Sharks captain Mbonambi addresses controversial incident with referee

Sharks captain Bongi Mbonambi has said he meant “absolutely no disrespect” in his treatment of referee Aimee Barrett-Theron in his side’s loss to the Lions in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday, which has since been criticised for.

The South Africa hooker’s conduct has been called into question in the wake of the Sharks’ 40-10 loss to the Lions, chiefly a moment where they had a try ruled out.

Trailing 19-10, the visitors thought they had scored before halftime, only to have the try ruled out for a dangerous clearout at the ruck. Mbonambi was not happy with the decision, and has since been called out for his treatment of Barrett-Theron.

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The referee handled the situation brilliantly though, saying to the captain: “Bongi, can you walk with me please, this way? Bongi may I speak please? Listen, I fully respect you and who you are, and I am well aware that all of your players have probably played more games than I have refereed in the URC.

“But we are on the same field so if you could show me the same respect that I show you, that would be very much appreciated.”

The Springbok responded: “They are just looking to me for answers, so was it foul play?”

“Yes, that was foul play,” Barrett-Theron replied.

In a message to Sharks fans shared on X on Monday concerning the result and his side’s poor form, Mbonambi also addressed the incident with the official, saying he apologised at halftime.

“As players we have to take a hard look at ourselves after this result,” the double World Cup winner said.

“We cannot blame anyone else and have a lot of hard work ahead of us. I am an all-in type of player and sometimes my emotions may get the better of me.

 

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“I have full respect for officials and the role they play within our sport. It was never my intention to come across as rude or difficult. I apologised to the referee at halftime and meant absolutely no disrespect.”

Sharks head coach John Plumtree also shared a message with their fans, with the Durban-based side still rooted to the bottom of the URC table.

“It was a frustrating performance from us and we were just not good enough,” he said.

“As a club, we are better than this and set ourselves high standards, which we are not achieving at this stage.

“We acknowledge the hurt and disappointment amongst our fans as we are hurting just as much as everyone else who loves this brand.

“Thank you to our fans and sponsors for sticking with us during these difficult times. Rest assured there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to ensure future success.”