England's 2003 World Cup heroes - Where are they now?
England’s solitary Rugby World Cup win came courtesy of their 20-17 extra-time victory over Australia in 2003.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at where the heroes from 16 years ago are now as Eddie Jones’ side bid to match their triumph in Japan on Saturday.
Full back: Josh Lewsey: Retired from playing in 2009. Was head of rugby at the Welsh Rugby Union before resigning for personal reasons in 2015 and now works in the financial sector.
Right wing: Jason Robinson: Scorer of England’s try in Sydney, he retired in 2011 and is now a brand ambassador for a number of companies while retaining his links with rugby league as a Man of Steel selector.
England have had a good season but there are plenty of players from across the world who have stood out at the @rugbyworldcup.@TomVinicombe runs his eyes over the potential players of the year.https://t.co/RXIzb6JfjF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 28, 2019
Outside centre: Mike Tindall: The last of the class of 2003 to hang up his boots in 2014. Married the Queen’s oldest granddaughter, Zara Phillips, in 2011. Briefly coached at his old club Gloucester.
Inside centre: Will Greenwood: Lancastrian who played over 250 games for Harlequins and Leicester. He quit the game in 2006 for a career in the media. Greenwood is an established, high-profile pundit on Sky Sports with his own rugby podcast.
Loving watching @rugbyworldcup in Japan with some old pals and running around the park with the next generation of Japanese Rugby Players#RWC2019 #landroverrugby
@LandRoverRugby
The little ones had the pleasure of “Big Nose” and “Wilko” today.. pic.twitter.com/zwsvCUy1Zh— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) October 28, 2019
Right wing: Ben Cohen: Prolific try-scorer who hung up his boots in 2011 to create the StandUp Foundation which combats homophobia and bullying. Also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and recently revealed he suffered from hearing loss and tinnitus throughout his playing career and is clinically deaf.
Fly-half: Jonny Wilkinson: Forever remember as the man who kicked the winning drop goal, he left Newcastle after 12 years for the delights of Toulon and helped the French club to back-to-back European Cup triumphs before hanging up his boots in 2014. Now a studio pundit for ITV Sport, working on the World Cup.
Jonny Wilkinson celebrates after scoring the match-winning drop goal in the 2003 World Cup final against Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)
Scrum-half: Matt Dawson: Retired from rugby in 2006 after a distinguished career with Northampton and Wasps to work for the BBC. A long-standing captain on A Question of Sport and another to compete on Strictly.
How far into the game did this fella think …….. sh##########t !!!! #toosoon #pipedown #laserit #ENGvNZL #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/X4DrkfeMzF
— Matt Dawson (@matt9dawson) October 27, 2019
Loose-head prop: Trevor Woodman: Career was ended by injury not long after World Cup triumph. Moved into coaching, first in Australia, then with London side Wasps. Is now scrum coach at Gloucester.
Hooker: Steve Thompson: Retired in 2007 due to a neck injury but made a comeback later that year and went on to a second World Cup in 2011. Now based in Dubai, where he is a business development executive and works as a rugby analyst for the UAE.
'If England want to win the World Cup they have got five knockout games… I don’t think they have got the mentality in the squad at the moment to be able to back that up five weeks in a row' https://t.co/5ZPgd7Fm0H
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 25, 2019
Tight-head prop: Phil Vickery: Played every game in 2003 and captained England four years later before injury ended his career. Won the 2011 series of Celebrity Masterchef and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.
Lock: Martin Johnson: The Lions captain who lifted the World Cup in 2003, he retired in 2005 and went on to manage the national team from 2008-11 before quitting after dismal 2011 World Cup campaign. A motivational speaker and now heavily into cycling.
Lock: Ben Kay: Johnson’s second row partner for club (Leicester) and country who retired in 2010 and is now a highly regarded pundit/commentator and has been on the board of directors at Leicester since 2014.
Blindside flanker: Richard Hill: Dubbed the “silent assassin”, he was the only player never to have been dropped during Clive Woodward’s England tenure. Finally succumbed to injury in 2008, he is now England team manager and has mentored flankers Tom Curry and Sam Underhill since they were 15.
Openside flanker: Neil Back: Started all but one game of his third World Cup, retired in 2005 and went on to coach at Leicester, Leeds and Edinburgh before quitting in 2013 to work in the business sector.
No 8: Lawrence Dallaglio: Former England captain and colossus who has worked in the media since retiring from playing in 2008. He is currently a pundit for BT Sport, launched a sports marketing agency in 2014 and is busy spearheading a five-a-side version of the game called Rugby X.
Replacements:
16. Dorian West: hooker: Never got onto the pitch in the 2003 final. Retired in 2004 and is currently forwards coach at Sale Sharks.
17. Jason Leonard: front row: Since retirement in 2004, remained heavily involved in rugby. He was president of the RFU in 2015-2016 and is on the board for both the Six Nations and the British & Irish Lions.
18. Martin Corry: lock: Did not get on in the final. Quit the game in 2009 and is a motivational speaker.
19. Lewis Moody: flanker: Introduced in extra time in the final. Retired in 2012 but tried his hand at American Football this year at the age of 41.
20. Kyran Bracken: scrum-half: Unused in the final. Retired in 2006 and won ITV’s Dancing on Ice in 2007.
21. Mike Catt: fly-half: Hung up his boots in 2010 and will join Ireland’s backroom staff under Andy Farrell after the World Cup.
England players Kyran Bracken (left), Ben Kay, Mike Catt and Neil Back (right) with the Webb Ellis Cup during England’s 2003 World Cup victory parade in London (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
22. Iain Balshaw: full-back or wing: Retired in 2014 due to a serious knee injury, now on the after-dinner circuit as a public speaker.
Coach: Sir Clive Woodward: A centre with Leicester in his playing days, he was England coach from 1997-2004 and took the 2005 British and Irish Lions to New Zealand where they lost all three Tests. Made a shock move into football in 2005 by becoming performance director at Southampton but left after a year and is now working as a pundit for ITV on their coverage of the World Cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments