2003 Rugby World Cup – European qualification
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
Three Pool Winners and top Runner-Up advanced to Round 2.
Pool A
Winner (Sweden) and Runner-Up (Latvia) advanced to Round 2.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Sweden
|5||5||0||0||+208||15
|- bgcolor="E0FFE0"
|
Latvia
|5||4||0||1||+79||13
|-
|
Austria
|5||3||0||2||+78||11
|-
|
Israel
|5||2||0||3||+51||9
|-
|
Luxembourg
|5||1||0||4||−222||7
|-
|
Norway
|5||0||0||5||−194||5
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
23-Sep-2000 | Norway – Luxembourg | Stavanger, Norway | 9–41 |
21-Oct-2000 | Austria – Sweden | Vienna, Austria | 10–42 |
28-Oct-2000 | Latvia – Luxembourg | Riga, Latvia | 24–19 |
28-Oct-2000 | Sweden – Norway | Korsangens, Sweden | 44–3 |
11-Nov-2000 | Latvia – Austria | Riga, Latvia | 38–12 |
3-Mar-2001 | Luxembourg – Israel | Luxembourg | 3–62 |
17-Mar-2001 | Israel – Latvia | Israel | 3–21 |
5-May-2001 | Israel – Norway | Israel | 43–3 |
5-May-2001 | Luxembourg – Sweden | Cessange, Luxembourg | 3–116 |
12-May-2001 | Austria – Luxembourg | Vienna, Austria | 77–0 |
19-May-2001 | Latvia – Norway | Riga, Latvia | 37–0 |
19-May-2001 | Sweden – Israel | Växjö, Sweden | 35–20 |
2-Jun-2001 | Austria – Israel | Vienna, Austria | 21–6 |
9-Jun-2001 | Norway – Austria | Borrebanen, Norway | 7–51 |
9-Jun-2001 | Sweden – Latvia | Korsangens, Sweden | 17–10 |
Pool B
Winner (Switzerland) advanced to Round 2.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Switzerland
|5||4||0||1||+166||13
|-
|
Yugoslavia
|5||3||0||2||+45||11
|-
|
Andorra
|5||3||0||2||+43||11
|-
|
Hungary
|5||2||0||3||−9||9
|-
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|5||2||0||3||−58||9
|-
|
Bulgaria
|5||1||0||4||−187||7
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
30-Sep-2000 | Bosnia and Herzegovina – Hungary | Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13–12 |
07-Oct-2000 | Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina | Geneva, Switzerland | 43–6 |
14-Oct-2000 | Bulgaria – Switzerland | Pernik, Bulgaria | 9–90 |
14-Oct-2000 | Andorra – Yugoslavia | Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 12–9 |
28-Oct-2000 | Hungary – Andorra | Százhalombatta, Hungary | 27–21 |
5-Nov-2000 | Yugoslavia – Bulgaria | Dimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia | 46–6 |
31-Mar-2001 | Yugoslavia – Hungary | Dimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia | 25–10 |
05-May-2001 | Switzerland – Andorra | Lausanne, Switzerland | 38–25 |
05-May-2001 | Bulgaria – Bosnia and Herzegovina | ? | 30–8 |
12-May-2001 | Andorra – Bulgaria | Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 59–10 |
12-May-2001 | Switzerland – Hungary | Basel, Switzerland | 61–23 |
12-May-2001 | Bosnia and Herzegovina – Yugoslavia | ? | 23–13 |
25-May-2001 | Yugoslavia – Switzerland | Gornji, Yugoslavia | 13–10 |
25-May-2001 | Andorra – Bosnia and Herzegovina | Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 23–13 |
25-May-2001 | Hungary – Bulgaria | ? | 46–7 |
Pool C
Winner (Belgium) advanced to Round 2.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Belgium
|5||5||0||0||+71||15
|-
|
Slovenia
|5||3||1||1||+46||12
|-
|
Moldova
|5||3||0||2||+25||11
|-
|
Lithuania
|5||2||1||2||+38||10
|-
|
Monaco
|5||1||0||4||−30||7
|-
|
Malta
|5||0||0||5||−150||5
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
28-Oct-2000 | Monaco – Moldova | Menton, France | 15–17 |
28-Oct-2000 | Belgium – Slovenia | Heysel, Belgium | 24–10 |
18-Nov-2000 | Slovenia – Lithuania | Ljubljana, Slovenia | 19–19 |
18-Nov-2000 | Moldova – Malta | Bender, Moldova | 58–8 |
25-Nov-2000 | Malta – Belgium | Three Cities, Malta | 0–26 |
2-Dec-2000 | Monaco – Slovenia | Menton, France | 8–13 |
20-Jan-2001 | Malta – Monaco | Three Cities, Malta | 3–9 |
3-Mar-2001 | Monaco – Belgium | Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France | 12–18 |
7-Apr-2001 | Belgium – Moldova | Brussels, Belgium | 26–10 |
21-Apr −2001 | Malta – Lithuania | Three Cities, Malta | 11–39 |
28-Apr −2001 | Slovenia – Moldova | Ljubljana, Slovenia | 30–15 |
5-May-2001 | Belgium – Lithuania | Laakdal, Belgium | 29–20 |
12-May-2001 | Slovenia – Malta | Ljubljana, Slovenia | 45–5 |
12-May-2001 | Lithuania – Monaco | Vilnius, Lithuania | 33–10 |
2-Jun-2001 | Moldova – Lithuania | Chişinău, Moldova | 20–16 |
Round 2 – 2001–2002
Pool Winners advanced to Round 3.
