Bongi Mbonambi cleared to play in the Rugby Final

Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi has been cleared to play in the Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday. This comes after World Rugby found insufficient evidence in the racism allegation leveled at him by England flank Tom Curry.

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The 32-year-old was accused by Curry of calling him “a white c***” during South Africa’s 16-15 at the Stade de France.

On Thursday, World rugby revealed that it had also been investigating an additional allegation arising from the clash in 2022.

WORLD RUGBY HAS CLEARED BONGO MBONAMBI TO PLAY IN THE FINAL

“World Rugby has undertaken a review of allegations made by England’s Tom Curry, in relation to the use of discriminatory language by South Africa’s Mbongeni Mbonambi during the England versus South Africa Rugby World Cup 2023 semi-final on Saturday. Along with a further allegation brought forward in recent days about a previous match in the Autumn Nations Series 2022,” they said in a statement.

“Any allegation of discrimination is taken extremely seriously by World Rugby, warranting a thorough investigation. Having considered all the available evidence, including match footage, audio and evidence from both teams, the governing body has determined that there is insufficient evidence at this time to proceed with charges. Therefore, the matter is deemed closed unless additional evidence comes to light.

“It is important to note that World Rugby accepts that Tom Curry made the allegations in good faith. That there is no suggestion that the allegation was deliberately false or malicious,” they said.

“World Rugby is also concerned by the social media abuse that both players have been subjected to this week. There is no place in rugby or society for discrimination, abuse or hate speech. World Rugby urges fans to embrace the sport’s values of respect, integrity and solidarity.”