The European Nations Cup returned in 2003, being the first tournament since England last won it in 1996. The last European Nations Cup held, in 1996, followed traditional structures presented from previous tournaments, involving just three nations, England, France and Wales, all teams only playing each other once.
The 2003 tournament saw a revised structure, with Ireland, Scotland and Russia all joining.[1] The new structure formed the basis of two groups of three, each nation playing a total of two games, where the winner of each group meets in a final.
Pre-tournament favourites England easily won the final against France.
Group 1
Results
| 26 October |
Scotland  | 22 – 24 [2] |  Ireland |
| Old Anniesland, Glasgow Attendance: 1,123 Referee: Thierry Alibert  |
| 1 November |
| Ireland | 18 – 26 [2] | France |
| Dalymount Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,082 Referee: Richard Silverwood  |
| 9 November |
| France | 6 – 8 | Scotland |
| Parc des Sports, Avignon Attendance: 2,200 Referee: Richard Silverwood [3] |
Final standings
| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 2 |
| Scotland
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 2 |
| Ireland
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 2 |
France advanced to the final on points differential.
Group 2
Results
| 26 October |
Wales  | 74 – 4 |  Russia |
| Talbot Athletic Ground, Port Talbot Attendance: 1,082 Referee: Glen Black  |
| 2 November |
| England | 102 – 0 | Russia |
| Odsal Stadium, Bradford Attendance: 1,376 Referee: Richard Silverwood [3] |
Final standings
| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 124 | 4 | +120 | 4 |
| Wales
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 26 | +52 | 2 |
| Russia
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 176 | −172 | 0 |
England advanced to the final.
Final
16 November
|
| England
|
68 – 6 | France
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Mark Calderwood (4) Rob Burrow (2) Gareth Hock Martin Aspinwall Ade Gardner Andy Lynch Rob Parker Goals: Danny Tickle (9) Jamie Rooney (1) |
report |
Tries: Teddy Sadaoui Goals: Laurent Frayssinous (1) |
References
- ^ "History". rlef.eu.com. Rugby League International Federation. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ a b "History". rli.ie. Rugby League Ireland. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Richard Silverwood". therfl.co.uk. Rugby Football League. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
External links
- European Championship 2003 at rugbyleagueproject.org
This page was last edited on 9 September 2019, at 13:14