2003 Hong Kong Sevens

The 2003 Hong Kong Sevens was an international rugby sevens tournament that took place at the Hong Kong Stadium between 28–30 March 2003. It was the 28th edition of the Hong Kong Sevens and was the fifth tournament of the 2002–03 IRB Sevens World Series. Twenty-four teams competed in the tournament and were separated into six groups of four with the top eight teams qualifying through to the cup tournament.

2003 Hong Kong Sevens
IRB Sevens IV
Host nation Hong Kong
Date28–30 March 2003
Cup
Champion England
Runner-up New Zealand
Plate
Winner Canada
Runner-up Scotland
Bowl
Winner United States
Runner-up Japan
Tournament details
Matches played45
← 2002
2004 →

Due to the SARS outbreak that was occurring in Hong Kong, some teams delayed their arrival to the country with three teams (Argentina, France and Italy withdrawing from the competition.

England defended their Hong Kong title that they won the previous year defeating New Zealand in the final by a score of 22–17. The plate-final saw Canada defeat Scotland while the United States took home the bowl defeating Japan.

Teams

Compared to other tournament of the series, the Hong Kong Sevens had 24 teams compete for the title instead of the regular sixteen teams that usually competed in a World Series event. The tournament saw three teams withdraw after the official draw was revealed on February 27 due to the SARS outbreak that was occurring in South-East Asia. On March 21, France and Italy withdrew from the competition with Argentina withdrawing two days later.[1][2] They were replaced by Namibia, Tonga and the Netherlands respectively. Other teams delayed their arrivals to Hong Kong with Fiji and New Zealand only arriving three days before the tournament started.[3]

Format

The teams were drawn into six pools of four teams each. Each team played the other teams in their pool once, with three points awarded for a win, two points for a draw, and one point for a loss (no points awarded for a forfeit). The pool stage was played over the first two days of the tournament. The top team from each pool along with the two best runners-up advanced to the Cup quarter finals. The remaining four runners-up along with the four best third-placed teams advanced to the Plate quarter finals. The remaining eight teams went on to the Bowl quarter finals.[4]

Pool stage

The draw for the 2003 Hong Kong Sevens was held on 27 February 2003 with the revised draw occurring on the 25 March.[5][6]

Key to colours in group tables
Teams that advanced to the Cup quarterfinals
Teams that advanced to the Plate quarterfinals
Teams that advanced to the Bowl quarterfinals

Pool A
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 New Zealand 3300141101319
 Namibia 3201706647
 United States 31026297–355
 Malaysia 300318118–1003

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
17:00
New Zealand  38–3  Malaysia
28 March
19:12
Namibia  35–10  United States
29 March
10:46
Namibia  35–10  Malaysia
29 March
12:58
New Zealand  57–7  United States
29 March
15:10
United States  45–5  Malaysia
29 March
17:22
New Zealand  46–0  Namibia

Source: HK Sevens

Pool B
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 England 3300137121259
 Tonga 32018359247
 Chinese Taipei 31025781–245
 Singapore 300312137–1253

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
17:22
England  52–0  Singapore
28 March
19:34
Tonga  26–17  Chinese Taipei
29 March
11:08
Tonga  50–0  Singapore
29 March
13:20
England  43–5  Chinese Taipei
29 March
15:32
Chinese Taipei  35–12  Singapore
29 March
17:44
England  42–7  Tonga

Source: HK Sevens

Pool C
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Samoa 3300125241019
 Canada 32015764–77
 Japan 31024797–505
 Russia 30033882–443

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
17:44
Fiji  33–5  Russia
28 March
19:56
Canada  24–12  Japan
29 March
11:30
Canada  21–19  Russia
29 March
13:42
Fiji  59–7  Japan
29 March
15:54
Japan  28–14  Russia
29 March
18:06
Fiji  33–12  Canada

Source: HK Sevens

Pool D
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Kenya 33006129329
 Australia 32017829497
 Hong Kong 31024348–55
 China 30032197–763

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
18:06
Australia  40–7  China
28 March
20:18
Kenya  15–10  Hong Kong
29 March
11:52
Kenya  31–7  China
29 March
14:04
Australia  26–7  Hong Kong
29 March
16:16
Hong Kong  26–7  China
29 March
18:28
Kenya  15–12  Australia

Source: HK Sevens

Pool E
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 South Africa 330013271259
 Scotland 32016643237
 South Korea 31026975–65
 Sri Lanka 30030142–1423

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
18:28
South Africa  54–0  Sri Lanka
28 March
20:40
Scotland  28–12  South Korea
29 March
12:14
Scotland  38–0  Sri Lanka
29 March
14:26
South Africa  47–7  South Korea
29 March
16:38
South Korea  50–0  Sri Lanka
29 March
18:50
South Africa  31–0  Scotland

Source: HK Sevens

Pool F
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Samoa 330011224889
 Cook Islands 31117238346
 Wales 31115565–106
 Netherlands 300319131–1123

Source: HK Sevens

28 March
18:50
Samoa  41–7  Netherlands
28 March
21:02
Wales  10–10  Cook Islands
29 March
12:36
Wales  40–12  Netherlands
29 March
14:48
Samoa  28–12  Cook Islands
29 March
17:00
Cook Islands  50–0  Netherlands
29 March
19:12
Samoa  43–5  Wales

Source: HK Sevens

Knockout stage

Bowl
 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 
 United States39
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Sri Lanka7
 
 United States31
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 China0
 
 Malaysia7
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 China12
 
 United States24
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Japan19
 
 Russia24
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Netherlands12
 
 Russia12
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Japan19
 
 Singapore0
 
 
 Japan41
 

Source: HK Sevens

Plate
 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 
 Scotland49
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Chinese Taipei5
 
 Scotland24
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Cook Islands5
 
 Wales19
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Cook Islands24
 
 Scotland14
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Canada19
 
 Canada24
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Hong Kong0
 
 Canada33
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 South Korea10
 
 South Korea24
 
 
 Namibia21
 

Source: HK Sevens

Cup
 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 
 New Zealand31
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Tonga5
 
 New Zealand21
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 South Africa17
 
 South Africa40
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Kenya0
 
 New Zealand17
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 England22
 
 Fiji12
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Samoa7
 
 Fiji19
 
30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 England24
 
 Australia14
 
 
 England19
 

Source: HK Sevens

Tournament placings
Place  Team Points
 England30
 New Zealand24
 Fiji18
 South Africa18
5  Australia8
 Kenya8
 Samoa8
 Tonga8
9  Canada4
10  Scotland3
11  Cook Islands2
 South Korea2
Place  Team Points
13  Chinese Taipei0
 Hong Kong0
 Namibia0
 Wales0
17  United States1
18  Japan0
19  China0
 Russia0
21  Malaysia0
 Netherlands0
 Singapore0
 Sri Lanka0

Source: Rugby7.com

References
  1. "Italy and France pull out of 7s". ESPN Scrumn. 21 March 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. "Pumas latest to pull out of Hong Kong". ESPN Scrumn. 23 March 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  3. Sallay, Alvin (25 March 2003). "Fiji and New Zealand arrivals offset Argentina pullout". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. "Format". Archived from the original on 17 April 2003.
  5. "All Set for Super Sevens" (PDF). Hong Kong Rugby Union. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2005.
  6. "Revised HK 7s Draw". ESPN Scrum. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
IRB Sevens IV
Preceded by
2003 Wellington Sevens		 2003 Hong Kong Sevens Succeeded by
2003 Cardiff Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
Preceded by
2002 Hong Kong Sevens		 2003 Hong Kong Sevens Succeeded by
2004 Hong Kong Sevens
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