“Sir, if their hooker calls me a white c***, what do I do?” That was the question asked of the rugby union referee Ben O’Keeffe by Tom Curry, the England flanker, during last week’s World Cup semi-final. Mr Curry says he was racially abused by Bongi Mbonambi, the South African hooker — not only in the match narrowly lost last week, but also in a Test at Twickenham last November.
Having reviewed footage of the matches, World Rugby insists there is “insufficient evidence” to proceed with charges against Mr Mbonambi. He is free to play for South Africa in today’s final. Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, says that the decision reduces Mr Curry, who in recent days has shown a fortitude and stoicism seldom seen in men of 25, to a “victim who has not been able to have his voice heard”. He is right.
When Mr Curry asked the referee how he might respond, he was told: “Nothing, please.” Those two words now amount to World Rugby’s policy on racism. Yet it has not accused Mr Curry of dishonesty. That is a tacit admission that his complaint is not groundless. Nor has hot-headed Rassie Erasmus, the South African director of rugby, offered anything approaching a convincing explanation for his player’s behaviour. Given the Afrikaans phrase watter kant translates as “which side” — perhaps easily misheard over the roar of a crowd — he might have been expected to make clear Mr Mbonambi was himself an innocent victim of cultural misunderstanding. He did no such thing, instead revelling in the row.
And still World Rugby says “Nothing, please”. If Mr Curry had twice been accused of racially abusing Mr Mbonambi, there is no question he would by now have been disciplined. Instead, his tormentor could yet enjoy the greatest reward the sport has to offer. This is an egregious and unforgivable example of a double standard.
