Apology.

France captain Antoine Dupont has called for England flanker Tom Curry to apologise to South African hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

Curry accused Mbonambi of a racial slur during their Rugby World Cup semi-final clash last month in comments picked up by the referee’s mic.

An investigation was launched by World Rugby following the alleged incident, but the Springbok was cleared to play in the World Cup final after they found there was insufficient evidence of any racial abuse.

World Rugby accepted that Curry made the comments in good faith and stated that they were “concerned” by the abuse aimed at both players following the allegations.

“Any allegation of discrimination is taken extremely seriously by World Rugby, warranting a thorough investigation,” a statement read from the governing body.

“Having considered all the available evidence, including match footage, audio and evidence from both teams, the governing body has determined that there is insufficient evidence at this time to proceed with charges.

“Therefore, the matter is deemed closed unless additional evidence comes to light.

“It is important to note that World Rugby accepts that Tom Curry made the allegations in good faith and that there is no suggestion that the allegation was deliberately false or malicious.

“World Rugby is also concerned by the social media abuse that both players have been subjected to this week. There is no place in rugby or society for discrimination, abuse or hate speech, and World Rugby urges fans to embrace the sport’s values of respect, integrity and solidarity.”

But Rugby News YouTube channel Blinky News have spotted a comment on Instagram by Dupont where he praises Mbonambi for being a “great guy” and calls for an apology from Tom Curry for the whole ordeal.

“I knew this was the case all along. Bongi is a great guy,” Dupont wrote on Instagram.

“I really think an apology should be given over this.”