South Africa claims fourth Rugby World Cup title in thrilling fashion

Posted : 30 October 2023

South Africa continued their impeccable record in Rugby World Cup finals, clinching their fourth tournament victory in Paris on Saturday. Their nerve-wracking 12-11 win against New Zealand not only secured back-to-back World Cup titles but also ignited discussions about whether they could be deemed the greatest team in rugby history.

South Africa's World Cup history is all the more remarkable when considering that they missed the first two tournaments due to apartheid-related sanctions. Following their reintegration into international rugby post-apartheid, the Springboks made their World Cup debut as hosts in 1995 and have since claimed four of the eight tournaments they have contested.

Impressively, South Africa boasts a perfect 100% record in World Cup finals, with victories over New Zealand in 1995 and 2023, as well as two triumphs against England in 2007 and 2019. Their final victories were particularly remarkable, given that they managed to win without scoring many tries, with just two scored in total - both coming in their 32-12 victory over England in 2019. Beauden Barrett's try in the 2023 final was the first ever conceded by the Springboks in a World Cup final.

South Africa joins the elite ranks as the second team to secure successive World Cups, and notably, they achieved this feat when both tournaments were held overseas. New Zealand's back-to-back wins in 2011 came as hosts. In a remarkable continuity, 14 of the 23 players who featured in the 2023 final were also part of the 2019 triumph against England.

Jacques Nienaber, the head coach of the Springboks, expressed his relief after their narrow victory over the All Blacks, especially considering that their last three matches had all been one-point affairs. Their path to victory included a tight 29-28 win against France in the quarter-finals and a slender 16-15 victory over England in the semis.

The 2023 tournament stood out as only five of the 66 previous World Cup knockout fixtures had been decided by a one-point margin, excluding third-place play-offs. South Africa's aggregate margin of victory in the knockout stage was a mere three points, making it the smallest of any winning nation in Rugby World Cup history. In comparison, Australia had a 17-point margin in 1991, and England had a 31-point margin in 2003. The largest margin was New Zealand's 90 points in the inaugural 1987 competition.

South Africa claims fourth Rugby World Cup title in thrilling fashion

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