Simon Zebo has described the World Rugby response to a racism controversy in Argentina as "pathetic".

Last week, the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) rescinded its sanction against captain Pablo Matera and two players who posted racial and xenophobic comments on social media, although the trio were left out of the team for last Saturday's Tri-Nations match against Australia.  

Racing 92 and former Munster full-back Zebo expressed disappointment at the UAR decision to rescind their sanctions of the three players.

"Pretty poor, I think disappointing. It's not as if those tweets are 20 or 30 years ago. They're only seven or eight years ago. So pretty disgusting," the 35-time Ireland cap told The RugbyPass Offload podcast.

"I'd never play in a team with him in a changing room or someone who's done something like that in the past. It wasn't exactly a slip of the tongue. That's literally one of the worst things you can say or one of the worst mentalities you can have."

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But the Cork native found rugby's world governing body's response to be more frustrating.

"The more disappointing thing would be World Rugby for sure, that it took them two weeks to say something," he said.

"They said something like they're investigating or trying to find out. The tweets are there in black and white. You look at them and read them.

"Surely, they've had dialogue with the UAR before this. I just think it's very disappointing. Ugo Monye put it quite well in his chat with BT Sport that rugby wants to combat racism until rugby has to combat racism.

"It's very disappointing that nothing has been said or done and it was a great opportunity to do so. I'm just very disappointed by World Rugby.

"I knew something would be said as soon as Ugo said that on BT Sport. It was pathetic, I'm just very disappointed."

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