Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Katie Sands

England players refuse to wear silver medals after Rugby World Cup defeat to South Africa

Some of England's players were quick to remove their runners-up medals after they lost out to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final.

Eddie Jones' men fell to a 32-12 defeat to the Springboks in Yokohama on Saturday as the global showpiece tournament came to an end in Japan.

As is tradition, in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle, the runners-up were invited onto the podium and given silver medals.

But the disappointment of the England players was there for all to see.

Maro Itoje declined to have his medal put around his neck after shaking hands with World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, while Kyle Sinckler, who was replaced just minutes into the game due to being knocked unconscious, took his medal off straight away.

Jones admitted after the game: "We couldn’t get into the game. When we had opportunities we couldn’t take them.

"South Africa, for some reason, were too strong for us.

"We didn’t think that would be the case going into the game but that can happen in rugby sometimes."

Ben Youngs, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Mark Wilson, Owen Farrell and Jonny May of England look on dejected (Getty Images)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.