After last weekend’s World Rugby final, the Springboks are still the top team in World Rugby’s official rankings, but the All Blacks have fallen back to third place.
Sam Cane’s team moved into third place after losing 12–11 to the Boks at the Stade de France.
Ireland, which in the run-up to the rugby spectacle in France wore the best in the world label around its neck, is now second in the standings, almost four points behind South Africa.
With its four titles, South Africa is the best rugby team in World Cup history. In addition to their latest success story, the Springboks also held up the Webb Ellis trophy in 1995, 2007 and 2019.
Among the top five teams on the international stage, there are three teams from the Northern Hemisphere – Ireland, France and England.
Yet the Southern Hemisphere undoubtedly wields the scepter when it comes to knockout rugby. Martin Johnson’s England team was the last team from the Northern Hemisphere to win a World Cup final.
Twenty years ago.
Official World Rugby Rankings:
- South Africa: 94.54 points
- Ireland: 90.57 points
- New Zealand: 89.80 points
- France: 87.81 points
- England: 85.46 points
- Scotland: 83.43 points
- Argentina: 80.68 points
- Wales: 80.64 points
- Australia: 77.48 points
- Fiji: 76.38 points.
