A protest is set to go ahead at the Premiership rugby final this weekend
Extinction Rebellion is set to stage a protest at the Premiership rugby final on 14 June 2025, challenging the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over its sponsorship deal with Allianz.
Allianz is the insurance partner of the RFU, with Twickenham, the home of English rugby, becoming the Allianz Stadium in 2024.
XR claim that research from its Insure Our Surivial Campaign shows the insurer is among the top 10 fossil fuel insurers globally, attributing $925m in fossil fuel premium income to the group in 2023.
The group also highlighted the impact of climate change on grassroots rugby clubs, pointing to severe flooding that has disrupted play and damaged facilities. Newark Rugby Club in Nottinghamshire was cited as having experienced six separate flood events in 2024 alone.
As a result, at the game this weekend, XR protesters will aim to attract fans’ attention with outreach and banners over the partnership between Allianz and the RFU and the climate.
“They hope to get individuals and teams to demand that the RFU drop Allianz as a sponsor,” XR said.
Etienne Stott, Olympic gold medallist and XR spokesperson, added the group would not be disrupting the match.
Stott said: “We will not be disrupting the match – but we will be getting the conversation going with rugby fans about how dirty insurance is harming the sport they love.”
Howden protest
This comes after XR targeted Howden ahead of the Six Nations match between England and Wales on 15 March 2025.
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Howden is also among the contingent of sponsors for the British and Irish Lions team and is the official front of jersey sponsor for The Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Tour to Australia in 2025.
Like the upcoming protest, the action in March was part of the Insure Our Survival Campaign, which aims to stop insurance firms from insuring new fossil fuel projects.
One protester said: “I would like to see rugby dissociate from fossil fuels and support a sustainable future. Ideally the government would halt new oil and gas licences and rugby would be sponsored by renewable energy companies.”
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