2003 Rugby World Cup - Pools & Format

Pools & Format

Following the complex format used in the 1999 Rugby World Cup a new simpler format was introduced and the twenty teams were divided into four pools of five nations, with the top two in each pool moving on to the knock-out quarter-final stage. With forty matches to be played in the pool stage on top of the knock-out matches would make the event the largest Rugby World Cup tournament to be played to date. For the first time, a bonus point system was implemented in pool play. This system is identical to that long used in Southern Hemisphere tournaments, and was soon adopted in most European competitions (though not in the Six Nations):

• 4 points for a win
• 2 points for a draw
• 0 points for a loss (before possible bonus points)
• 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries, regardless of the final score
• 1 bonus point for a loss by 7 points or fewer

A total of 48 matches (40 Pool Stage & 8 Knock-out) were played throughout the tournament over 42 days from Friday 10 October 2003 to Saturday 22 November 2003.