Twickenham Stadium
London (Twickenham), Greater London, England
Twickenham Stadium, London (Twickenham), England — opened 2 October 1909, 3 rugby league games hosted, home of no rugby league tenant — home of the Rugby Football Union and the England men's and women's rugby union teams; all rugby league use was one-off/occasional hosting.
Sourcing caveat: No rugby league Test/international beyond the 2000 World Cup opener was found at this venue; the 2000 World Cup Final itself was played at Old Trafford, not here.
Ground facts
| Opened | 2 October 1909 (First international staged there was England v Wales rugby union, 15 January 1910.) |
| Home club | no rugby league tenant — home of the Rugby Football Union and the England men's and women's rugby union teams; all rugby league use was one-off/occasional hosting |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 3 |
| Top recorded crowd | 68,250 |
| Capacity | 82,000 for rugby (current, after a 2006 redevelopment); lower configurations apply for other events |
| Test matches hosted | 1 |
| Challenge Cup Finals hosted | 2 |
| Floodlights installed | permanent LED floodlighting installed in 2014, ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup — after all three rugby league matches described below had already been played, which were most likely afternoon kick-offs |
| Surface | Desso GrassMaster hybrid natural/synthetic turf |
| First rugby league match | 29 October 2000 — England 2-22 Australia, opening match of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, attendance 33,758 |
| Years used | 2000–2006 |
| Location | London (Twickenham), Greater London |
Name history
- Twickenham Stadium — 1909–2024, the name used throughout its rugby league era
- Allianz Stadium, Twickenham — since September 2024, a 10-year sponsorship rename — well after the rugby league matches described here
Rugby league history
Twickenham hosted rugby league only as a matter of scheduling necessity: the Challenge Cup Final, traditionally played at Wembley, needed alternative venues during Wembley Stadium's 2000-2006 reconstruction, and organisers of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup separately chose Twickenham as a marquee opening-match venue. Twickenham's dominant sporting identity remains rugby union — the England national team's home — with rugby league confined to this brief, purely occasional 2000-2006 stretch and no activity before or after.
The home of English rugby union and the England national team; also hosts major concerts and has staged NFL exhibition events.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 28 April 2001 — Challenge Cup Final, St Helens 13-6 Bradford Bulls (68,250, our recorded top crowd) — the first Challenge Cup Final played at Twickenham and the 100th final overall
- 26 August 2006 — Challenge Cup Final, St Helens 42-12 Huddersfield Giants (65,187) — Huddersfield's first final since 1953, also against St Helens
- 29 October 2000 — England 2-22 Australia, 2000 Rugby League World Cup opening match (33,758)
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group A, 28 Oct 2000 | 2000 Rugby League World Cup | England 2-22 Australia |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
← Rugby League · Champions list · All-time records · Grand Final results · World Cup · All competitions · Teams · Players