Bongi Mbonambi labels 'first world' England 'unprofessional' after racism saga

This in lies the problem with pompous RFU and pompous Curry. At no point was there any attempt clarify the situation after the game. Both have tried to milk they this for everything it’s worth.
Clearly Bongi wasn’t directing those words at him. But he heard what he thought he heard and tried to milk the referee for an advantage in the game.
The RFU on its side could have also accepted World Rugby investigation. Instead they jumped onto the bandwagon of Tom Curry themselves without doing even the most rudimentary checks to see what is plausible.
I just find the whole situation very ironic. Dont get me wrong, I’m 100% against racism and unfortunately having it directed to me multiple times in my life. On all the occasions it was directed at me it was never about the words, rather an attempt of power (letting me know my place). I just find it incredible hard to find how Curry was harmed in this situation, other than his own actions. Here we have by all accounts a white bloke who plays for one of the wealthiest unions and comes from a country who has a history of colonising half the world feeling threatened by the words he thought he heard from a black bloke you grew up disadvantaged and from a country which was negatively impacted from colonialism. Think Tom Curry needs a lesson in racism, and perhaps he can stop over the natural history museum and see the many artifacts they have parade out from round the world and ask them how it has come about that they rest in that place.

The Afrikaner community in South Africa were doubling over with laughter when this broke.

Ofcourse they love and backed Bongi to the hilt.

In the end he was on the ‘wen kant’, the winning side, the most important kant of all.

As an England fan, I do think Curry should apologise. But the “first world” comment seems a bit unnecessary.

Is it really that hard to believe that someone who doesn’t speak Afrikaans (and has no reason to) could easily interpret the words “wit kant” the way Curry did? Especially when you add the intensity of the moment and 70,000 fans yelling into it?

Even if Curry made the accusation in good faith (or shal we call it English ignorance), then he should have the decency to apologise as loudly as he did when he accused Bongi in the first place.

Heal up Bongi. Time to open up the hurt locker for England next time

I’m very disappointed by the reaction to this incident, especially from World Rugby.

I hope we are all agreed that - regardless of what was actually said - the language that Curry reported hearing is not something we want on a rugby pitch, especially not in one of the highest profile matches in the sport’s showpiece event? That such language is likely to deter supporters at a time when rugby needs all the support it can get?

That being the case, it’s important that World Rugby takes such allegations seriously and investigates them properly. Which it failed to do.

It’s also important to note that Mbonambi categorically isn’t denying saying something that Curry could have heard as a racial slur. Instead, he has said that he made a tactical call in Afrikaans - and is now criticising Curry for assuming it was in English.

But Mbonambi isn’t a native Afrikaans speaker, as far as I know. He hails from the Free State, which is the province with the lowest proportion of Afrikaans speakers.

And while the Springboks are known for making some of their calls in Afrikaans, they’re also all fluent in English.

Even if the call was as Mbonambi claims, it’s pretty disingenuous to think that the Boks had no inkling what a call like that would sound like to a native English speaker who doesn’t speak Afrikaans - and what effect it might have on them. Or what effect it might have on a largely English-speaking global audience had it been picked up on a mic.

What’s more, the RFU has released audio of a very similar altercation from an earlier game, which doesn’t sound like an innocent tactical call that’s been misinterpreted.

Overall, there’s more than enough there that it should at least have been properly investigated rather than brushed under the carpet.

Imagine if the situation had been the other way round, and WR had declined to act while English players and fans mocked Mbonambi. Would that have been acceptable? If not, why is this situation OK?

Big fails for the English RFU on their statement and Curry - you’re a distraction at best

Curry was being cynical - trying to gain an advantage: by doing so he dragged an innocent man down and tarnished the final build up. What’s worse was the RFUs response. Bongi was the victim - glad he’s spoke up. Regardless this was blow up by the toxic British press.

Rest of World just don’t like when a third world country, with less resources, pitches up and steals the show. Agree that Curry made the allegation in good faith, but everything that has transpired since is just ridiculous and embarrassing to both England Rugby and the game in general.

Kinda sad that a world-class rugby player would go whining to the ref because an opponent insulted him. What was Curry actually trying to achieve?