Rugby Football Union (RFU)

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) isn’t just managing the game – it's managing a global brand, a 365-day-a-year venue and an elite sports infrastructure under increasing pressure to perform digitally.

With over 82,000 fans descending on the Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) for match days and teams training all year round at the High Performance Training Centre, it needs robust, intelligent connectivity to keep pace.

That’s where we come in.

We celebrated three decades of partnership with England Rugby in February 2025.

What started with shirt sponsorship has evolved into something much deeper: a strategic collaboration focused on digital transformation, smarter coaching and delivering unforgettable fan experiences.

Everything from tills, TVs and turnstiles to security cameras, heating and even ovens now rely on the stadium’s network.

If that infrastructure were to start creaking, it wouldn’t just slow things down, it would put entire matchday operations at risk.

Not to mention the WiFi experience for fans who want to connect, communicate and share things using the latest devices during events.

The RFU also wanted to modernise its setup at the High Performance Training Centre.

Add in the growing popularity of esports events and the rise of digital ticketing and the demands were rapidly outpacing what the old local area network (LAN) could handle.

This was never just about upgrading hardware. It was about designing a long-term digital foundation together.

So we hosted digital workshops and audited every network cabinet at the stadium and the High Performance Training Centre. We then developed a clear roadmap for what the RFU needed now and in the future.

We replaced the ageing LAN with a secure, scalable software-defined access (SDA) fabric network – the gold standard in smart, responsive connectivity.

And we wrapped it all in our enterprise LAN managed solution, which keeps everything secure, patched and future-ready.

Key upgrades included:

• Intelligent real-time monitoring using Cisco ThousandEyes
• Fully managed patching, updates and performance reporting
• Modernised cabinets and hardware across both sites
• Resilient WiFi across hospitality and fan zones
• Strategic 5G rollout – the highest capacity stadium deployment in the UK

With the right infrastructure in place, the RFU’s teams can now deliver more on the pitch, in the control room and in the stands.

Faster fixes and real-time visibility

With centralised fault management and predictive monitoring, staff can spot issues before they snowball and solve them in minutes, not hours.

Cutting-edge coaching

At the High Performance Training Centre, coaches now use live drone feeds and internet protocol (IP) cameras during training sessions.

They can analyse scrums in real-time, review footage pitch-side, and even send clips to players on the bench at the Allianz Stadium before they step onto the pitch.

Fan-first connectivity

Fans can now stream, share and stay connected throughout the stadium, whether in the stands or hospitality areas. This is thanks to WiFi and 5G that’s built to handle thousands of devices.

Readings taken in the stadium show up to 378Mbps download speeds and 237 Mbps uploads.

With this foundation in place and us acting as strategic advisors, the RFU is set to explore new innovations:

• Smarter stadium operations
• Expanded performance tracking
• Mobile 5G hubs to support teams wherever they train or play
• Even more insight-led digital experiences for fans

All backed by Cisco CX/360 and our continued innovation sessions together.

Whether you’re running a stadium or an office block, we can help you:

• Build on existing tech
• Cater for today’s needs and tomorrow’s ambitions
• Design tech solutions that scale with your organisation

Because great connectivity isn’t all about speeds and specs. It’s about helping your people, players, fans or customers do more. And do it better.

Call us on 0800 064 3790 for a chat about your needs.