England’s Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has been told to do the “honourable thing” and resign by three former chairmen of the organisation.

Brian Baister, Graeme Cattermole and Martyn Thomas were all in charge at Twickenham at differing points between 1998 and 2011 and have all signed a letter calling for change.

Baister, Cattermole and Thomas pinpointed that large pay increases and bonus payments made to current RFU chief executive Sweeney, chairman Tom Ilube and other executives had done “enormous and irreparable damage” to the reputation of the governing body.

It was revealed last month that Sweeney was set to be paid £1.1million (€1.33m) for the last financial year, including an 8.5% basic rise and £358k bonus, despite a record loss being reported by the RFU alongside 42 staff being made redundant.

“The recent RFU announcement of a world-record net financial loss to reserves for a sports national governing body of £42m – accompanied by large pay increases and bonus payments being made to the chairman, CEO and other executives – just a month after declaring 42 staff redundancies has done enormous and irreparable damage to the reputation of the RFU with member clubs, employees and supporters of the game,” read the joint letter signed by Baister, Cattermole and Thomas.

“We would respectfully suggest that the positions of the chairman, CEO and the relevant RFU board members are now untenable.

“We believe a new leadership team is required to chart a new way forward, start the process of rebuilding and respect and therefore urge those officers responsible to do the honourable thing.”