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.