2003 Rugby World Cup – European qualification Dates 23 September 2000 – 24 November 2002 No. of nations 32
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)[ edit ]
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.
Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Venue
23 September 2000
Norway
9–41
Luxembourg
Stavanger , Norway
21 October 2000
Austria
10–42
Sweden
Vienna , Austria
28 October 2000
Latvia
24–19
Luxembourg
Riga , Latvia
28 October 2000
Sweden
44–3
Norway
Korsangens , Sweden
11 November 2000
Latvia
38–12
Austria
Riga , Latvia
3 March 2001
Luxembourg
3–62
Israel
Luxembourg
17 March 2001
Israel
3–21
Latvia
Israel
5 May 2001
Israel
43–3
Norway
Israel
5 May 2001
Luxembourg
3–116
Sweden
Cessange , Luxembourg
12 May 2001
Austria
77–0
Luxembourg
Vienna , Austria
19 May 2001
Latvia
37–0
Norway
Riga , Latvia
19 May 2001
Sweden
35–20
Israel
Växjö , Sweden
2 June 2001
Austria
21–6
Israel
Vienna , Austria
9 June 2001
Norway
7–51
Austria
Borrebanen , Norway
9 June 2001
Sweden
17–10
Latvia
Korsangens , Sweden
Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Venue
30 September 2000
Bosnia and Herzegovina
13–12
Hungary
Zenica , Bosnia and Herzegovina
7 October 2000
Switzerland
43–6
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Geneva , Switzerland
14 October 2000
Bulgaria
9–90
Switzerland
Pernik , Bulgaria
14 October 2000
Andorra
12–9
Yugoslavia
Andorra la Vella , Andorra
28 October 2000
Hungary
27–21
Andorra
Százhalombatta , Hungary
5 November 2000
Yugoslavia
46–6
Bulgaria
Dimitrovgrad , Yugoslavia
31 March 2001
Yugoslavia
25–10
Hungary
Dimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia
5 May 2001
Switzerland
38–25
Andorra
Lausanne , Switzerland
5 May 2001
Bulgaria
30–8
Bosnia and Herzegovina
12 May 2001
Andorra
59–10
Bulgaria
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
12 May 2001
Switzerland
61–23
Hungary
Basel , Switzerland
12 May 2001
Bosnia and Herzegovina
23–13
Yugoslavia
25 May 2001
Yugoslavia
13–10
Switzerland
Gornji , Yugoslavia
25 May 2001
Andorra
23–13
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
25 May 2001
Hungary
46–7
Bulgaria
Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Venue
28 October 2000
Monaco
15–17
Moldova
Menton , France
28 October 2000
Belgium
24–10
Slovenia
King Baudouin Stadium , Brussels, Belgium
18 November 2000
Slovenia
19–19
Lithuania
Ljubljana , Slovenia
18 November 2000
Moldova
58–8
Malta
Bender , Moldova
25 November 2000
Malta
0–26
Belgium
Three Cities , Malta
2 December 2000
Monaco
8–13
Slovenia
Menton , France
20 January 2001
Malta
3–9
Monaco
Three Cities , Malta
3 March 2001
Monaco
12–18
Belgium
Saint-Laurent-du-Var , France
7 April 2001
Belgium
26–10
Moldova
Brussels , Belgium
21 April 2001
Malta
11–39
Lithuania
Three Cities , Malta
28 April 2001
Slovenia
30–15
Moldova
Ljubljana , Slovenia
5 May 2001
Belgium
29–20
Lithuania
Laakdal , Belgium
12 May 2001
Slovenia
45–5
Malta
Ljubljana , Slovenia
12 May 2001
Lithuania
33–10
Monaco
Vilnius , Lithuania
2 June 2001
Moldova
20–16
Lithuania
Chișinău , Moldova
Round 2 (2001–2002)[ edit ]
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.
Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Venue
22 September 2001
Latvia
18–60
Poland
Riga , Latvia
29 September 2001
Poland
18–6
Sweden
Gdańsk , Poland
7 October 2001
Sweden
37–12
Latvia
Trelleborg , Sweden
20 October 2001
Sweden
32–10
Germany
Malmö , Sweden
27 October 2001
Denmark
33–21
Sweden
Frederiksberg , Denmark
3 November 2001
Denmark
19–26
Poland
Copenhagen , Denmark
10 November 2001
Germany
34–24
Denmark
Heidelberg , Germany
24 November 2001
Germany
44–0
Latvia
Hanover , Germany
6 April 2002
Poland
20–12
Germany
Gdynia , Poland
6 April 2002
Latvia
8–32
Denmark
Riga , Latvia
Date
Home team
Score
Away team
Venue
22 September 2001
Czech Republic
46–3
Belgium
Prague , Czech Republic
6 October 2001
Switzerland
6–32
Czech Republic
Lausanne , Switzerland
13 October 2001
Croatia
5–13
Czech Republic
Makarska , Croatia
13 October 2001
Ukraine
21–10
Belgium
Kyiv , Ukraine
20 October 2001
Ukraine
41–7
Croatia
Kyiv , Ukraine
27 October 2001
Belgium
15–22
Switzerland
Brussels , Belgium
3 November 2001
Czech Republic
26–8
Ukraine
Prague , Czech Republic
10 November 2001
Croatia
18–16
Switzerland
Makarska , Croatia
24 November 2001
Belgium
0–26
Croatia
Brussels , Belgium
24 November 2001
Switzerland
11–30
Ukraine
Hermance , Switzerland
Round 3 (May–June 2002)[ edit ]
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.
Round 4 (September–October 2002)[ edit ]
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.
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
2
2
0
0
+55
6
2
Romania
2
1
0
1
+53
4
3
Spain
2
0
0
2
−108
2
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 .
Round 5 (October–November 2002)[ edit ]
The two teams that advanced from Round 4 played a two-legged tie. The winners advanced to the repechage .
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]
Tournaments Qualifying Knockout stages Finals Squads Statistics Overview Overall records Notes: There was no qualification for the 1987 World Cup as places were given by invitation only.