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Where are they now: A look at England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winners
When asked to name members of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning squad, the likes of drop-kick hero Jonny Wilkinson and inspirational captain Martin Johnson come immediately to mind. But the contributions of the whole squad in the last-gasp 20-17 Sydney success against Australia can often be overlooked. To mark replacement Iain Balshaw’s 41st birthday, here is a look at every member of England’s squad and what they have been up to since.
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Josh Lewsey
The full-back who made that thumping tackle on Mat Rogers became head of rugby at the Welsh Rugby Union in September 2015 – a position he held for just over two years. British and Irish Lion Lewsey retired in 2011 after stints with Bristol and Wasps. The 37-year-old climbed Mount Everest in 2010.
Jason Robinson
The rugby league convert is best remembered for his try in the World Cup final, but is now back in the league game as joint operations manager for the Jamaica national team after they secured a place in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Robinson retired after the 2007 World Cup final before taking on a coaching stint at former club Sale, then making a one-season comeback with National League Two side Fylde in 2010.
Mike Tindall
The last of the World Cup final squad to retire, Tindall won 75 caps and spent eight years at Bath followed by nine at Gloucester. Tindall – who married Zara Phillips, the Queen’s eldest granddaughter, in 2011 – has become a leading celebrity ambassador for charitable causes and is the principal patron of Rugby for Heroes.
Will Greenwood
The former Lions, Leicester and Harlequins centre is a rugby union pundit for Sky Sports and has worked as a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. Greenwood was a key figure in England’s World Cup triumph, scoring five tries on the road to the final.
Ben Cohen
England’s joint second-highest try-scorer – level with Greenwood – is chairman of The Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, launched to help combat bullying in the UK. He has also made a number of reality TV appearances. He featured on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and won Channel 4’s The Jump in 2016. Cohen retired in 2011 after two years at Sale Sharks that followed stints with Northampton Saints and Brive.
Jonny Wilkinson
Wilkinson, England’s record points scorer, retired after securing a Heineken Cup-French Top 14 double with Toulon in 2014. England’s World Cup talisman was plagued by injuries after dropping the winning goal against Australia in 2003 but shrugged it off to find success on the Mediterranean. The 40-year-old joined Toulon’s back-room staff as kicking and skills coach after retirement and is now a regular TV pundit.
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Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson has been a team captain on A Question of Sport since 2004 and works as a pundit for the BBC. He also finished second to former England cricketer Mark Ramprakash on Strictly in 2006. The former Northampton and Wasps scrum-half retired in 2006, with 77 England caps and six Test appearances for the British Lions.
Trevor Woodman
Loosehead prop Woodman was forced to retire prematurely at the age of 29 due to back injuries. The 43-year-old is now forwards coach at Gloucester, where he plied his trade between 1996 and 2004.
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Steve Thompson
Thompson has been based in Dubai since final retirement in 2011, working as an ambassador for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. The Northampton hooker initially retired due to neck trouble in 2007, only to reverse the decision and sign for Brive in France. Thompson continued his international career until the 2011 World Cup, winning 73 caps.
Phil Vickery
Combative tighthead prop Vickery runs successful sportswear firm Raging Bull; owing to his playing-days nickname. Neck injuries forced Vickery to retire in 2010 after stints with Gloucester and Wasps before he moved into coaching with a stint at Worcester. The 44-year-old won Celebrity Masterchef in 2011.
Martin Johnson
England’s talismanic captain moved into an underwhelming stint as national coach, culminating in a lacklustre campaign littered with off-field issues in New Zealand in 2011. The Leicester Tigers stalwart coached England from 2008 to 2011 but failed to transfer his feared on-field reputation into management. Johnson has not returned to coaching since, instead concentrating on media work and public speaking.
Ben Kay
The Leicester second row got away with bungling a sure-fire try by dropping the ball over the whitewash in the 2003 final against Australia. Kay has worked as a TV rugby analyst since retirement.
