The RFU are believed to have partly paid for England's infamous night out during the World Cup, which cost Mike Tindall his England career.
The former captain was fined £25,000 and removed from the England Elite squad, while teammates Chris Ashton and James Haskell were fined £5,000 each and handed a warning.
An email was sent to the players indicating that a bar in Queenstown had been reserved and that there was a tab available to them courtesy of the union, according to the Daily Mail.
It is not uncommon for the RFU to pick up the bill for meals in restaurants. However the email is believed to have intimated that the tab was available for drinks, which eventually landed a number of the squad in hot water.
Meanwhile, Tindall is expected to lodge an appeal against the ruling.
