It doesn’t matter if the competition at hand is a World Championships or an Olympic Games, you can bet your bottom dollar someone will utter that phrase once it has all come to a no doubt glorious and spectacular end.

But one such event which can perhaps lay particular claim to the mantle in its respective sport is the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England and Wales, which drew to an emphatic and pulsating close exactly a week ago with the final between arch-rivals Australia and New Zealand.

As we all know by now, the All Blacks etched their name into the history books by becoming the first team in the event’s 28-year history to retain their title, and they achieved the feat in some style, claiming a blistering 34-17 win in front of a raucous crowd at Twickenham Stadium.

The final was a fitting conclusion to a tournament which was set alight almost from the first whistle, its momentum never wavering despite the premature exit of hosts England. Few outside of the country will have even given their capitulation a second thought.

This Rugby World Cup truly had everything. Thrills, spills, shocks and surprises were never far away throughout the competition, and while the idea of a six-week long event may have come in for criticism originally, it is safe to say such critics would have been sorry to see it end.

One particular aspect which caught the attention of the entire world - not just the devout rugby community who follow every match - was the performances of the so-called lesser nations, with Japan perhaps being the most notable example.

With one victory to their name before they arrived in England for this year's World Cup, the Japanese went on to record three wins from their four group stage matches - the highest of any team which then failed to reach the knockout round in the tournament’s history - including a memorable triumph over South Africa, perhaps the biggest sporting shock we have seen in recent times.

There’s no doubt they endeared themselves to everyone with their energetic and passionate displays. Some achievement from a country which remains in tier two of world rugby, alongside the likes of Namibia and Portugal, hardly what you would call international heavyweights of the game.

At a time where governing bodies such as the International Cricket Council continue to toy with the prospect of cutting the amount of teams which compete at its World Cup, effectively limiting the development of its the smaller countries, rugby’s equivalent proved that, given the platform, the minnows can well and truly prosper.

But it wasn’t only the supporters, pundits and media alike who would have taken particular joy in the Japanese never-say-die displays.

The shorter format of the game, rugby sevens, is preparing for its debut at the Olympic Games at Rio 2016, though the full version of the sport was held at the Games from 1900 to 1924. What better way to showcase the sport before such a momentous occasion than with a World Cup that has forced rugby into everybody’s thoughts?

The success of the tournament must have come as music to the ears of the organisers of the rugby sevens competition in the Brazilian city as it gave them a substantial platform on which to build.

They must look to maintain the gathering wave of momentum the sport is currently riding, particularly as no place on the Olympic programme is guaranteed nowadays as the International Olympic Committee have already shown they can be ruthless in dispensing sports which don't reach their expectations.

It is fair to say they have been given the best possible chance of doing just that. Of course, there are several obvious ways in which it differs from its bigger brother, but at the end of the day, it all comes under one umbrella, governed by World Rugby.

Rugby sevens is often quicker and even more exciting than the 15s, guaranteeing high-octane action from the first minute to the last, and the tournament at Rio 2016 appears likely to be one of the most hotly-contested events at the entire Olympics.

Any number of countries can win it. Reigning World Rugby Sevens Series champions Fiji are the favourites, and the usual suspects of Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa will also fancy their chances of becoming the first-ever rugby sevens Olympic gold medallists.

Rio 2016 will look back to the World Cup, however, for more inspiration as the competition in England demonstrated the true universality of rugby, a key prerequisite which any bidding sport which harbours hopes of one day being a part of the Olympic programme must adhere to.

There will be those that dispute such a claim due to the fact that the final was contested by two countries from the same region, but that hardly provides an accurate barometer of the global reach the sport possesses. 

Japan’s performances were a perfect example of this. Rugby has no real heritage in a country which prefers the combat disciplines of karate and sumo wrestling to the full-blooded contact involved in both of rugby’s main formats, yet they left England with substantial pedigree. They couldn't have timed it more perfectly either as country is the next stop on the journey of the Webb Ellis Cup in four years' time.

It was notjust the Japanese who impressed as Argentina cemented themselves as an emerging global power by dispensing Ireland with ease in the quarter-finals before bowing out to eventual runners-up Australia in the last four. There was no shame in that.

While their participation in the Rugby Championship - an annual tournament which also features powerhouses Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - suggests their success was not a total surprise, it was still pleasing to see a country that for so long had lingered in the doldrums finally seize an opportunity to present themselves to the world. Their sevens team may be one to look out for during the Games in Rio.

Of course, no major sporting event passes with flying colours as the competition in England saw the use of video replays in the sport come under fire, with deserved criticism levelled at how long it took to reach ultimately the correct decision.

Ticket prices too were a bone of contention. A smattering of voices of discontent could be found on social media after some fans were forced to pay over the odds even for group matches which turned out to be dead rubbers, with prices soaring to astronomical levels for the semi-finals and final.

But such issues were clearly not on the mind of World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset following the conclusion of the event on the same day where much of the world celebrated Hallowe’en. It’s safe to say he wasn’t particularly spooked by any of the minor problems the competition faced.

Technical quibbles aside, the spectacle we saw was one which few can rival and which may never be surpassed.

"Rugby World Cup 2015 will be remembered as the biggest tournament to date, but I also believe that it will be remembered as the best," Lapasset said.

"England 2015 has been the most competitive, best-attended, most-watched, most socially-engaged, most commercially-successful Rugby World Cup.

"But this special Rugby World Cup has been about much more than numbers, it has been about the amazing atmosphere in full and vibrant stadia, the excitement around the host nation and in Cardiff, the unforgettable moments played out by the world's best players and the friendships that have been created along the way - the very best of our sport has been on display.”

While it remains to be seen whether the city of Rio will embrace rugby sevens as a concept - rugby hardly has a strong pedigree in the South American country - Lapasset will be one of many hoping the very best of rugby sevens is on display when it is welcomed onto the grandest stage of them all.

He'll be hoping the first-ever Olympic rugby sevens tournament sets a benchmark for future events to follow.