RFU Council Member Resigns Following Discriminatory Facebook Post
Maggie Alphonsi was a member of the England rugby team that secured the World Cup victory in 2014.
Matthew Smith, a Rugby Football Union (RFU) council member representing Warwickshire, has resigned after posting discriminatory remarks about television pundit and England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.
During the broadcast of France's 48-46 victory over England in March, Smith posted on Facebook,
"can someone please explain to me WTF does Maggie Alphonsi know about men's rugby?"
Following this incident, Smith was sanctioned earlier this month by being stripped of the privileges associated with his position for a period of seven months. These privileges include tickets to England matches, complimentary meals, and travel expense coverage.
Smith subsequently removed the post, acknowledged the charges against him, and after receiving his disciplinary sanction, issued a letter of apology to Alphonsi.
Maggie Alphonsi, who earned 74 caps representing England, expressed disappointment regarding the severity of Smith's punishment.
The RFU's women in leadership collective responded by writing to the union, urging a revision of its policies and calling for Smith's dismissal.
The open letter stated,
"the punishment, following a three-person disciplinary panel, showed 'a significant disconnect between the RFU's stated commitment to zero tolerance of discrimination and the perception of how those principles are applied in practice'."
The RFU maintains a policy of a
"zero-tolerance approach"to discrimination and harassment, explicitly prohibiting public comments that could harm the sport or the union's reputation.
A statement from Warwickshire RFU read:
"We would like to announce that Matt Smith has resigned from his position as chair of Warwickshire RFU, in light of a recent disciplinary process. We want to be clear that we take issues of sexism and misogyny seriously."
The letter from the RFU's women in leadership collective further commented:
"We had hoped this case would demonstrate the RFU's leadership in addressing sexism and misogyny within rugby. Instead, it has highlighted areas where further development of policy and process may be required."
RFU Council Reform and Governance Review
The RFU council, which was famously described by then England captain Will Carling in 1995 as
"57 old farts", is currently undergoing reform.
A governance review, advocated by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, aims to reduce the size of the council, which includes representatives from England's counties, the military, and Oxbridge, and to limit its role to advisory functions.
Although council positions are unpaid, they come with hospitality benefits. For England men's Test matches, these benefits are valued at several hundred pounds per fixture.
