2003 in rugby union

2003 in rugby union covers the major events in the sport of rugby union during the year. The main international tournament of the year was the 2003 Rugby World Cup, held in Australia from 10 October to 22 November. England won the tournament, defeating Australia 20–17 after extra time in the final to win their first Rugby World Cup title.

Earlier in the year, England also won the 2003 Six Nations Championship, completing the Grand Slam. In the southern hemisphere, New Zealand won the 2003 Tri Nations Series.

International tournaments

Worldwide

22 February – 24 May: 2003 Super 12 season — Auckland Blues defeated the Crusaders 21–17 in the final to win their third Super 12 title. 15 February – 30 March: 2003 Six Nations Championship — England won the Championship and completed the Grand Slam. 24 May: 2002–03 Heineken Cup — Stade Toulousain defeated Perpignan 22–17 in the final at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. 25 May: 2002–03 European Challenge Cup — London Wasps defeated Bath in the final at the Madejski Stadium, Reading. 25 May: 2002–03 European Shield — Castres Olympique defeated Caerphilly RFC in the final. 28 June – 26 July: 2003 Tri Nations Series — New Zealand won the tournament. 10 October – 22 November: 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia — England defeated Australia 20–17 after extra time in the final to win their first Rugby World Cup title.

International results Complete list of fixtures involving national teams during 2003. February DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource15 February Italy – WalesStadio Flaminio, Rome30–22Six Nations Championship15 February England – FranceTwickenham Stadium, London25–17Six Nations Championship16 February Portugal – GeorgiaLisbon University Stadium, Lisbon34–30European Nations Cup16 February Spain – RussiaInca, Mallorca19–52European Nations Cup16 February Scotland – IrelandMurrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh6–36Six Nations Championship22 February Italy – IrelandStadio Flaminio, Rome13–37Six Nations Championship22 February Wales – EnglandMillennium Stadium, Cardiff9–26Six Nations Championship22 February Georgia – SpainBoris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi34–3European Nations Cup22 February Portugal – RomaniaLisbon University Stadium, Lisbon16–15European Nations Cup23 February France – ScotlandStade de France, Saint-Denis38–3Six Nations Championship

March DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource8 March Scotland – WalesMurrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh30–22Six Nations Championship8 March Ireland – FranceLansdowne Road, Dublin15–12Six Nations Championship8 March Russia – GeorgiaYunost Stadium, Krasnodar17–23European Nations Cup First Division8 March Portugal – Czech RepublicLisbon University Stadium, Lisbon43–10European Nations Cup First Division8 March Switzerland – BelgiumBasel9–6European Nations Cup Second Division9 March England – ItalyTwickenham Stadium, London40–5Six Nations Championship9 March Spain – RomaniaCampo Universitario, Madrid6–31European Nations Cup First Division9 March Germany – NetherlandsHannover15–3European Nations Cup Second Division15 March South Korea – TongaSeoul0–75Rugby World Cup repechage qualification15 March Spain – TunisiaStade Évelyne-Jean-Baylet, Valence d'Agen33–16Rugby World Cup repechage qualification21 March Tonga – South KoreaTeufaiva Sport Stadium, Nuku'alofa119–0Rugby World Cup repechage qualification22 March Wales – IrelandMillennium Stadium, Cardiff24–25Six Nations Championship22 March England – ScotlandTwickenham Stadium, London40–9Six Nations Championship22 March Romania – RussiaDinamo Stadium, Bucharest23–12European Nations Cup First Division22 March Czech Republic – GeorgiaTatra Smíchov Rugby Club, Prague15–30European Nations Cup First Division23 March Portugal – SpainEstádio Municipal de Coimbra, Coimbra35–16European Nations Cup First Division23 March France – ItalyStadio Flaminio, Rome53–17Six Nations Championship23 March Paraguay – BrazilAsunción27–16South American Rugby Championship "A"29 March Russia – PortugalYunost Stadium, Krasnodar14–25European Nations Cup First Division29 March Poland – GermanyGdynia15–37European Nations Cup Second Division29 March Malta – LuxembourgMarsa34–6European Nations Cup Third Division29 March France – WalesStade de France, Saint-Denis33–5Six Nations Championship29 March Scotland – ItalyMurrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh33–25Six Nations Championship30 March Spain – Czech RepublicCampo Universitario, Madrid38–40European Nations Cup First Division30 March Ireland – EnglandLansdowne Road, Dublin6–42Six Nations Championship

April DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource5 April Belgium – SloveniaLiège24–33European Nations Cup Second Division5 April Bosnia and Herzegovina – MaltaZenica14–20European Nations Cup Third Division12 April Spain – United StatesEstadio Nacional Complutense, Madrid13–62Rugby World Cup repechage qualification18 April Sri Lanka – Arabian GulfColombo25–48ARFU Asian Rugby Series18 April Japan XV – Arabian GulfColombo79–5ARFU Asian Rugby Series22 April Sri Lanka – Japan XVColombo8–36ARFU Asian Rugby Series26 April Belgium – DenmarkBrussels6–6European Nations Cup Second Division26 April Hungary – Serbia and MontenegroEsztergom47–23European Nations Cup Third Division26 April Latvia – MoldovaRiga43–0European Nations Cup Third Division27 April Uruguay – ChileMontevideo20–13South American Rugby Championship "A"27 April Argentina XV – ParaguayMontevideo144–0South American Rugby Championship "A"27 April United States – SpainLockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale58–13Rugby World Cup repechage qualification27 April Germany – SwedenTrelleborg24–16European Nations Cup Second Division27 April Netherlands – UkraineAmsterdam18–24European Nations Cup Second Division30 April Argentina XV – ChileMontevideo49–3South American Rugby Championship "A"30 April Uruguay – ParaguayMontevideo53–7South American Rugby Championship "A"

May DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource3 May Netherlands – SwedenAmsterdam39–26European Nations Cup Second Division3 May Denmark – CroatiaCopenhagen8–8European Nations Cup Second Division3 May Serbia and Montenegro – LatviaBelgrade18–29European Nations Cup Third Division3 May Chile – ParaguayEstadio Luis Franzini, Montevideo102–0South American Rugby Championship "A"; 3 May Argentina – UruguayEstadio Luis Franzini, Montevideo32–0South American Rugby Championship "A"; 10 May Poland – NetherlandsGdynia13–13European Nations Cup Second Division10 May Slovenia – SwitzerlandLjubljana23–23European Nations Cup Second Division10 May Moldova – HungaryChișinău47–11European Nations Cup Third Division10 May Luxembourg – AustriaCessange25–14European Nations Cup Third Division10 May Zambia – ZimbabweLuanshya17–8Friendly; 17 May United States – JapanBoxer Stadium, San Francisco69–27Super Powers Cup; 24 May Ukraine – SwedenKyiv37–0European Nations Cup Second Division24 May Moldova – Serbia and MontenegroChișinău17–17European Nations Cup Third Division24 May Lithuania – LuxembourgKlaipėda60–6European Nations Cup Third Division24 May Kenya – ZimbabweRFUEA Ground, Nairobi32–24Friendly; ; 25 May Japan – RussiaChichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo34–43Super Powers Cup; ;

June DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource1 June Ivory Coast – MoroccoAbidjan16–18Africa Cup; 5 June Israel – NorwayIbiza30–13European Nations Cup Third Division, semi-final5 June Bulgaria – FinlandIbiza42–3European Nations Cup Third Division, semi-final7 June South Africa – ScotlandKings Park Stadium, Durban29–25Friendly7 June Australia – IrelandSubiaco Oval, Perth45–16Lansdowne Cup7 June Bosnia and Herzegovina – LithuaniaZenica15–37European Nations Cup Third Division7 June Finland – NorwayIbiza20–55European Nations Cup Third Division, third-place play-off7 June Israel – BulgariaIbiza23–25European Nations Cup Third Division, final8 June Japan – Australia AChichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo15–66Friendly14 June New Zealand – EnglandWellington Regional Stadium, Wellington13–15Friendly14 June South Africa – ScotlandEllis Park Stadium, Johannesburg28–19Friendly14 June Argentina – FranceJosé Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires10–6Friendly14 June Australia – WalesStadium Australia, Sydney30–10Friendly14 June Tonga – IrelandTeufaiva Sport Stadium, Nuku'alofa19–40Friendly14 June Canada – England AThunderbird Stadium, Vancouver7–43Churchill Cup14 June Romania – England CountiesStadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest45–23Friendly; 14 June Czech Republic – RussiaPrague27–13European Nations Cup First Division14 June Austria – Bosnia and HerzegovinaVienna25–6European Nations Cup Third Division14 June Uganda – KenyaKampala21–22Friendly; 14 June Bahamas – Cayman IslandsNassau7–13Friendly; 15 June Japan – South KoreaOsaka86–3Friendly18 June Canada – United StatesThunderbird Stadium, Vancouver11–16Churchill Cup20 June Argentina – FranceJosé Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires32–33Friendly20 June Samoa – IrelandApia Park, Apia12–40Friendly; 21 June New Zealand – WalesWaikato Stadium, Hamilton55–3Friendly21 June Australia – EnglandDocklands Stadium, Melbourne14–25Cook Cup21 June United States – England AThunderbird Stadium, Vancouver10–36Churchill Cup21 June Czech Republic – RomaniaPrague5–42European Nations Cup First Division21 June Malaysia – Chinese TaipeiKuala Lumpur0–54ARFU Asian Rugby Series21 June Singapore – IndiaSingapore71–0ARFU Asian Rugby Series24 June Malaysia – IndiaSingapore20–13ARFU Asian Rugby Series28 June New Zealand – FranceLancaster Park, Christchurch31–23Friendly28 June South Africa – ArgentinaEPRU Stadium, Port Elizabeth26–25Friendly28 June United States – England AThunderbird Stadium, Vancouver6–43Churchill Cup, final28 June Singapore – MalaysiaSingapore31–13ARFU Asian Rugby Series

July DateMatchVenueResultCompetitionSource3 July Japan – England AAjinomoto Stadium, Tokyo10–37Friendly; 4 July Fiji – TongaPrince Charles Park, Nadi34–31Friendly; 5 July Namibia – South Africa AHage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek9–25Friendly; 5 July Uganda – ZimbabweKyadondo Rugby Club, Kampala25–3Africa Cup; 6 July Japan – England AJapan National Stadium, Tokyo20–55Friendly; 11 July Tonga – FijiTeufaiva Sport Stadium, Nuku'alofa23–22Friendly; 12 July South Africa – AustraliaNewlands Stadium, Cape Town26–22Tri Nations12 July Namibia – SamoaHage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek13–40Friendly; 12 July Namibia A – BotswanaHage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek62–17Africa Cup19 July South Africa – New ZealandLoftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria16–52Tri Nations19 July Russia – USA SelectsCentral Stadium, Krasnoyarsk30–21Super Powers Cup19 July Zimbabwe – MadagascarHarare0–21Africa Cup26 July Australia – New ZealandTelstra Stadium, Sydney21–50Tri Nations, Bledisloe Cup

August