RWC SF: England v Springboks
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The RFU have put out a statement saying that they are “deeply disappointed with World Rugby’s decision.”
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rfu-statement-tom-curry-october-2023
The RFU are effectively accusing World Rugby of not taking racist abuse seriously and not doing due diligence.
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@sparky said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
The RFU have put out a statement saying that they are “deeply disappointed with World Rugby’s decision.”
https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rfu-statement-tom-curry-october-2023
The RFU are effectively accusing World Rugby of not taking racist abuse seriously and not doing due diligence.
My first thoughts were that WR have handled the whole thing sensibly, but for the RFU to break ranks makes me wonder about due process. Clearly they feel that this has not been given a fair assessment. No idea if they are wrong or right and one assumes they have more intel on this than us punters, but some clarity from WR around the process would help clear things up.
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@Catogrande RFU alleging that Mbonambi is a repeat offender. Ooer
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@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA. -
Not likely.
Bongi could sue for defamation though. Not against Curry per se but more likely the RFU for that statement. -
@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA.Tbf, unless there is absolutely smoking gun proof there is no way WR is going to discipline a player for this days before the final. It has absolute shit storm written all over it. For obvious reasons. Too hard basket and definitely not the kind of press they want.
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@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA.Yes we’ve all seen all the fan videos claiming to exonerate Bongi, except none of them refer to the moment it supposedly happened. People are choosing to believe what they believe based on who they support and then hurling abuse at the person making the complaint.
We’ve no idea what happened but the investigation so called, didn’t appear to interview either of the only two people who know the truth.
I’ve also stayed out of it, but the immediate decision that it didn’t happen by most people, and the abuse that followed has just pissed me off. Seems to me that since the same player has been accused before, a proper investigation should have taken place.
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@OomPB said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
Can they charge Curry?
Not likely. But there could be in a civil case in the UK against the RFU.
Equally Curry or/and the RFU might look into implications under French law if they judge they haven’t been adequately protected by World Rugby.
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@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA.Yes we’ve all seen all the fan videos claiming to exonerate Bongi, except none of them refer to the moment it supposedly happened. People are choosing to believe what they believe based on who they support and then hurling abuse at the person making the complaint.
We’ve no idea what happened but the investigation so called, didn’t appear to interview either of the only two people who know the truth.
I’ve also stayed out of it, but the immediate decision that it didn’t happen by most people, and the abuse that followed has just pissed me off. Seems to me that since the same player has been accused before, a proper investigation should have taken place.
So, World Rugby took circa 5 days to review 2 games and came up with nothing.
Yet the RFU can outright call Bongi a racist based on what is possibly / probably a misinterpreted Afrikaans phrase / phrases shown to be commonly used by the Boks... and that's ok?That's not some arbitrary individual, that's a national governing body of a sport behaving like that.
With a published, public statement.
If you want to talk about being pissed off - that's the bit that's got me wound up.The RFU can "Choose my side" (google translate to Afrikaans).
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@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA.Yes we’ve all seen all the fan videos claiming to exonerate Bongi, except none of them refer to the moment it supposedly happened. People are choosing to believe what they believe based on who they support and then hurling abuse at the person making the complaint.
We’ve no idea what happened but the investigation so called, didn’t appear to interview either of the only two people who know the truth.
I’ve also stayed out of it, but the immediate decision that it didn’t happen by most people, and the abuse that followed has just pissed me off. Seems to me that since the same player has been accused before, a proper investigation should have taken place.
All I know is that "white side" is rather close to "the dog ate my homework" on the bs meter.
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@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Billy-Webb said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
@Dodge said in RWC SF: England v Springboks:
No due process, repeat accusation, can only imagine the gnashing of teeth if the accusation had been the other way around. The abuse Tom Curry has received online is shameful
I have tried to stay away from this topic.
But Tom Curry receiving online abuse is shameful and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.Equally, the RFU doubling down on the claim of racist behaviour from Bongi when a WR investigation over 5 days and many independent pundit evaluations point to Curry most likely misinterpreting Afrikaans is absolutely shameful too. In my view that RFU statement is disgraceful for that part.
For context, South Africans are extremely sensitive to racist behaviour which carries all sorts of penalties.
Equally, a false claim of racist behaviour against someone can also land you with jail time in SA.Yes we’ve all seen all the fan videos claiming to exonerate Bongi, except none of them refer to the moment it supposedly happened. People are choosing to believe what they believe based on who they support and then hurling abuse at the person making the complaint.
We’ve no idea what happened but the investigation so called, didn’t appear to interview either of the only two people who know the truth.
I’ve also stayed out of it, but the immediate decision that it didn’t happen by most people, and the abuse that followed has just pissed me off. Seems to me that since the same player has been accused before, a proper investigation should have taken place.
So, World Rugby took circa 5 days to review 2 games and came up with nothing.
Yet the RFU can outright call Bongi a racist based on what is possibly / probably a misinterpreted Afrikaans phrase / phrases shown to be commonly used by the Boks... and that's ok?That's not some arbitrary individual, that's a national governing body of a sport behaving like that.
With a published, public statement.
If you want to talk about being pissed off - that's the bit that's got me wound up.The RFU can "Choose my side" (google translate to Afrikaans).
WR were always going to sweep it under the carpet. The big question is why the RFU are doubling down. Could be that they're still salty about the SF, but they really have zero to gain from doing this. Before I was firmly in the camp that it there was nothing in it and that Curry should have focussed on the biggest game of his life and not bad words hurting his feelings. Now I not so sure. Again, why double down?
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It is worth adding that the RFU’s barrister, Richard Smith KC, is about as experienced and respected as you can get in sports law.
Richard Smith KC
Richard Smith KC is a Crime barrister and Sports Law barrister. He has over 35 years' experience at the Bar.
