RFU council member Maggie Alphonsi has resigned

Alphonsi, who won 74 caps for England, said he was disappointed by Smith’s punishment.

The RFU’s leadership collective Women then wrote to the union calling for it to change its policy and sack Smith.

The open letter said the punishment, followed by a three-person disciplinary panel, showed “a significant disconnect between the RFU’s stated commitment to zero tolerance of discrimination and its perception of how those principles are implemented in practice”.

The RFU sets out a “zero-tolerance approach” to discrimination and harassment and prohibits public comments that could damage the reputation of the game or the union.

A statement from the Warwickshire RFU said: “We would like to announce that Matt Smith has resigned as Chair of the Warwickshire RFU in light of recent disciplinary proceedings.

“We want to be clear that we take issues of sexism and abuse seriously.”

The leadership’s collective letter to the RFU’s women read: “We hoped this case would demonstrate the RFU’s leadership in tackling sexism and abuse in rugby.

“Instead, it highlighted areas where policies and processes may require further development.”

The RFU council – famously described by then England captain Will Carling in 1995 as “57 old farts” – is in the process of reform.

A governance review has been set to be pushed by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney Diluting the Council, which includes representatives from England’s counties, the military and Oxbridge, and reduces its powers to an advisory role.

Council posts are unpaid but come with hospitality benefits worth hundreds of pounds per match for England men’s Tests.