By Matt Hardy
The South African government appeared to poke fun at the race row involving England’s Tom Curry in the wake of the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup final victory.
In their semi-final win over England last week, flanker Curry accused South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi of calling him a “white c***” on the pitch.
Many South African fans jumped to Mbonambi’s defence, arguing that he was saying “kant” in place of the expletive, which means “side” in Afrikaans.
Curry and Mbonambi row
And while Mbonambi was cleared due to the lack of evidence – much to the dismay of the Rugby Football Union and England coach Steve Borthwick, who said Curry wasn’t given a chance to give his side of the story – World Rugby did say that Curry acted in good faith.
But in a lengthy statement over the weekend congratulating the Springboks, the South African government stated that: “Government also thanks all South Africans for rallying behind the team, and supporting them through the nail-biting games.
“The Webb Ellis [trophy] is in South Africa’s kant!!”
The move appears to mock the race row which marred the lead-up to the final, in which South Africa edged out New Zealand 12-11.
was subject to disgusting abuse by a number of so-called fans, forcing the RFU and his club Sale Sharks to unleash strong defences of the flanker, who made his 50th appearance for the Red Rose in England’s close 26-23 win over Argentina on Friday in the third place play off.
South Africa survived a late wave of New Zealand attack to win their fourth Rugby World Cup in Paris on Saturday evening.
Included in the statement were words by Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who said: “The Springboks represent something more than themselves; they unite us in our diversity but one nation.
“We are proud of the leadership of Captain Siya Kolisi, who led the mighty team to victory. We would also like to appreciate the support of South Africans of all works of life.
“Supporting our national teams is not just about the game, it’s about forging a collective spirit that extends beyond the field.
“It’s about instilling a sense of pride in our national identity, reminding us of the incredible strength we possess when we stand together.”