Pool A
Winner (Poland)advanced to Round 3.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Poland
|4||4||0||0||+69||12
|-
|
Germany
|4||2||0||2||+24||8
|-
|
Sweden
|4||2||0||2||+23||8
|-
|
Denmark
|4||2||0||2||+19||8
|-
|
Latvia
|4||0||0||4||−135||4
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
22-Sep-2001 | Latvia – Poland | Riga, Latvia | 18–60 |
29-Sep −2001 | Poland – Sweden | Gdańsk, Poland | 18–6 |
7-Oct-2001 | Sweden – Latvia | Trelleborg, Sweden | 37–12 |
20-Oct −2001 | Sweden – Germany | Malmö, Sweden | 32–10 |
27-Oct-2001 | Denmark – Sweden | Frederiksberg, Denmark | 33–21 |
3-Nov −2001 | Denmark – Poland | Copenhagen, Denmark | 19–26 |
10-Nov-2001 | Germany – Denmark | Heidelberg, Germany | 34–24 |
24-Nov-2001 | Germany – Latvia | Hanover, Germany | 44–0 |
6-April-2002 | Poland – Germany | Gdynia, Poland | 20–12 |
6-April −2002 | Latvia – Denmark | Riga, Latvia | 8–32 |
Pool B
Winner (Czech Republic) advanced to Round 3.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Czech Republic
|4||4||0||0||+95||12
|-
|
Ukraine
|4||3||0||1||+46||10
|-
|
Croatia
|4||2||0||2||−14||8
|-
|
Switzerland
|4||1||0||3||−40||6
|-
|
Belgium
|4||0||0||4||−87||4
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
22-Sep-2001 | Czech Republic – Belgium | Prague, Czech Republic | 46–3 |
6-Oct-2001 | Switzerland – Czech Republic | Lausanne, Switzerland | 6–32 |
13-Oct −2001 | Croatia – Czech Republic | Makarska, Croatia | 5–13 |
13-Oct −2001 | Ukraine – Belgium | Kiev, Ukraine | 21–10 |
20-Oct −2001 | Ukraine – Croatia | Kiev, Ukraine | 41–7 |
27-Oct −2001 | Belgium – Switzerland | Brussels, Belgium | 15–22 |
3-Nov-2001 | Czech Republic – Ukraine | Prague, Czech Republic | 26–8 |
10-Nov −2001 | Croatia – Switzerland | Makarska, Croatia | 18–16 |
24-Nov −2001 | Belgium – Croatia | Brussels, Belgium | 0–26 |
24-Nov −2001 | Switzerland – Ukraine | Hermance, Switzerland | 11–30 |
Round 3 – May–June, 2002
Pool Winners advanced to Round 4.
Pool A
Winner (Spain) advanced to Round 4.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Spain
|2||1||0||1||+1||4
|-
|
Portugal
|2||1||0||1||0||4
|-
|
Poland
|2||1||0||1||−1||4
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
04-May-2002 | Poland – Spain | Warsaw (Poland) | 27–15 |
18-May-2002 | Portugal – Poland | Jamor (Portugal) | 39–26 |
2-June-2002 | Spain – Portugal | Madrid (Spain) | 34–21 |
Pool B
Winner (Russia) advanced to Round 4.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Russia
|2||2||0||0||+81||6
|-
|
Czech Republic
|2||1||0||1||+23||4
|-
|
Netherlands
|2||0||0||2||−104||2
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
05-May-2002 | Czech Republic – Russia | Prague (Czech Republic) | 18–37 |
21-May-2002 | Netherlands – Czech Republic | Amsterdam (Netherlands) | 12–54 |
1-June-2002 | Russia – Netherlands | Monino (Russia) | 65–3 |
Round 4 – September–October, 2002
Pool Winners and Runners-Up qualified to 2003 Rugby World Cup. 3rd-Place advanced to Round 5.
Pool A
Italy qualified as Europe 2 to Pool D, Romania as Europe 3 to Pool A. Spain advanced to Round 5.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Italy
|2||2||0||0||+55||6
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
|
Romania
|2||1||0||1||+53||4
|- bgcolor="E0FFE0"
|
Spain
|2||0||0||2||−108||2
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
22-Sep-2002 | Spain – Italy | Valladolid (Spain) | 3–50 |
28-Sep-2002 | Italy – Romania | Parma (Italy) | 25–17 |
05-Oct-2002 | Romania – Spain | Iaşi (Romania) | 67–6 |
Pool B
Ireland qualified as Europe 1 to Pool D, Georgia as Europe 4 to Pool C. Russia advanced to Round 5.
- Final Standings
Template:RugbyTableStart
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
| Ireland
|2||2||0||0||+81||6
|- bgcolor="C0FFC0"
|
Georgia
|2||1||0||1||−45||4
|- bgcolor="E0FFE0"
|
Russia
|2||0||0||2||−36||2
|}
- Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
21-Sep-2002 | Russia – Ireland | Krasnoyarsk (Russia) | 3–35 |
28-Sep-2002 | Ireland – Georgia | Dublin (Ireland) | 63–14 |
13-Oct-2002 | Georgia – Russia | Tbilisi (Georgia) | 17–13 |
Round 5 – October–November, 2002
Spain advanced to Repechage as Europe 5 to play Africa 2.
Match Schedule
Date | Match | Venue | Result |
27-October-2002 | ![]() |
Madrid, Spain | 3–36 |
24-November-2002 | ![]() |
Krasnodar, Russia | 22–38 |
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]
References
- ^ Russia frozen out of World Cup over illegal South Africans Archived 16 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine