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England issue Tom Curry allegation update, address Sinfield's future
Richard Wigglesworth has insisted that the allegation of discriminatory language against Tom Curry in last Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final hasn’t distracted them from preparations for this Friday’s bronze final match versus Argentina in Paris.
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It emerged in the aftermath of England’s dramatic 16-15 loss to South Africa at Stade de France that Curry has approached referee Ben O’Keeffe midway through the opening half and asked the official. “Sir, if their hooker calls me a white c***, what do I do?” O’Keeffe replied: “Nothing, please. I’ll be on it.”
Curry opted to stay silent in the post-game mixed zone when asked about what had happened, but it emerged on Monday that World Rugby were formally reviewing the allegation in relation to the use of discriminatory language by South African hooker Bongi Mbonambi.
With the investigation still ongoing, neither World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont nor chief executive Alan Gilpin would comment on the matter when questioned at Tuesday evening’s media briefing about the expansion of the 2027 Rugby World Cup to 24 teams and the creation of a new Nations League-style tournament from 2026.
Questions were also asked at the England media briefing ahead of their third-place playoff and assistant coach Wigglesworth said: “Tom is good. He has been thrown into it, he is a very impressive young man.
“I know the players would have got around him. Steve (Borthwick) and the management team have been all over it. I’m sure he is getting every bit of support he needs.”
“We get stuck into our prep for Argentina. The process is the process. We have no knowledge of how long that is going to go on for the outcome.
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“Every week there is always some sort of thing you could be distracted by. This is international rugby, there is lots of noise around it. This distraction is different but it’s still noise that isn’t about Friday night.”
England flanker Ben Earl added: “Tom is a brilliant team-mate and friend of mine. He is also an incredibly resilient guy. He gives his all for the team and I know he’ll do that this weekend and I hope it gets resolved pretty quickly.”
There has also been speculation since the semi-final loss that defence coach Kevin Sinfield will exit the England set-up following the tournament.
Wigglesworth, who was the Leicester No9 when Sinfield assisted the Tigers to their 2022 Gallagher Premiership title win before joining Steve Borthwick when he switched to the England job last December, wouldn’t confirm if the rumour was true or not.
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“Nothing I have been aware of from Kev. It’s hard to comment on as it is not me who the story is about. Hopefully, there isn’t much in it,” he said, adding said: “He is a close friend of mine from Leicester.
“I’m very close with him so I am probably incredibly biased about what Kev brings. I’m sure the lads and the environment will tell you he gives absolutely everything, has a big influence on individuals.
What the All Blacks' Dalton Papali'i and Jason Ryan had to say about the hot topic of alleged racism by Bongi Mbonambi in rugby leading into Saturday's World Cup final in Paris versus the Springboks. #AllBlacks #Springboks #NZRvRSA #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/5dydz1Vx7f
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 24, 2023
“He gives up a lot of his time just trying to help. We know he is that sort of person and he has done an exceptional job of doing it.”
Switching to the imminent Test rugby retirement of Courtney Lawes following the conclusion of his fourth World Cup, Wigglesworth explained: “He will be remembered for his actions in an England shirt. he is incredible to play like he does, to get the amount of caps, the amount of World Cups [four] he has.
“I’m sure he will go down as an England legend and rightly so. A massive contribution over a significant number of years. He has overcome injuries and time out of the game to come back and always back to his best. A sign of a classy player.”
Does Wigglesworth have any painful memories of getting tackled by Lawes at club level? “I was always smart enough to make sure (I didn’t),” he quipped.
“I actually got Charlie Hodgson (the ex-Saracens and England player) filled in once after taking two steps too many at scrum-half. I had to apologise for getting a couple of guys hit. I avoided him at all costs.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
2 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
2 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
87 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
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