RFU council member punished for post about Alphonsi

A member of the Rugby Football Union council has been stripped of the perks of his position for seven months – including tickets to England games, free meals and travel expenses – after posting criticism of television pundit Maggie Alphonsi.

Matthew Smith, who represents Warwickshire on the 62-strong body, asked "can someone please explain to me WTF does Maggie Alphonsi know about men's rugby?" in a Facebook post during coverage of France's 48-46 win over England in March.

A three-person disciplinary panel judged that Smith, whose profile picture was of him wearing an England-branded top, had breached the council's code of conduct.

It stipulates a "zero-tolerance approach" to discrimination and harassment and forbids public comment that could damage the game or the RFU's reputation.

Alphonsi, who played for England 74 times and was part of the 2014 Rugby World Cup-winning team, said she felt let down by the level of Smith's punishment, believing it could have gone further.

"He is now not allowed to attend Allianz Stadium and access his privileges, but can still actively serve as a council member," she said.

"This incident has had greater ramifications on myself.

"I have to publicly defend myself which will likely lead to further misogyny and sexism from people who equally hold this view. I also have to drag this incident up again rather than be done with it, which has obviously led to greater frustration and distress.

"Going forward I will now likely have to endure further criticism, but Mr Smith initiated this incident and the only punishment he will receive is not getting hospitality tickets to some England games.

"I am extremely disappointed with this. It shows sexism and misogyny still exists within the game and it's important it is stamped out and called out."

Alphonsi has previously called out abuse she has received in her journalism role.

In 2021, she wrote that her accolades far surpassed "what any of those sexist individuals have achieved" after being trolled online during coverage of a Six Nations game between France and Italy.

Having retired from playing in 2014, Alphonsi concentrated on a media career, becoming the first female former player to work on men's Test rugby in the UK when appearing on ITV Sport's broadcasting of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

She was also elected to the RFU council – the same body Smith serves on – in 2016, becoming the first female former player to do so. She served on the council for nine years.

Smith removed the post, accepted the charges against him and, after receiving his punishment, sent a letter of apology to Alphonsi. He said he had not contacted her sooner as he thought the proceedings against him were confidential.

"I can assure you that I had no intent of causing any offence and that unfortunately I made an error of judgement which was hampered by personal stress and anxiety," he said.

BBC Sport has contacted Warwickshire RFU for comment about Smith's role as its representative.

The RFU council – a body famously derided by then-England captain Will Carling as '57 old farts' in 1995 – is in the process of being reformed.

A governance review pushed by chief executive Bill Sweeney is set to slim down the council, which includes representatives from England's counties, the military and Oxbridge, and reduce its power to an advisory role.

Positions on the council are unpaid but come with hospitality benefits which, for England men's Tests, are worth several hundreds of pounds for each fixture.