 times, so on Saturday I'll be back. It's Beyonce - this is a rain-aissance!" Her album Cowboy Carter may be responsible for the plethora of country-themed outfits, but this is not the star's first rodeo in terms of touring. As an artist who's been making music for over 25 years, this time around her 31 international shows are reportedly projected to make around £240m. For established artists, with their income from touring often surpassing revenue from streaming or sales nowadays, the price point of tickets can be a tricky line to tread - just ask Oasis. Figuring out how best to cover the costs of the massive touring infrastructure involved, make a profit whilst at the same time ensuring fans don't feel ripped off isn't easy to get right. From giant trucks to a mechanical bull, Beyonce fans are promised plenty of bang for their buck and at almost 3 hours long, it is her longest show yet. "I love this country album, it's so good," said Emily from Manchester"I feel like it's going to be an amazing show." Enon from Israel explained he'd taken a 5-hour flight and spent a day ripping and sewing his cowboy-inspired tasselled denim crop top because "Beyonce is one of a kind, she changed my life, she made me who I am, and this is our little Met Gala." While there is quite a bit of pressure on the global superstar to deliver the goods, one man who knows more than most about how that feels is her dad, Dr Mathew Knowles, who was her manager for many years. "It takes a lot to be a good manager," he says, thoughtfully reflecting on that time, "but it takes even more to be a great one." From Destiny's Child up until 2011, he worked alongside his daughter for some of her biggest hits. "I'm one of the best managers ever," he says in all seriousness. While he has a ticket to see her perform in London, he is already in town to teach students at the London College of Contemporary Music where Sky News caught up with him. 1:23 Here also to help find a new talent deserving of a music scholarship in his name. The candidate, he explained, has to be: "a student who's shown this real capacity, commitment and passion for the music industry". A stickler for young talent putting the practice in, he says: "Some artists aren't ready to tour… from a creative standpoint and a performance standpoint [you need to] put in 10,000 hours." When her UK tour tickets went on sale, fans reported prices seemed to stay static, suggesting "dynamic pricing" wasn't used to cash in on demand. On Oasis' headline-making ticket price row, Dr Knowles said: "I had to learn the value as a manager of understanding where each and every ticket goes." "You know, it's sad that often the artist gets the black eye when in fact the manager should be more involved…sometimes the artist doesn't even know about it until they hear these complaints." Of course, you'll hear few complaints from those with a ticket to see Beyonce on the UK leg of her world tour. Music-wise Milton from Albania says he is confident his idol will "bring everyone together". But, he said, he wasn't so sure about whether he'd need carrying out afterwards.
