International commentators have revelled in New Zealand's embracing of the tournament, calling for the small nation to get a chance to host again - regardless of the financial drawbacks for the International Rugby Board.
Guardian rugby columnist Paul Rees wrote that New Zealand must be allowed to stage another World Cup.
"This is a rugby country unlike any other and while the sport has to grow, it must not lose what it already has," Rees said. Even teams with the fewest travelling supporters had been enthusiastically adopted by locals, he said.
Former English rugby international Paul Ackford wrote in the Telegraph that the tournament had seen genuine hospitality and interest.
"Big games and big teams take care of themselves, but the true test of how engaging a global sporting event is, is whether the sideshows grab you by the short and curlies."
Ireland team spokesman Karl Richardson said the financial limitations of holding the cup in New Zealand were balanced by the enthusiasm of the public - who had been wonderful in each of the five places the team had been hosted.
The team had been mobbed by 600 children at a Rotorua primary school last week, while their match against Russia sold out to 26,000 spectators.
"You may have been walking down the street in France [four years ago] and may not have been noticed, but especially in a place like Rotorua everyone's aware of the game. There's no doubt there's an extremely passionate and well-versed New Zealand public who just embrace the game."
Argentina team spokesman Rafael Laria said the team and their families rated New Zealand highly as a host country.
Former All Black captain Tana Umaga, who worked with the Prime Minister of the day, Helen Clark, to secure the games, said volunteers and organisers should bask a bit in a job well done.
"Everyone is talking about how maybe this could be the last time we hold it but ...where there's hope maybe there's a way."
Tournament boss Martin Snedden said the tournament must keep demonstrating that New Zealand added something special to the event.
"The best chance New Zealand has of ever hosting again would be to make this tournament such a fantastic success that it becomes so attractive to the IRB and its members."
But the World Cup was only a third of the way through, and it was still too soon to talk about what could happen beyond this tournament, he said.
After the three weeks of resounding successes, the IRB has now said "never say never" to bringing the tournament back to New Zealand.
Chairman Bernard Lapasset told the Herald the cup was shaping up to be an "exceptional" event.
"We are not yet halfway through ... [but] New Zealanders the length and breadth of the country are proving to be wonderful hosts."
The IRB is reluctant to be drawn before the tournament ends, but chief executive Mike Miller said: "Never say never."
