FILE - Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi holds a shirt which translates to ‘winning side’ during the Springboks’ trophy tour after their Rugby World Cup win. FILE - Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi holds a shirt which translates to ‘winning side’ during the Springboks’ trophy tour after their Rugby World Cup win. Picture: Rodger Bosch / AFP
While England flanker Tom Curry will miss Saturday’s Test against the Springboks at Twickenham, his spat with South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi at last year’s Rugby World Cup has resurfaced again.
During and after the Springboks’ semi-final win over England, Curry accused Mbonambi of making a racist statement towards him, saying the hooker called him a “white c*unt”.
Mbonambi denied the claims and was exonerated after a World Rugby investigation found that there was no evidence to support Curry’s claims. If he was found guilty, Mbonambi could have missed the Springboks’ World Cup final match against the All Blacks.
It is believed that Curry may have heard the Afrikaans words “wit kant”, a phrase which the Springboks use to indicate which side of a ruck or set-piece they will be attacking.
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa after the Springboks’ return home from the World Cup, Mbonambi labelled England as "unprofessional" after Curry’s allegations.
BREAKING: World Rugby has concluded there is "insufficient evidence" to suggest that South Africa's Bongi Mbonambi racially abused England's Tom Curry ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/x1wz80Hy7f
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 26, 2023
"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,“ the hooker said at the time.
This week, at the Springboks’ team announcement press conference, coach Rassie Erasmus was quizzed about the incident and Mbonambi’s mental space going into the match against England.
The hooker is one of three players in the Boks’ run-on team to be retained for the match against Scotland. Curry, on the other hand, will miss the match after he picked up a head knock during England’s 42-37 defeat to the Wallabies.
"What's his state of mind? I don't think that's at all in his head anymore," said Erasmus told the media on Thursday.
"I don't think it is. I'll go and ask him. But I think he's okay.
“At the time, the situation was handled really well. The noise was disruptive, but he was cleared, and we could choose him in the team from the moment he told us that he was not guilty,” Erasmus added.
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