South Africa captain Siya Kolisi after Rugby World Cup win: 'We can achieve anything if we work together as one'

Siya Kolisi delivered an inspirational message after South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in Yokohama.

The Springboks claimed the Webb Ellis Cup for a record-equalling third time on Saturday after 22 points from Handre Pollard, late Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe tries and a dominant set-piece showing led to an emphatic 32-12 win over fancied England.

It was a historic and symbolic moment for South Africa, with Kolisi - the team's first black captain - lifting the trophy.

"I was just grateful for everything the team has been through," he said after the match. "We've faced a lot of challenges, but the people of South Africa have got behind us and we are so grateful.

"We have so many problems in our country, but to have a team like this, we come from different backgrounds, different races, and we came together with one goal and we wanted to achieve it.

"I really hope that we've done that for South Africa to show that we can pull together if we want to achieve something."

Another Springbok World Cup-winning captain John Smit was among those to comment in the build-up to Saturday's final that success for South Africa in Japan would be more significant than their victories in 1995 - when Francois Pienaar received the trophy from Nelson ­Mandela - or 2007, stating that seeing Kolisi lift the trophy would "change the trajectory of our country" and "change people’s lives back home".

Asked what such a victory meant to the country as a whole, Kolisi said: "Since I've been alive, I have never seen South Africa like this. In 95, what the World Cup did for us... and now, with all the challenges we have, the coach just came and told us the last game that we are not playing for ourselves anymore, we are playing for our people back home.

"That's what we wanted to do today. We really appreciate all the support, people in the taverns, people in the shebeens, people in farms and homeless people and people in rural areas.

"Thank you so much. We appreciate all the support, we love you South Africa. We can achieve anything if we work together as one."