England coach John Mitchell says renaming Twickenham to Allianz Stadium is 'only positive'

England head coach John Mitchell expressed a positive outlook on the renaming of Twickenham as his Red Roses prepare to be the first home team to play at Allianz Stadium.

On 14th September, Mitchell’s team will face New Zealand, the reigning world champions, at England's iconic rugby venue, in preparation for the second edition of WXV.

This match occurs just over a year before the stadium is set to host the World Cup final, with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) aiming to sell out the venue for the event and set a new attendance record next September.

The long-term deal with Allianz, valued at over £100 million, will provide significant investment into England’s elite teams and grassroots rugby, while also allowing the RFU to consider necessary upgrades to the stadium.

“It twists my tongue a little bit, but I’ll get there,” Mitchell, who spent six years as an assistant to England’s men across two stints, said of the name change ahead of the encounter with the Black Ferns. “I can only see the positive side.

“It’s a historical stadium, it’s the home of English rugby. And there’s not only the investment into high performance, but you’ve also got to look at the foundations and the grassroots. The stadium needs to redevelop as well so that it caters for [potentially] a bigger audience.

“It’s like playing in a Colosseum in the winter. It’s a proposition to come down this tunnel here and enter the changing rooms, it’s a challenging place and asks a lot of questions of people.

"To me, it’s great that we’re able to have that kind of investment and continue growing the game and making sure that we’ve also got a fantastic national stadium.”