2003 Rugby World Cup – European qualification
Tournament details
Dates23 September 2000 – 24 November 2002
No. of nations32
1999
2007

There were a number of positions open to European nations to qualify for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Ireland, Romania, Georgia and Italy, joining a number of other nations that automatically qualified.

Round 1 (2000–2001)

The 18 teams that entered qualification at this stage were divided into three pools of six teams each. The winners of each pool and the best runner-up advanced to the second round of qualifying.

Pool A

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Sweden 5500+20815
2 Latvia 5401+7913
3 Austria 5302+7811
4 Israel 5203+519
5 Luxembourg 5104−2227
6 Norway 5005−1945
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
23 September 2000 Norway9–41 LuxembourgStavanger, Norway
21 October 2000 Austria10–42 SwedenVienna, Austria
28 October 2000 Latvia24–19 LuxembourgRiga, Latvia
28 October 2000 Sweden44–3 NorwayKorsangens, Sweden
11 November 2000 Latvia38–12 AustriaRiga, Latvia
3 March 2001 Luxembourg3–62 IsraelLuxembourg
17 March 2001 Israel3–21 LatviaIsrael
5 May 2001 Israel43–3 NorwayIsrael
5 May 2001 Luxembourg3–116 SwedenCessange, Luxembourg
12 May 2001 Austria77–0 LuxembourgVienna, Austria
19 May 2001 Latvia37–0 NorwayRiga, Latvia
19 May 2001 Sweden35–20 IsraelVäxjö, Sweden
2 June 2001 Austria21–6 IsraelVienna, Austria
9 June 2001 Norway7–51 AustriaBorrebanen, Norway
9 June 2001 Sweden17–10 LatviaKorsangens, Sweden

Pool B

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1  Switzerland 5401+16613
2 Yugoslavia 5302+4511
3 Andorra 5302+4311
4 Hungary 5203−99
5 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5203−589
6 Bulgaria 5104−1877
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
30 September 2000 Bosnia and Herzegovina13–12 HungaryZenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
7 October 2000  Switzerland43–6 Bosnia and HerzegovinaGeneva, Switzerland
14 October 2000 Bulgaria9–90  SwitzerlandPernik, Bulgaria
14 October 2000 Andorra12–9 YugoslaviaAndorra la Vella, Andorra
28 October 2000 Hungary27–21 AndorraSzázhalombatta, Hungary
5 November 2000 Yugoslavia46–6 BulgariaDimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia
31 March 2001 Yugoslavia25–10 HungaryDimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia
5 May 2001  Switzerland38–25 AndorraLausanne, Switzerland
5 May 2001 Bulgaria30–8 Bosnia and Herzegovina
12 May 2001 Andorra59–10 BulgariaAndorra la Vella, Andorra
12 May 2001  Switzerland61–23 HungaryBasel, Switzerland
12 May 2001 Bosnia and Herzegovina23–13 Yugoslavia
25 May 2001 Yugoslavia13–10  SwitzerlandGornji, Yugoslavia
25 May 2001 Andorra23–13 Bosnia and HerzegovinaAndorra la Vella, Andorra
25 May 2001 Hungary46–7 Bulgaria

Pool C

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Belgium 5500+7115
2 Slovenia 5311+4612
3 Moldova 5302+2511
4 Lithuania 5212+3810
5 Monaco 5104−307
6 Malta 5005−1505
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
28 October 2000 Monaco15–17 MoldovaMenton, France
28 October 2000 Belgium24–10 SloveniaKing Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
18 November 2000 Slovenia19–19 LithuaniaLjubljana, Slovenia
18 November 2000 Moldova58–8 MaltaBender, Moldova
25 November 2000 Malta0–26 BelgiumThree Cities, Malta
2 December 2000 Monaco8–13 SloveniaMenton, France
20 January 2001 Malta3–9 MonacoThree Cities, Malta
3 March 2001 Monaco12–18 BelgiumSaint-Laurent-du-Var, France
7 April 2001 Belgium26–10 MoldovaBrussels, Belgium
21 April 2001 Malta11–39 LithuaniaThree Cities, Malta
28 April 2001 Slovenia30–15 MoldovaLjubljana, Slovenia
5 May 2001 Belgium29–20 LithuaniaLaakdal, Belgium
12 May 2001 Slovenia45–5 MaltaLjubljana, Slovenia
12 May 2001 Lithuania33–10 MonacoVilnius, Lithuania
2 June 2001 Moldova20–16 LithuaniaChișinău, Moldova

Round 2 (2001–2002)

The four teams that qualified from Round 1 were joined by the six teams from the European Nations Cup Second Division. They were divided into two pools of five teams each. Each pool was played as a single round-robin tournament, and the winner of each pool advanced to Round 3.

