John Mitchell, head coach of the England women’s national team, believes the renaming of Twickenham to Allianz Stadium is a “smart move” by the Rugby Football Union.
As part of the new sponsorship agreement, the name of the stadium will change from September.
Mitchell’s team will play its first game after the change on September 14 against world champions New Zealand.
“I can only see the positives,” Mitchell told BBC Sport.
“Anyone who knows nothing about sport and a high-performance association knows that managing high-performance teams involves enormous costs.
“The Allianz Stadium at Twickenham embodies what English rugby is all about. Leaving it and relocating it would be a game changer.”
“I think it’s a smart move. I don’t see too many downsides to it.”
Twickenham has hosted English men’s matches since 1909. The women’s team will play its first independent game there against France in 2023.
England, hosts of the 2025 World Cup, played their last game at Twickenham before the stadium was renamed against Ireland in this year’s Women’s Six Nations.
The RFU was looking for further investment and, according to a document seen by the BBC, considered selling its southwest London base and buying a 50 percent stake in Wembley before deciding to cash in on the naming rights to Twickenham.
“I think this investment will go into high-performance sport, into our grassroots sport and into the redesign of the stadium,” Mitchell added.
“People will still be aware that it is our national stadium. There is enough history to show people that it is still Twickenham, now ably supported by the Allianz brand.”
