South Africa has won the Rugby World Cup for a record fourth time after defeating New Zealand 12-11 in a thrilling final on October 28, 2023, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The match was a tense and closely contested affair, with South Africa producing a magnificent defensive display to hold off a determined New Zealand side.
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Handre Pollard of South Africa kicked four penalties as South Africa secured Rugby World Cup title. | Credit: Getty Images[/caption]
Rugby World Cup
Rugby's governing body, World Rugby, hosts a tournament every four years for the men's national teams of its member unions called the Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand triumphed over France in the first championship match. In 1995, South Africa finally took home the trophy after defeating New Zealand in the finals. They repeated as champions in 2007 and 2019 by prevailing over England in both finals.
With their 2023 triumph, South Africa became the most victorious team in tournament history, with four wins.
South Africa's road to the Final
The path for the Springboks to the final was not a smooth one.
They lost their opening pool game to New Zealand by a score of 23-13, but went on to win their remaining three matches against Scotland, Argentina, and Wales to advance to the playoffs.
They won the quarterfinal match against Ireland 26-10 and the semifinal match against
England 19-16. With his four penalties, Handre Pollard won the fourth championship for the Springboks, adding to his 1995, 2007, and 2019 triumphs.
New Zealand's skipper, Cane, was given a red card and became the first player to be sent off in a Rugby World Cup final. He was sent off after a high tackle that made contact with South African center Jesse Kriel's head.
The foul play review bunker for World Rugby determined that the tackle posed a high risk of serious injury and could have been avoided with little effort.
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Sam Cane was sent off after a serious tackle to Springboks' Jesse's head. | Credit: Sky Sports[/caption]
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