South Africa have beaten
England to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
England failed to recover from a slow start marked by injury, losing 32-12 to the South African side who have taken the title twice before.
It was a case of history repeating itself for England who previously lost to
South Africa in the 2007 cup final, four years after taking the trophy for the first and only time in 2003.
Disappointment came after a triumphant semi-final fixture, in which England knocked out two-time defending
World Cup champions
New Zealand out of the tournament. Prior to their defeat, the team had not lost a World Cup game since 2007.
Despite kicking off at 9am, thousands of England fans gathered at clubs and venues around the country alongside the crowd of supporters at Japan’s International Stadium Yokohama.
Despite the bitter loss,
UK leaders took to
Twitter to thank the English side for their efforts over the course of the tournament. Hats off to South Africa who were just rocklike in defence today but @EnglandRugby can hold their heads high after an amazing tournament. #RWCFinal#ENGvRSA—
Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 2, 2019Thank you @englandrugby for a terrific, thrilling tournament. You did us proud! Congratulations to South Africa on the win. #RWC2019https://t.co/dlVtBDgKl6—
Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 2, 2019Commiserations to @englandrugby. It wasn't to be today but you've done us proud throughout this World Cup.#RWCFinal—
Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 2, 2019Well done @EnglandRugby. Not the outcome we were hoping for today but incredibly proud of your performance throughout RWC2019 #RWCFinal#ENGvRSA🏴—
Theresa May (@theresa_may) November 2, 2019
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