Vickery won 73 caps for England between 1998 and 2009 © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Rob Andrew | Phil Vickery

Teams: England

Former England captain Phil Vickery has added his voice to those calling for the Rugby Football Union's professional rugby director Rob Andrew to step down.

Andrew has come under increasing pressure from outside Twickenham to quit his post in the wake of England's disappointing World Cup campaign but despite admitting English rugby had hit "rock bottom" the 48-year-old has refused to quit. The RFU were again in the headlines for the wrong reasons this week after the publication of leaked World Cup reviews painted the picture of a dysfunctional England squad, riven by a lack of trust and motivated by money ahead of ambition.

England manager Martin Johnson and attack coach Brian Smith have already resigned and, after Andrew accepted some blame for the ongoing problems, Vickery believes he must now follow. "Rob has finally bowed to the pressure of accepting his responsibility for the professional game in England," he was quoted as saying in the Daily Star Sunday.

"For the last few years, he has just sat there and said nothing. Does he want people to feel sorry for him? He is in charge of this and has to go. Andrew has spent five years at the RFU and been through three head coaches - English rugby is in tatters. We have finally established what he does and it is not a huge amount."

Vickery also accused Andrew of failing to support Johnson during the troubled World Cup campaign in New Zealand, which ended with a quarter-final defeat to France. "Rob was there all the time apart from the first 10 days and we didn't hear a single thing from him through the whole World Cup," he said. "Martin Johnson needed help but got none at all. Andrew did nothing for him whatsoever."