![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletter\/sport\/sport-135x135.png\")
<\/p>\nBongi Mbonambi (left) was accused of making a racial slur towards Tom Curry (right) <\/p>\n
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South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi has accused England of being \u201cunprofessional\u201d in making an allegation that he used a racial slur in the Rugby World Cup semi-final between the two teams. <\/p>\n
England flanker Tom Curry alleged that Mbonambi had called him a \u201cwhite c***\u201d during the clash in Paris. <\/p>\n
A World Rugby investigation found that there was \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d to support Curry\u2019s claim, with the accused hooker going on to start the Springboks\u2019 final win over New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Some South Africans suggested that Mbonambi may have been using the Afrikaans word for \u201cside\u201d, kant<\/em>, almost homophonous with the English swear word.<\/p>\n And Mbonambi has now seemingly suggested that this was the case while criticising England\u2019s involvement in a saga which overshadowed the week of the World Cup final.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d Mbonambi said to BBC Sport Africa.<\/p>\n Bongi Mbonambi has been a key part of the back-to-back World Cup winning Springbok sides <\/p>\n \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople understood [in South Africa] but obviously their side was misunderstood. I\u2019m glad it was well taken care of [by World Rugby] and that is all in the past now. But I have never racially swore at him.\u201d<\/p>\n England had also alleged that Mbonambi had used a similar term during an encounter between the two teams at Twickenham in 2022.<\/p>\n Head coach Steve Borthwick criticised World Rugby in the aftermath of their ruling not to hold a full disciplinary hearing, expressing his frustration that Curry had been \u201cdenied a chance to have his voice heard\u201d.<\/p>\n Mbonambi\u2019s final lasted only a couple of minutes before a leg injury ended his involvement.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/11\/07\/17\/newFile-10.jpg\")
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