2003 European Sevens Championship
# 2003 European Sevens Championship

The 2003 European Sevens Championship was a rugby sevens competition, with the final held in Heidelberg, Germany (16 / 17 August 2003). It was the second edition of the European Sevens championship. This event was organised by rugby's European governing body, the FIRA – Association of European Rugby (FIRA-AER). In the final Portugal beat France 26 - 21.

## Qualification

Nine one-day qualifying rugby sevens competitions took place in Amsterdam, Netherlands (17 May 2003), Prague, Czech Republic (24 May 2003), Lunel, France (24 May 2003), Sopot, Poland (31 May 2003), Makarska, Croatia (7 June 2003), Madrid, Spain (14 June 2003), Lisbon, Portugal (21 June 2003), Budapest, Romania (28 June 2002), and Tbilisi, Georgia (28 June 2003). Following these competitions twelve teams consisting of Georgia, France, Portugal, Germany, Scotland, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, and Netherlands were deemed to have qualified for the European Sevens Championship hosted in Heidelberg, Germany (16-17 August 2003). However, before the tournament commenced Scotland withdrew and Switzerland replaced them.

## Heidelberg

| Event | Winners | Score | Finalists | Semifinalists |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Cup | Portugal | 26–21 | France | Georgia (Third) Germany |
| Plate | Ukraine | 27–7 | Netherlands | Spain (Seventh) Croatia |
| Bowl | Poland | 31–24 | Czech Republic | Romania (Eleventh) Switzerland |

### Pool Stage

Key to colours in group tables :

* Teams that advanced to the Cup Semifinal
* Teams advanced to the Plate Semifinal
* Teams advanced to the Bowl semifinal

**Pool A**

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Georgia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 128 | 43 | +85 | 13 |
| Germany | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 137 | 69 | +68 | 13 |
| Spain | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 53 | +52 | 13 |
| Croatia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 62 | 86 | –24 | 9 |
| Poland | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 100 | –45 | 7 |
| Switzerland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 170 | –136 | 5 |

**Pool B**

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Portugal | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 26 | +154 | 15 |
| France | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 132 | 46 | +86 | 13 |
| Ukraine | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 98 | 62 | +36 | 11 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 67 | 114 | –47 | 9 |
| Czech Republic | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 144 | –108 | 7 |
| Romania | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 147 | –121 | 5 |

### Knockout stage

**Bowl**

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| 17 August 2003 – 12:40 | 17 August 2003 – 12:40 |
| Poland | 12 |
| Poland | 12 | 17 August 2003 – 15:20 | 17 August 2003 – 15:20 |
| Romania | 7 | 17 August 2003 – 15:20 | 17 August 2003 – 15:20 |
| Romania | 7 | Poland | 31 |
| 17 August 2003 – 13:00 | 17 August 2003 – 13:00 | | Poland | 31 |
| 17 August 2003 – 13:00 | 17 August 2003 – 13:00 | Czech Republic | 24 |
| Czech Republic | 33 | Czech Republic | 24 |
| Switzerland | 5 | | |
| Switzerland | 5 | Eleventh Place | Eleventh Place |
| | | 17 August 2003 – 15:00 | 17 August 2003 – 15:00 |
| | | Romania | 24 |
| | | Switzerland | 5 |

**Plate**

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| 17 August 2003 – 13:20 | 17 August 2003 – 13:20 |
| Spain | 12 |
| Spain | 12 | 17 August 2003 – 15:45 | 17 August 2003 – 15:45 |
| Netherlands | 17 | 17 August 2003 – 15:45 | 17 August 2003 – 15:45 |
| Netherlands | 17 | Netherlands | 7 |
| 17 August 2003 – 13:40 | 17 August 2003 – 13:40 | | Netherlands | 7 |
| 17 August 2003 – 13:40 | 17 August 2003 – 13:40 | Ukraine | 27 |
| Ukraine | 22 | Ukraine | 27 |
| Croatia | 5 | | |
| Croatia | 5 | Seventh Place | Seventh Place |
| | | 17 August 2003 – 16:05 | 17 August 2003 – 16:05 |
| | | Spain | 15 |
| | | Croatia | 12 |

**Cup**

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| 17 August 2003 – 14:00 | 17 August 2003 – 14:00 |
| Georgia | 10 |
| Georgia | 10 | 17 August 2003 – 16:50 | 17 August 2003 – 16:50 |
| France | 32 | 17 August 2003 – 16:50 | 17 August 2003 – 16:50 |
| France | 32 | France | 21 |
| 17 August 2003 – 14:20 | 17 August 2003 – 14:20 | | France | 21 |
| 17 August 2003 – 14:20 | 17 August 2003 – 14:20 | Portugal | 26 |
| Portugal | 31 | Portugal | 26 |
| Germany | 7 | | |
| Germany | 7 | Third Place | Third Place |
| | | 17 August 2003 – 16:30 | 17 August 2003 – 16:30 |
| | | Georgia | 28 |
| | | Germany | 24 |

## Standings

| Rank | Team |
| - | - |
| | Portugal |
| | France |
| | Georgia |
| 4 | Germany |
| 5 | Ukraine |
| 6 | Netherlands |
| 7 | Spain |
| 8 | Croatia |
| 9 | Poland |
| 10 | Czech Republic |
| 11 | Romania |
| 12 | Switzerland |
