by The first and only great reference to the Rugby Football Union’s proposed resort from Twickenham can be found on page 67 of the 69-page Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Document seen by Sports telegraph.
The document discusses the plans in place for “a variety of projects which would together provide a new and improved experience for users of Twickenham Stadium”. Below, Telegraph Sport breaks down the report.
Leaving Twickenham for Wembley
The holiday option is off the table, the report says, with the Masterplan Program Team no longer seeking to promote the possibility that “the RFU would explore the possibility of disposing of Twickenham Stadium and a 50 per cent stake in Buying Wembley”.
That decision was made following a recommendation approved by the RFU Board in March last year to retain the ‘Leave’ option as a reserve. The RFU has not approached the Football Association about any potential deal, noting that any formal contact with the Football Association had been postponed “until further clarification of the feasibility of the ‘Stay’ option is received ‘ and the opinions of the licensing authority”.
However, the logistical and historical implications of such a move are significant, including the notion that the RFU is selling up and walking away from the plot of land bought back in 1907 for £5,500, 12 shillings. and sixpence – around £432,000 today. money.
England have not played a rugby match at Wembley as a home team since they beat Canada back in 1992, and of course they faced Wales there in 1999 during the construction of the Principality Stadium. To move English rugby permanently some 11.5 miles north would have been highly unusual, even before the FA considered the possibility of dividing English football or the home.
A £663 million plan to wait
Instead, the RFU has chosen the option of staying which is not cheap, even acknowledging that the entire Way Forward (PWF) is “insolvent”.
Instead a “prioritisation exercise” is to be introduced “to identify the first phase of interventions that are affordable and deliver the greatest commercial value and experience and return to the RFU”, and Ernst and Young will acknowledge that funding is available “up to £296.5 million” for phase one of any work.
An overall cost estimate for the report provided by consultancy Turner and Townsend puts the total of the proposed work at £663 million.
Just under £385 million of that estimate has been allocated to construction costs, with planned work on the stadium’s roof and bowl, the four stands as well as external areas.
The most expensive area is estimated to be the West Stand, where work is planned for the extension and refurbishment of the concourse, hospitality, vertical transport, BOH (back of house), the hotel and retail/merchandising to an estimated total of £ 114.7 million.
An additional £77 million has been put in for fees and client instructions, with around £90 million as contingency and £111 million for inflation. The latest cost estimate from Turner and Townsend shows an increase of £63 million from the previous estimate in October 2022.
A bullet point list of the “top target priorities” includes:
-
Minimum capacity 80,000 in rugby mode
-
Maximize capacity in concert mode
-
A significant increase in the number of non-rugby events each year
-
Hospitality provision to accommodate approximately 10,500 (of which approximately 8,500 are lounge style)
-
Supply of debentures to remain at around 15,000
-
Average minimum space allowances of 0.37m2/ person (seat space)
-
Increased assembly space to achieve a minimum of 0.3m2/person in the General Admission area
-
Riverboats and driverless pods to boost failing transport
Whichever team you attended Twickenham to support, the big unifying factor was always a universal frustration with a transport system around Twickenham Station that never seemed to be able to handle the high numbers of supporters attending matches to manage.
A detailed report has now been commissioned “on a more strategic transformation of transport serving Twickenham”, aimed at “a more sustainable and resilient transport approach to reduce the risk and dependency on Twickenham mainline rail station”.
These plans propose three groups of “possible transport interventions” divided into short-term (one to three years), medium-term (three to five years) and long-term (five plus years) aims. Jumping through the categories are plans for alternative walking routes and e-scooters, then to river services – “although not expected to deliver high potential, could be pursued to provide a high quality fan experience” – and possibly redesign or remodel the A316. carousel
The top proposals are dependent on Transport For London’s proposed launch of the new West London Orbital station by 2030, “the largest rail station ever built in the UK, currently under construction and will provide easy access to the Elizabeth line, central London. and HS2 North West from Staid” which will connect Hounslow Station to the new Old Oak Common station, along with another suggestion that the District Line could be extended.
The most appealing suggestion, however, is driverless pods bringing fans to Twickenham, although the report gives no details on how the pods will operate.
Variety and introduction of baby changing facilities
Among the proposed works is a significant improvement in the provision of women’s toilets, moving the current percentages from 90 per cent male and 10 per cent female to 65-35, which in turn moves the quota from minimum regulations stadium to a more modern interpretation of entertainment. venues with a half-time interval”, according to the report.
A particular priority is to improve accessibility and inclusion, with “the main issue” being “the location of the wheelchair seats within the bowl to watch the game” and “most of the wheelchair seats are on the ground floor (level 1) on the edges of the field”. It is essential that these positions are disclosed and therefore they do not follow the recommendations of the Green Directive regarding the protection of seats for people with disabilities from bad weather.
The report notes that with a “strong equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, the re-profiling work to the lower and middle tiers will help to address the availability of accessible seating throughout the stadium’s bowl”, and that the changes mean also that it will be “attached” to accessible seats. inclusion of appropriate facilities”. The lack of disabled parking (blue badge) is also noted, with Twickenham “using the nearby Tesco car park to supplement the on-site parking provisions”.
In addition there are plans for sensory rooms, faith rooms, baby changing facilities – there are none at all at Twickenham Stadium, with one set to be introduced by the end of the next financial year – lowered counters at concessions and listening loops at points contact.
Temporary move from HQ
As for when works could be carried out, the focus was on the gap between the 2027 and 2028 Six Nations given the lack of autumn internationals due to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. men’s warm-up games for the Rugby World Cup, known as “lower commercial value events”.
England chose to play both 2023 home warm-up matches at Twickenham, but in 2019 they played their fourth leg and final against Italy at St James’ Park in Newcastle. It would be good to move those games around the country while the work is underway to grow the game.
The report finally notes that Twickenham will “as far as possible, remain operational and able to host major events during the delivery of the PWF interventions. All priority PWF interventions will be completed and operational by 2031”.
