AP PHOTOS: A 7-week Rugby World Cup extravaganza ends with a magic fourth title for South Africa

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South Africa’s Siya Kolisi holds the trophy aloft during presentation ceremony after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the match 12-11. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett, left, and ,France’s Antoine Dupont challenge for the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and New Zealand in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Friday, Sept, 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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Portugal’s Nicolas Martins scores a try during the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Wales and Portugal at the Stade de Nice, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 in Nice, southern France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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England’s Ellis Genge, top is tackled by Argentina’s Marcos Kremer during the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between England and Argentina in the Stade de Marseille, Marseille, France Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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Chile’s players take part in a scrum during a warm up prior to the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Samoa and Chile at the Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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New Zealand’s Anton Lienert-Brown, centre, challenges for the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between New Zealand and Namibia at the Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse, France, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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Argentina’s Guido Petti Pagadizabal catches a ball during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Wales and Argentina at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille, France, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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South Africa’s Marvin Orie tries to grab the line out ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Romania at the Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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Fiji’s Josua Tuisova scores a try during the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between Australia and Fiji at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne, France, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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South Africa’s Franco Mostert catches the ball during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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Rugby fans from Ireland pose for a picture prior to the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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The Irish, left and South African scrum together during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and Ireland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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New Zealand’s Ardie Savea, center, challenges for the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between New Zealand and Italy at the OL Stadium in Lyon, France, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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Japan’s Lomano Lemeki, below, is tackled by Argentina’s Tomas Lavanini during the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Japan and Argentina at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, western France, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

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France’s Matthieu Jalibert, right, gets past South Africa’s Handre Pollard during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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France’s Antoine Dupont reacts after the end of the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. South Africa won the match 29-28. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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Players contest a scrum during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Wales and Argentina at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille, France, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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Argentina’s Matias Moroni, left, tackles Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Wales and Argentina at the Stade Vélodrome, in Marseille, France, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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Argentina’s Nicolas Sanchez sprints to score a try during the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Wales and Argentina at the Stade de Marseille in Marseille, France, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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Ireland’s Jack Conan reacts after the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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Argentina’s Thomas Gallo has his jersey on his head during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday, 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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Argentina’s Juan Martin Gonzalez, top, catches the ball during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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South Africa’s player celebrate after winning the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between England and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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New Zealand’s Aaron Smith kicks the ball despite a tackle by South Africa’s Faf de Klerk during the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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New Zealand’s Sam Cane looks round after the end of the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the game 12-11. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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South Africa players celebrate at the end of the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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South Africa’s Rg Snyman celebrates with the gold medal after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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South Africa’s Trevor Nyakane, left, and Mbongeni Mbonambi celebrate during the presentation ceremony after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the match 12-11. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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A girl lifts the trophy next to South Africa’s Mbongeni Mbonambi after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won 12-11. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

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South Africa’s Jesse Kriel celebrates after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the match 12-11. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS (AP) — A seven-week, 20-team, 48-game rugby extravaganza ended with a magic No. 4 for South Africa.

South Africa won a record-breaking fourth Rugby World Cup crown, and became only the second team to retain the title, with a gripping one-point win over old foe New Zealand in Saturday’s final at Stade de France.

And so, a green and gold curtain fell on the 10th Rugby World Cup, leaving the Springboks standing alone as the tournament’s most successful team.

But with joy for some, comes despair for others. New Zealand missed out on being the first to four by the slimmest of margins in one of the tightest finals ever played. All Blacks captain Sam Cane had to watch most of it from the sidelines after he became the first man to be sent off in rugby’s biggest game.

Spare a though, too, for host France and for Ireland, highly-rated ahead of the tournament and embodying the hopes of the northern hemisphere, which has won just one world title in 36 years of Rugby World Cups. That remains the case after the French and Irish fell, surprisingly, at the quarterfinal stage.

Ireland’s singing, dancing “green army” of fans had swept across the length and breadth of France hoping for a maiden title. They were left utterly crestfallen.

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France captain Antoine Dupont, considered by many to be the best player in the world, also missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity alongside his teammates to win Les Tricolores’ first World Cup in front of their home supporters.

As is always the case, the Rugby World Cup gave the sport’s popular underdogs their moment in the global spotlight.

Fiji, Portugal, World Cup debutant Chile and others showed that rugby is about way more than just the traditional superpowers as they provided some uplifting performances. Portugal will remember this one forever by winning its first game at a Rugby World Cup.

In the end, South Africa captain Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for the second time in four years and rugby history was made in the 200th anniversary year of the sport’s inception.

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AP Rugby World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby