Rugby World Cup 2023: Winners and losers - France 2023′s glowing image marred by racial abuse claim

Chris Rattue runs through the winners and losers from the latest Rugby World Cup action.

OPINION

LOSER: Rugby World Cup

A joyous Rugby World Cup has been thrust under a cloud from which it cannot fully emerge.

The glowing image of this tournament - led by the wonderful crowd scenes from France – has been shattered by the racial abuse allegation against South African hooker and back-up captain Bongi Mbonambi.

Mbonambi was accused of the abuse by England flanker Tom Curry, who told semifinal referee Ben O’Keeffe the Springboks No 2 had called him a “white c***”.

I doubt Curry misheard the comment and he was described as “visibly shaken” after the match, although there was no audio recording evidence.

At the time of writing this, there was no indication as to whether World Rugby would step in. South Africa was looking into the matter itself.

The allegation raises a moral issue and one that might even encompass historical injustices.

There is also the rugby issue. This will disrupt the Springboks’ preparations. If Mbonambi is sidelined from the final, it will swing the odds hugely in New Zealand’s direction.

The Boks set piece would come under siege because he is the only recognised hooker left in the squad. The back-ups, Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden, are primarily loose forwards, although Fourie has been impressive in a hybrid role, and played as a hooker early in his career.

This includes two seasons playing at hooker for a French club, a rugby school of hard knocks. Still, that’s a vastly different story to a World Cup final.

I pity World Rugby trying to sort this one out though. It’s a no-win situation. If Mbonambi escapes a ban, there will be suggestions that racist abuse in sport is treated differently when it is black against white. His presence in the final would harm its integrity.

If he is banned, the slur on the sport will be strengthened in a way, with no doubt that the comment was made. His absence would still be a cloud over the game.

England's Tom Curry (right) and South Africa's Bongi Mbonambi (left). Photo / Getty Images

I also struggle to see how it can be left in South Africa’s hands if they take no action against the player.

The situation is hard to believe and particularly sad given that the last time these two teams met in the final, the world was celebrating Nelson Mandela and the early flowering of the rainbow nation. That tournament in South Africa 28 years ago was portrayed, probably over-optimistically, as a powerful symbol of hope following decades of the abhorrent apartheid system.

I would also love to know what lies beneath the surface with Mbonambi, and why this suddenly came to the fore. It would be fascinating to know.

It will be up to South Africans to give us a greater understanding of that.

In sad summary, we are used to horrible racist actions among football fans. But this appalling, alleged comment from a Springboks captain?

Whatever the angles, it’s hard to think of a more shocking day for sport.

WINNER: France

Their women pipped the world champion Black Ferns with a rugby victory in Wellington. Their short-passing rampages were superb.

WINNER: Simon Doull/Indian crowds

Said it before and will say it again. The long-retired Kiwi cricketer is our finest sports commentator.

It was a pleasure, and a relief, to hear a New Zealand sports caller thinking and speaking so clearly during India’s ODI World Cup cricket victory over the Black Caps.

Our cricket commentators set the highest standards, while other sports struggle to find people who aren’t hamstrung by so-called national – although I would say misguided – loyalties.

For example, Doull quite rightly criticised century-maker Daryl Mitchell for “dawdling his way through the 90s”.

Calling a spade a spade seems so difficult for a lot of others in front of the microphone.

Moving on... Indian cricket crowds are amazing. Their reaction to the legendary Virat Kohli, as he tried to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries, was brilliant.

LOSER: Our stadiums

Exhibit A: A near-empty Wellington stadium for the Black Ferns-France rugby international.

Exhibit B: A sparsely-populated Eden Park for three league internationals, although the crowd did a good job of filling it up with some noise. Well done, people.

LOSER/WINNER: League tests

Sorry, but the Kiwis’ 50-0 drubbing of Samoa does nothing for the sport. There were some warmly inspiring post-match scenes after the Kiwi Ferns beat Tonga. I loved the comment by Tonga captain Tiana Penitani, normally an outside back who played in the halves.

“I’m no Raecene McGregor,” she said, in reference to her Kiwi opposite.

But therein also lies the problem, that these internationals are all too cosy, that these are mere pick-up teams from out of the NRL competitions.

Aficionados might protest at that opinion, but this is what it looks like to the wider sporting audience.

The teams don’t have strong identities, and the NRL melting pot means the rivalry doesn’t come across as fierce enough.

Case in point: McGregor – with Kiwi parents – is Australian-born and raised, and represented that country in other sports.

The lines are too murky.

Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.