Pool A

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Poland 4400+6912
2 Germany 4202+248
3 Sweden 4202+238
4 Denmark 4202+198
5 Latvia 4004−1354
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
22 September 2001 Latvia18–60 PolandRiga, Latvia
29 September 2001 Poland18–6 SwedenGdańsk, Poland
7 October 2001 Sweden37–12 LatviaTrelleborg, Sweden
20 October 2001 Sweden32–10 GermanyMalmö, Sweden
27 October 2001 Denmark33–21 SwedenFrederiksberg, Denmark
3 November 2001 Denmark19–26 PolandCopenhagen, Denmark
10 November 2001 Germany34–24 DenmarkHeidelberg, Germany
24 November 2001 Germany44–0 LatviaHanover, Germany
6 April 2002 Poland20–12 GermanyGdynia, Poland
6 April 2002 Latvia8–32 DenmarkRiga, Latvia

Pool B

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Czech Republic 4400+9512
2 Ukraine 4301+4610
3 Croatia 4202−148
4  Switzerland 4103−406
5 Belgium 4004−874
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
22 September 2001 Czech Republic46–3 BelgiumPrague, Czech Republic
6 October 2001  Switzerland6–32 Czech RepublicLausanne, Switzerland
13 October 2001 Croatia5–13 Czech RepublicMakarska, Croatia
13 October 2001 Ukraine21–10 BelgiumKyiv, Ukraine
20 October 2001 Ukraine41–7 CroatiaKyiv, Ukraine
27 October 2001 Belgium15–22  SwitzerlandBrussels, Belgium
3 November 2001 Czech Republic26–8 UkrainePrague, Czech Republic
10 November 2001 Croatia18–16  SwitzerlandMakarska, Croatia
24 November 2001 Belgium0–26 CroatiaBrussels, Belgium
24 November 2001  Switzerland11–30 UkraineHermance, Switzerland

Round 3 (May–June 2002)

The two teams that advanced from Round 2 were joined by the four lowest-ranked teams from the 2000–01 European Nations Cup First Division. The six teams were divided into two pools of three teams each, again played as a single round-robin, with the winners of each pool advancing to Round 4.

Pool A

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Spain 2101+14
2 Portugal 210104
3 Poland 2101−14
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
4 May 2002 Poland27–15 SpainWarsaw, Poland
18 May 2002 Portugal39–26 PolandJamor, Portugal
2 June 2002 Spain34–21 PortugalMadrid, Spain

Pool B

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Russia 2200+816
2 Czech Republic 2101+234
3 Netherlands 2002−1042
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
5 May 2002 Czech Republic18–37 RussiaPrague, Czech Republic
21 May 2002 Netherlands12–54 Czech RepublicAmsterdam, Netherlands
1 June 2002 Russia65–3 NetherlandsMonino, Russia

Round 4 (September–October 2002)

In Round 4, the two teams that advanced from Round 3 were joined by the two remaining teams from the 2000–01 European Nations Cup First Division, as well as Ireland and Italy. The six teams were divided into two pools of three teams each, which were again played as a single round-robin. The top two teams from each pool qualified directly for the Rugby World Cup, while the bottom team from each pool advanced to Round 5.

Pool A

Italy qualified for the Rugby World Cup as Europe 2 and were placed in Pool D, while Romania qualified as Europe 3 and were placed in Pool A.

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Italy 2200+556
2 Romania 2101+534
3 Spain 2002−1082
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
22 September 2002 Spain3–50 ItalyValladolid, Spain
28 September 2002 Italy25–17 RomaniaParma, Italy
5 October 2002 Romania67–6 SpainIași, Romania

Pool B

Ireland qualified for the Rugby World Cup as Europe 1 and were placed in Pool A, while Georgia qualified as Europe 4 and were placed in Pool C.

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts
1 Ireland 2200+816
2 Georgia 2101−454
3 Russia 2002−362
DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
21 September 2002 Russia3–35 IrelandKrasnoyarsk, Russia
28 September 2002 Ireland63–14 GeorgiaDublin, Ireland
13 October 2002 Georgia17–13 RussiaTbilisi, Georgia

Round 5 (October–November 2002)

The two teams that advanced from Round 4 played a two-legged tie. The winners advanced to the repechage.

DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenue
27 October 2002 Spain3–36 RussiaMadrid, Spain
24 November 2002 Russia22–38 SpainKrasnodar, Russia

Russia won 58–41 on aggregate. However, after it was determined they used ineligible South African players, they were ejected from the competition and Spain advanced to Repechage.[1]

Bibliography

  • "Rugby Europe Championship; European Nations Cup – Third Division / 2003 Rugby World Cup – European qualification". The Rugby Archive. 21 December 2014. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

References

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