Rugby Football Union council member Matthew Smith punished by an independent disciplinary panel for posting discriminatory criticism of Maggie Alphonsi;
“It shows sexism and misogyny still exist within rugby and must be challenged whenever they occur,” says ex-England international
Thursday 4 June 2026 20:36, UK
Maggie Alphonsi worked as a TV pundit on this year’s Six Nations
Former England international Maggie Alphonsi has criticised the punishment given to Rugby Football Union council member Matthew Smith for posting discriminatory criticism of her.
Smith, who is chairman of Warwickshire RFU and a chartered quantity surveyor, was found to have breached the council’s code of conduct by an independent disciplinary panel.
Alphonsi, a 2014 World Cup winner who played 74 times for England, was working as a pundit for ITV during the France vs England match this year when Smith wrote on Facebook: “Can someone explain to me WTF does Maggie Alphonsi know about men’s rugby?”
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The panel found Smith had breached the code of conduct by publishing a discriminatory post and risking reputational damage to the RFU and the game.
As a result, Smith, who accepted both charges, was stripped of his privileges as a council member for seven months, including tickets to England games, free meals and travel expenses.
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However, Alphonsi felt Smith’s punishment was lenient, writing on X: “I am so very disappointed by the incident and the outcome.
“It shows sexism and misogyny still exist within rugby and must be challenged whenever they occur.
“Most concerning is that Mr Smith remains in a position of influence. He accepted the incident and apologised for making his views public, but not for holding those views.”