WHY RUGBY MATTERS
More than just a game – rugby enriches lives, from improving the health and wellbeing of its players to creating stronger, more connected communities.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the governing body for rugby union in England. All money we raise is reinvested in promoting and managing the sport across all levels, from grassroots to the men’s and women’s national teams. Each year this equates to around £30 million of investment into local grassroots rugby, sustaining a network of 378,000 players across 1,849 clubs.
For 116 years, our stadium has been the beating heart of England Rugby and the home of the RFU. It is also the largest dedicated rugby union stadium in the world. It is now responsible for 85% of our revenues and, in addition to helping sustain rugby’s growth, it also provides significant benefits to the local economy.
What the stadium brings to the local and UK economies
Generating an estimated £181 million in Gross Added Value to the UK economy each year, with £91 million of this going to the boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow
Supporting 2,870 FTE jobs, with nearly half of these being in the local area
£180,000 a year generated for local initiatives across Richmond and Hounslow