RFU Council Member Sanctioned Over Remarks Regarding Alphonsi

A member of the Rugby Football Union council has been stripped of his positional privileges for a seven-month period following the publication of discriminatory comments targeting television pundit Maggie Alphonsi. The sanctions, which include the revocation of tickets to England matches, complimentary meals, and reimbursement for travel costs, were imposed on Matthew Smith, the Warwickshire representative on the 62-member body.

The disciplinary action stems from a Facebook post shared by Smith during the coverage of England’s 48-46 defeat to France in March. In the post, Smith asked, "can someone please explain to me WTF does Maggie Alphonsi know about men's rugby?" A three-person disciplinary panel determined that Smith, whose profile picture featured him in an England-branded shirt, had violated the council’s code of conduct. This code mandates a "zero-tolerance approach" to harassment and discrimination and explicitly prohibits public statements that could harm the reputation of the RFU or the sport.

Alphonsi, a former England international who earned 74 caps and was a member of the 2014 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, expressed dissatisfaction with the severity of the penalty, suggesting it was insufficient. "He is now not allowed to attend Allianz Stadium and access his privileges, but can still actively serve as a council member," she stated. She highlighted the disproportionate impact the incident had on her, noting, "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."

Continuing her critique, Alphonsi added, "Going forward I will now likely 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."

The 46-year-old has previously addressed online abuse related to her journalism career. In 2021, she responded to trolling during a Six Nations match between France and Italy by stating her achievements far exceeded those of the sexist individuals targeting her. Since retiring from playing in 2014, Alphonsi has focused on media, becoming the first former female player to commentate on men’s Test rugby in the UK when she joined ITV Sport for the 2015 World Cup. She also made history in 2016 as the first ex-player to join the RFU council, where she served for nine years.

Smith deleted the offending post, admitted to the charges, and subsequently sent an apology letter to Alphonsi. He explained that he had not contacted her earlier because he believed the disciplinary process was 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," Smith said.

BBC Sport has reached out to the Warwickshire RFU regarding Smith’s continued representation. The RFU council, historically criticized by former England captain Will Carling in 1995 as a group of "57 old farts," is currently undergoing reform. A governance review led by chief executive Bill Sweeney aims to reduce the council’s size and limit its function to an advisory capacity. The council, which comprises representatives from county rugby, the military, and Oxbridge universities, holds unpaid positions that traditionally include valuable hospitality benefits, estimated at several hundred pounds per fixture for men’s Test matches.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-04 15:07:56 UTC