South African rugby player Bongi Mbonambi has criticized England’s handling of the allegation that he racially abused Tom Curry during the Rugby World Cup semi-final. Mbonambi denies the allegation and says he spoke Afrikaans, a common practice among the Springboks to ensure opponents do not understand their messages.

Mbonambi told BBC Sport Africa that it is “sad” that England players did not try to understand the Afrikaans language. He said they could have easily looked up the word in a dictionary to see that it was not a racial slur.

World Rugby found no evidence to support Curry’s allegation. Still, England’s Rugby Football Union and head coach Steve Borthwick have criticized the governing body for not allowing Curry to “have his voice heard.”

Both players have been subjected to online abuse since the alleged incident, with Curry’s club, Sale Sharks, saying they were “disgusted” by some of the criticism aimed at Curry.

Mbonambi says he is glad that the matter is now in the past, but he is disappointed with England’s handling of the situation. He says he has never racially abused anyone and that the allegation was a misunderstanding.

The Rugby Football Union has said that it will continue to support Curry and will take action against any fans who are found to have abused him.

The incident has highlighted the importance of cultural awareness in sports, and players need to be mindful of the languages and customs of their opponents.

In the future, it would be helpful for World Rugby to provide more precise guidelines on handling allegations of racism in the sport. This would ensure that all players are treated fairly and that any allegations are investigated thoroughly.