Rugby World Cup 2023: A logical look at the Bongi Mbonambi race slur accusation - Paul Lewis

You’ve got to love the South Africans. There’s no one better at circling the wagons and they might have done it so effectively that rugby’s world authorities may do what they most desire right now: lift up the edge of the carpet prior to sweeping the Bongi Mbonambi race slur accusation under it.

That is not said with any asperity or any nascent hope that Mbonambi is excluded from the weekend’s momentous World Cup final. Far from it - the All Blacks and most rugby people will want the Boks’ best on the field.

But it has been amusing watching the defence of the sole specialist hooker left in the South African squad - who would not be replaced if he was to be found to have been guilty of misconduct or bringing the sport into disrepute. England flanker Tom Curry has alleged Mbonambi used two words to him, one of which was “white” and the other an expression unlikely ever to be found in this newspaper.

The UK’s Daily Mail was the first media organisation to run what was quickly published on social media as fans employed an even faster rush defence than the Boks do on the field: that Mbonambi was speaking in Afrikaans and that he actually said: “Wit kant” - which apparently means “white side” (Curry and his England teammates play in all all-white strip).

The Irish rugby-league-football site Balls ran a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) from a fan called A-P saying: “I do wonder what is more likely: 1) Bongi shouting ‘white kant’ (sic) to alert all his defenders that the ball is on the English side... or... that he has decided to racially insult at (sic) an English player in his third language using a swear word that no one in South Africa uses.”

Another fan, MaddersSZN, tweeted he’d never heard a South African ever use those words before - and then helpfully provides cuss words an Afrikaaner would be far more likely to use.

England's Tom Curry (right) and South Africa's Bongi Mbonambi (left) during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match at the Stade de France. Photo / Getty Images

It’s hilarious stuff - but possibly an effective defence if World Rugby are seeking a way to make it all go away.

So here’s a logical look at this mix of language confusion and the contention that South Africans don’t use the same swear words.

In the many hundreds of games of rugby I played since the age of 5, I never once heard anyone say “white side” (or “blue side” or “red side” or any colour side). If you needed to tell teammates the opposition had the ball in a ruck, you just said: “Their ball”. Why would anyone use a colour reference (no pun intended)?

Why would Mbonambi speak in Afrikaans? The Boks use the language to keep their intentions from the opposition. “Their ball” is hardly an utterance worthy of secrecy.

It is surely irrelevant if South Africans do not use the expression complained of. If Mbonambi was looking to insult, he would most likely use language understood by Curry. South Africans may not use the term - but plenty of others do. There’s not much point insulting someone if they don’t comprehend the insult.

Balls also ran an interesting video of a clash between Curry and Mbonambi from a match last year, with the tweet saying: “These two have history”. In a separate story, they also ran a video showing why both sides clashed in a bout of pushing, shoving and gobbing off after the final whistle.

In the video, Springboks fullback Willie Le Roux comes steaming in and appears to be having a gloat or verbal crack at several of the downcast English. You can’t make out the words (maybe he was speaking in Afrikaans?) but it seems likely Le Roux is giving out a lot of free character readings. It must have been in English, because he provoked one of the English to take exception and grab him.

Leaving aside what this column thinks of Le Roux, it is clear the two sides did not think highly of each other during this clash.

However, when you look at the furore banning Mbonambi would create and the effect it would have on this World Cup final, all this “wit kant” stuff seems the perfect opportunity for World Rugby to either dismiss the accusations or, more likely, to somehow kick it nicely into touch for investigation after the tournament. We’ll see.

Paul Lewis has been a journalist since the last ice age. Sport has been a lifetime pleasure and part of a professional career during which he has written four books, and covered Rugby World Cups, America’s Cups, Olympic & Commonwealth Games and more.

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