RFU Council Member Matthew Smith Resigns as Warwickshire Chair After Seven-Month Perk Suspension Over Facebook Comment on Maggie Alphonsi

Rugby Football Union council member Matthew Smith resigned as chair of Warwickshire RFU after a disciplinary panel suspended the perks of his national council seat for seven months. " Smith later removed the post, accepted the charges, and sent a letter of apology to Alphonsi. The suspended benefits include tickets to England games, free meals, and travel expenses.

Smith represented Warwickshire on the 62-member RFU council, an unpaid role whose hospitality perks for men's Test matches are worth several hundreds of pounds per fixture. England international Maggie Alphonsi, who won 74 caps and was part of the team that claimed the 2014 Women's World Cup, said she felt let down by the punishment.

The RFU's women in leadership collective then sent an open letter to the union calling for Smith's dismissal and a review of its disciplinary policy.

The RFU maintains a "zero-tolerance approach" to discrimination and harassment and prohibits public comments that could damage the game or the union's reputation. A Warwickshire RFU statement said: "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. " The RFU council is currently undergoing reform.

A governance review led by chief executive Bill Sweeney aims to reduce the body's size and limit its role to an advisory function.