Springboks player Bongi Mbonambi has finally given his thoughts on the racial slur allegations made by England’s Tom Curry.
During the Springboks’ victorius 16-15 match against England at the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, Tom approached referee Ben O’Keefe half an hour into the match, asking, “Sir, Sir, if their hooker [Bongi] calls me a white c*nt what do I do?” Ben replied, “Nothing please.”
World Rugby, the sport’s global governing body, reviewed the audio and video footage before clearing Bongi to play in the final against New Zealand, as there was “insufficient evidence” to support the racial abuse claims.
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, Bongi explained that the misunderstanding came about because he was speaking Afrikaans. The Springboks often use the language on the field so that their opponents are not aware of their plans during the match.
“I think it is a very sad thing when you live in a first world country [England], you think the rest of the world speaks English,” Bongi told the above-mentioned sports publication. “It was unprofessional on their part. They could have gone on a website and looked for an English dictionary and looked for the word in Afrikaans. People understood [in South Africa] but obviously their side misunderstood.”
Tom received backlash over the allegation, so much so that it extended to his family. England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) released a statement regarding the aftermath:
“In their continued full support of Tom, the RFU together with the England squad, condemn the disgusting abuse he and his family has received on social media as a result of his having had the courage to put unacceptable behaviour that has no place in society or on the rugby field, in the public eye. Abuse of any kind is not acceptable and goes against the core values of rugby.”
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— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 26, 2023
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi also contacted and supported the English rugby player due to the online abuse he and his family received. “We can take it, as players, when it comes to us directly, but when it comes to your family, it is totally different,” said Siya to a reporter.
BBC Sport Africa also states that there are allegations that the two players butted heads in November last year at the Autumn Nations Series. Tom claimed that Bongi made a similar comment. When asked by the publication what his relationship with Tom is, Bongi replied, “I don’t know him at all.”
Also see: Watch: East London woman tries to kiss Siya during parade
