![Tom Curry of England inspects the pitch prior to the Rugby World Cup Bronze Final match between Argentina and England](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2023/11/10/TELEMMGLPICT000354619321_16996389148760_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Tom Curry on Bongi Mbonambi racism row: ‘I heard what I heard – there’s no misunderstanding’
England flanker has spoken for first time following incident in World Cup semi-final against South Africa
![Tom Curry of England inspects the pitch prior to the Rugby World Cup Bronze Final match between Argentina and England](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2023/11/10/TELEMMGLPICT000354619321_16996389148760_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Tom Curry has doubled down on accusing South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi of calling him a “white c---“, with the England flanker speaking out on the incident for the first time since the World Cup semi-final loss.
Curry, 25, complained to referee Ben O’Keeffe that he had been racially abused by Mbonambi 27 minutes into the Springboks’ semi-final victory on October 21 in Paris.
“I didn’t really want to speak about it from the start,” Curry told MailOnline. “For me, on both occasions, the ball was out of play. Me and Bongi were talking and there’s no misunderstanding on my part.
“I went to the referee straight away. I heard what I heard. That’s all I really want to say about it and I won’t really be talking about it again.”
The Rugby Football Union followed up Curry’s allegation with a complaint to World Rugby, who found there was “insufficient evidence” to warrant disciplinary action against Mbonambi, who went on to start in the Springboks’ World Cup final victory over New Zealand.
Mbonambi this week said that the allegations were “unprofessional” and accused England of adopting a “first-world” mentality, but Curry claims that the accusations were genuine. He also alleged a similar incident from the November 2022 meeting between the two sides, which World Rugby also declined to investigate due to lack of evidence.
The fallout from the incident resulted in Curry’s family being targeted with online abuse, while Mbonambi, 32, claimed that the England flanker’s allegation was a misunderstanding because the hooker was speaking Afrikaans.
Although he did not specify which term he used, there have been suggestions that he was saying “wit kant”, meaning “white side”.
Mbonambi said that he “does not know [Curry] at all” but that the RFU’s follow-up complaint smacked of a colonial mindset.
Curry’s allegation has been mocked in South Africa, with Mbonambi presented with a jersey that ridiculed Curry’s testimony.
“It was tough for my family, my girlfriend and my brother,” Curry added. “It was a tough experience, but it is what it is. The investigation’s been done and that’s all I want to say about it.”