sport news South Africa reignites 'white c***' England slur row as Cape Town mayor gifts ... trends now
View
comments
Bongi Mbonambi fanned the flames of controversy once again in the wake of accusations from England's Tom Curry that the hooker racially abused him during their nail-biting Rugby World Cup semi-final.
The Springboks player gleefully received a national team jersey with the Afrikaans word 'Wenkant' - or 'winning side' - on the back, seemingly in reference to Curry's claims that Mbonambi called him a 'white c***' during the two teams' high-stakes tussle.
The Sale Sharks openside approached referee Ben O'Keeffe in the 28th minute of the match, and was heard to say over the ref mic: 'Sir, sir, if their hooker calls me a "white c***", what do I do?'
O'Keeffe replied: 'Nothing, please.'
Curry subsequently alleged Mbonambi had already used the same slur towards him when the Springboks faced England at Twickenham in the autumn of last year.
Bongi Mbonambi was given a Springboks jersey with a faintly controversial phrase on the back
South Africa have returned home to raucous celebrations after winning a fourth World Cup
The phrase could reference Tom Curry's accusations against the hooker which claims he called him a 'white c***'
Several Springboks fans suggested Curry had misinterpreted Mbonambi saying 'wit kant', which means 'white side' in Afrikaans, and World Rugby concluded that their was insufficient evidence to take any action against the player.
Mbonambi went on to feature - briefly - in the Rugby World Cup
