From RugbyRugby.com: "England are the new Rugby World Cup champions, with a Jonny Wilkinson drop-goal in the last minute of extra-time handing them a 20-17 win over a game Wallaby side at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Saturday. The English deserved to raise the Webb Ellis Cup after 100 minutes of drama, excitement, tries (yes, tries!) and bravery, with skipper Martin Johnson quick to pay tribute to his players, the management and a horde of English fans who made the trip out to Australia."

From the BBC: "England's historic 20-17 victory over Australia in the Rugby World Cup final has drawn praise from all quarters of the rugby world.
Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson secured the game for England with a last-gasp drop goal in extra-time, and in doing so sealed the nation's greatest sporting triumph since 1966.

Skipper Martin Johnson produced one of the performances of his career to become the first player to lead a northern hemisphere side to the world title. "

From ITN: "Jonny Wilkinson believes that his World Cup-winning last-gasp extra-time drop-goal against Australia was just reward for the hard work Clive Woodward's men put in in their bid to be crowned world champions.

Wilkinson, who was England's inevitable hero in their 20-17 World Cup final win over the Wallabies, fired four penalties before striking an amazing kick in the last 20 seconds of world rugby's most prestigious showpiece final."

From the London Times Breaking News: "England heroes win Rugby World Cup

England won the Rugby World Cup in a historic victory over Australia by 20 points to 17 in a pulsating final in Sydney. Jonny Wilkinson was again England's hero, with a last minute drop-goal to complete the nation's greatest sporting triumph since 1966. And as in 1966 the match went into extra-time - and again England were triumphant.



Queen and Blair congratulate England

The Queen has passed on her compliments to the England rugby side after they lifted the World Cup with victory over Australia. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Queen has sent a message to Clive Woodward congratulating the team on a great victory."Prime Minister Tony Blair also sent his congratulations to the England team following their 20-17 extra-time victory."

From the London Times Online: "With nerves already stripped raw in the emotion of a final played in heavy drizzle at the Telstra Stadium, Wilkinson lined up the goal which brought the cup to the northern hemisphere for the first time. Matt Dawson, his half-back partner, made the crucial break from a ruck which gave England an attacking position in Australia's 22, Martin Johnson took it on and the fly half, sitting in a pocket some 30 metres from the posts, swung his right foot - his less-favoured foot - to make the sweetest connection in English rugby history.

But how their supporters, a white army in a crowd of 82,957, suffered on the way. They had watched their team achieve domination towards the end of the first half and a lead of 14-5 with a rhythm which Australia could not match. Then, in the second half, they seemed to step back from glory: a series of handling errors and penalties allowed Elton Flatley to kick his side back into contention, a team which held its nerve where others might have cracked."