Richard Hill
England’s silent assassin blindside flanker “worked in the shadows” to help Clive Woodward’s side through a tough semi-final against France, according to opponent Serge Betsen. After retiring in 2008, Hill took up a coaching role in the Saracens Academy that he held for five years. Hill was added to Eddie Jones’ backroom staff in 2016 as England team manager.
Neil Back
The potent openside flanker retired in 2005 after 15 years with Leicester Tigers, moving immediately into coaching. Back has enjoyed coaching stints with Leeds Carnegie and Rugby Lions, with his last full-time role at Edinburgh ending in 2013.
Lawrence Dallaglio
The former Wasps number eight heads up the Lawrence Dallaglio Foundation, helping young people find opportunities through sport and also raising funds for teenage cancer trusts. The 47-year-old is also a commentator and pundit on ITV.
REPLACEMENTS:
Dorian West
Former Leicester Tigers hooker West retired straight after the 2003 World Cup, making an immediate switch to coaching with England Under-21s. The 52-year-old was forwards coach at Northampton Saints from 2007, helping the Franklin’s Gardens side claim their first Aviva Premiership title, and now has the same role at Sale.
Jason Leonard
The versatile scrummager won 114 England caps across 14 years, retiring the year after England’s World Cup triumph. Leonard founded the Atlas Foundation in 2014, which helps deprived children work towards a better future through rugby communities and initiatives.
Martin Corry
Corry has worked in sales and motivational speaking since his 2009 retirement from rugby. The Leicester Tigers number eight went on to captain England between 2005 and 2007 following the World Cup triumph, also featuring in the squad that reached the 2007 final.
Lewis Moody
Now running his own coaching company, Moody retired in 2012 after two years at Bath that followed 14 years with Leicester. The gritty flanker has spoken out about life with ulcerative colitis, to raise awareness of the condition. He also founded the Lewis Moody foundation.
“That has held them back in the performance because it was not where would have expected, certainly against France."@LewisMoody7 tells @heagneyl he thinks the Saracens elephant might still be in the room #ENGvIRE ?????????https://t.co/3CDkTpFoSI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 23, 2020
Kyran Bracken
The former Saracens and Bristol scrum-half became the director of a construction company after retirement. Bracken quit the game in 2006 and then won the celebrity talent competition Dancing On Ice a year later.
Mike Catt
South Africa-born Catt has become a leading coach. He was England’s attack coach under Stuart Lancaster and is currently Ireland’s assistant coach under Andy Farrell. Catt retired in 2010 after stints with Bath and London Irish, and his last England match was the 2007 World Cup final defeat to South Africa.
Iain Balshaw
Balshaw was the penultimate member of the World Cup-winning line-up to retire, with knee injuries forcing him to hang up his boots just days before Tindall. The 41-year-old spent the final five years of his career at Biarritz after spells with Gloucester, Leeds and Bath.
COACH:
Clive Woodward
Woodward spent an unsuccessful year’s transition into football as technical director at Southampton, before switching to athletics in 2006. The former Harlequin and Leicester Tiger held the role of director of sport for Team GB for six years, culminating with London 2012. Now Woodward works as a columnist for the Daily Mail and a TV pundit.
– Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
You ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
32 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
5 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
32 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
5 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
5 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
9 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
5 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
32 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
9 Go to commentsWowee!
9 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
9 Go to commentsJust remember: He is not a winger. Took Ian Foster 2 years to figure that out.
9 Go to commentsExcellent article, Nick. We (your RP colleague Brett McKay and my 8/9 Combo cohost), are going to have LSL on our podcast later this month. He has shown consistent excellence as a leader and lock. I’ll chat with you offline about a line of questioning if you have time. H
32 Go to commentsSo no Irish fan or journalist suggested JGP was as good as DuPont. Then even the guy who supposedly did is from Wales and said JGP would be the best around if it was t for DuPont. Right, so what is this story about again
19 Go to comments