With Mike Tindall’s retirement from the game this week, it now means the 19 players involved in the final in Sydney in 2003, and furthermore the whole squad have now retired from the game. Some are still involved with rugby in some capacity and others have moved onto pastures new. There is one thing for certain, among English rugby fans especially, they will not be forgotten.

2003 Rugby World Cup Champions

So who was this group of men I speak of? Quite like a volcano ready to erupt, England slowly built up to the 2003 World Cup with various tests, and passed each one with flying colours. They claimed a grand slam win, and followed that with victories over Australia and New Zealand. They then beat Wales and France in their warm up matches before the campaign, therefore allowing them to erupt into new highs of the rugby world with that victory over Australia in the final in November 2003. They went into the tournament being described as the “fittest and best prepared England team ever”

This was all overseen by Sir Clive Woodward, who from when he took over the team in 1997 implemented his ethos and developed a squad capable of conquering the world. He did just that.

England were drawn in group C in 2003, alongside: Georgia, South Africa, Samoa and Uruguay. The mouth watering game of the pool was against South Africa, which once again England passed with flying colours winning 25-6. It transpired the hard hitting Samoan’s proved more of a test, with Brian lima (The Chiropractor) in midfield. England won 35-22, but it took more out of them than they would have hoped. They understandably brushed aside Uruguay and Georgia with ease. England went onto meet the surprise of the tournament, Wales led by Colin Charvis, they found it tough going but cam through and won 28 – 17. This then set up a mouth watering semi- final against “les-bleus”. Two teams facing each other where the rivalry runs deep, England once again, prevailing 24-7. This then bought Australia, with the scores tied at 14-14 at full time extra time was required. With kicks from Wilkinson and Elton Flatley respectively to make it 17-17 it would require a moment of magic to win and neither team wanted to lose. That moment of magic then came, Dawson with the pass and the golden boy Jonny Wilkinson slotting a perfectly executed drop goal through the posts to give England the win 20-17.

World champions at last, and all of the victories in the previous year were backed up with the Wolrd Cup. It was sheer world domination. So where are they now?

Many have ambassadorial charity roles including: Ben Cohen, Lewis Moody, Steve Thompson and Lawrence Dallalgio. Others are involved in rugby, to name a few: Trevor Woodman is coaching at Gloucester, Mike Catt is England skills coach and Josh Lewsey is head of rugby union in the WRU. Will Greenwood, Martin Johnson and Ben Kay are those who have taken the punditry route. Mike Tindall, of course, Iain Balshaw and Jonny Wilkinson have just recently retired. Others that are not forementioned are all doing various activities along the same lines, with one exception being Jason Robinson who is now running a sports clothing business.

So as this group of sporting heroes moves on into the next chapter of their lives, English rugby must do so as well. With Stuart Lancaster at the helm, it is certainly moving in the right direction. Going into 2015, England are definitely one of the favourites and to me personally it definitely feels the same as in 2003. A core group of players all working towards one goal, and on the day can beat any team in the world, as they have proved. Lets hope in this case, history repeats itself.

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