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RFU council member resigns over Alphonsi post
TL;DR
Matthew Smith, a Rugby Football Union council member, has resigned after making discriminatory comments about pundit Maggie Alphonsi on social media. His resignation follows a seven-month suspension from his position for the remarks.
Key points
- Matthew Smith resigned from the RFU council
- Smith made discriminatory comments about Maggie Alphonsi
- He was suspended for seven months before resigning
- Alphonsi felt let down by the punishment given to Smith
Mentioned in this story
Matthew SmithMaggie AlphonsiRugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union council member Matthew Smith has resigned after posting discriminatory criticism of television pundit and England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.
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.
This month Smith was stripped of the perks of his position for seven months, which includes tickets to England games, free meals and travel expenses.
Smith removed the post, accepted the charges against him and, after receiving his punishment, sent a letter of apology to Alphonsi.
Alphonsi, who won 74 caps for England, said she felt let down by Smith's punishment.
The RFU's women in leadership collective then wrote to the union calling for a change in its policy and to dismiss Smith.
The open letter said 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 stipulates a "zero-tolerance approach" to discrimination and harassment and forbids public comment that could damage the game or the union's reputation.
A Warwickshire RFU statement 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 read: "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."
The RFU council - famously described by then England captain Will Carling in 1995 as "57 old farts" - is in the process of being reformed.
A governance review pushed by RFU 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.
Q&A
Why did Matthew Smith resign from the RFU council?
Matthew Smith resigned due to discriminatory comments he made about Maggie Alphonsi on social media.
What was the nature of Matthew Smith's comments about Maggie Alphonsi?
Smith questioned Alphonsi's knowledge of men's rugby in a Facebook post during a match, which was deemed discriminatory.
How did Maggie Alphonsi respond to Smith's punishment?
Maggie Alphonsi expressed feeling let down by the punishment Smith received for his comments.
