RFU set up a bar tab on dwarf night

England’s drunken night out in Queenstown, which may have cost Mike Tindall his international career, was part-funded by the Rugby Football Union.

According to the Press Association the England management set up a tab at Queenstown’s Pub On The Wharf, where a group of players began the now-infamous evening. From there, a smaller group moved on to the Altitude Bar, a backpackers’ nightspot which was hosting a ‘Mad Midget Weekend’.

It was there that Tindall, who had captained England to victory over Argentina the previous night, was captured on CCTV in conversation with a blonde woman. Tindall, who later apologised for misleading the England management over his movements that night, was fined £25,000 and dropped from the England squad following an RFU investigation. Tindall has announced his intention to appeal the decision.

The Queenstown night is sure to feature heavily in tomorrow’s Professional Game Board meeting, where England’s failed World Cup campaign will be reviewed heavily.

Rob Andrew, the head of elite rugby at the RFU, will present his findings – although his own role in the England structure will come under scrutiny.

The Rugby Players’ Association and the Premiership clubs will present their own reviews, from which a number of recommendations will be formulated and put to the RFU board on 30 November.