Bongi Mbonambi
Mbonambi playing in 2022
Full nameMbongeni Theo Mbonambi
Date of birth (1991-01-07) 7 January 1991
Place of birthBethlehem, Free State, South Africa
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight98 kg (15 st 6 lb; 216 lb)[1]
SchoolSt. Alban's College
UniversityTUT
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Current team Sharks / Sharks (Currie Cup)
Youth career
2007 Griffons
2008–2012 Blue Bulls
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011 TUT Vikings 3 (0)
2013–2014 UP Tuks 8 (5)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2014 Blue Bulls 30 (5)
2012–2014 Bulls 15 (0)
2015–2021 Stormers 73 (25)
2015–2021 Western Province 29 (30)
2021– Sharks 19 (50)
Correct as of 1 January 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009 South Africa Schools
2011 South Africa Under-20 5 (0)
2016–present South Africa 67 (65)
2016 Springbok XV 1 (0)
Correct as of 22 October 2023

Mbongeni Theo 'Bongi' Mbonambi (born 7 January 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player. He currently plays as a hooker for the Sharks as well as the South Africa national rugby team. He previously played for the Blue Bulls, making his senior debut during the 2012 Super Rugby season against the Crusaders in Pretoria.

Mbonambi was a member of the South Africa Under 20 team that competed in the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship.[2]

International rugby

On 28 May 2016, Mbonambi was included in a 31-man South Africa squad for their three-test match series against a touring Ireland team.[3]

Mbonambi was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[4] South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England 32-12 in the final.[5]

Mbonambi was also named in South Africa's squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. In the semi-final against England on 21 October, Mbonambi made a racial slur against Tom Curry.[6] It was speculated that Mbonambi simply used the term "wit kant" in afrikaans meaning "white side".[7] After investigating the allegation, World Rugby found insufficient evidence and closed the case.[8]

Mbonambi said: "I think it is a very sad thing when you live in a first world country [England], you think the rest of the world speaks English.

"It was unprofessional on their part. They could have gone on a website and looked for an English dictionary and looked for the word in Afrikaans.

"People understood [in South Africa] but obviously their side was misunderstood."[9]

International statistics

Test Match Record

As of 8 October 2021
Against P W D L Try Pts %Won
 Argentina65011583.33
 Australia620421033.33
 British and Irish Lions32010066.67
 England53020060
 France440015100
 Georgia110015100
 Ireland21010050
 Italy320121066.67
 Japan220000100
 Namibia1100210100
 New Zealand82150031.25
 Scotland110000100
 Wales31020033.33
Total452711794561.11

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries (9)

TriesOppositionLocationVenueCompetitionDateResult
1 ItalyPadua, ItalyStadio EuganeoTest match25 November 2017Won 35–6
1 AustraliaBrisbane, AustraliaSuncorp Stadium2018 Rugby Championship8 September 2018Lost 18–23
1 FranceParis, FranceStade de FranceTest match10 November 2018Won 29–26
1 ArgentinaSalta, ArgentinaEstadio Padre Ernesto Martearena2019 Rugby Championship10 August 2019Won 46–13
2 NamibiaAichi Prefecture, JapanToyota Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup28 September 2019Won 57–3
1 ItalyFukuroi, JapanShizuoka Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup4 October 2019Won 49–3
1 GeorgiaPretoria, South AfricaLoftus VersfeldTest match2 July 2021Won 40–9
1 AustraliaGold Coast, AustraliaCbus Super Stadium2021 Rugby Championship12 September 2021Lost 26–28

References

  1. 1 2 "Bongi Mbonambi player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "SA Under-20 squad named". Sport24. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Squad of 31 ushers in new era of Springbok rugby". South African Rugby Union. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  5. ↑ "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Bongi Mbonambi: World Rugby says 'insufficient evidence' to charge South Africa hooker over alleged racial slur at Tom Curry". Sky Sports. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Meagher, Gerard (29 October 2023). "Government declares 'the Webb Ellis is in South Africa's kant'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "World Rugby clears Mbonambi due to insufficient evidence of racial slur". Guardian. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Doel, Jon (7 November 2023). "Bongi Mbonambi breaks silence on Tom Curry and slams 'unprofessional' England". Wales Online. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
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