English Rugby Union Championship 2003/04
The 2003/04 season of the English Premiership was the 17th season of the major league of the English Rugby Union Championship. For sponsorship reasons it was named Zurich Premiership . It began on September 12, 2003, consisted of 22 match days (a preliminary and a second round) and lasted until May 8, 2004. Then the second and third placed teams played a semi-finals. The winner met on May 29, 2004 in the final at Twickenham Stadium on the qualifying winner of the regular championship. The championship title won for the second time in a row and for the fourth time in total the London Wasps . The Rotherham Titans had to dismount .
Zurich Premiership
table
M: Last year's champion
P: Promotion (promoted) from National Division One
team | Games | Victories | Unent. | Ndlg. | Game points |
Diff. | Bonus points |
Table points |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Bath rugby | 22nd | 18th | 0 | 4th | 508: 311 | + 197 | 7th | 79 |
2. | London Wasps (M) | 22nd | 16 | 0 | 6th | 575: 406 | + 169 | 9 | 73 |
3. | Northampton Saints | 22nd | 15th | 1 | 6th | 574: 416 | + 158 | 8th | 70 |
4th | Gloucester RFC | 22nd | 14th | 0 | 8th | 491: 412 | + 79 | 7th | 63 |
5. | Leicester Tigers | 22nd | 11 | 3 | 8th | 537: 430 | + 107 | 6th | 55 * |
6th | Harlequins | 22nd | 10 | 2 | 10 | 502: 449 | + 53 | 10 | 54 |
7th | Sale Sharks | 22nd | 9 | 3 | 10 | 510: 472 | + 38 | 11 | 53 |
8th. | London Irish | 22nd | 10 | 1 | 11 | 427: 454 | - 27 | 7th | 49 |
9. | Newcastle Falcons | 22nd | 7th | 2 | 13 | 497: 525 | - 28 | 13 | 45 |
10. | Saracens | 22nd | 8th | 1 | 13 | 397: 543 | - 146 | 6th | 39 * |
11. | Leeds Tykes | 22nd | 7th | 1 | 14th | 449: 588 | - 139 | 7th | 37 |
12. | Rotherham Titans (P) | 22nd | 0 | 0 | 22nd | 309: 770 | - 461 | 3 | 3 |
The points were distributed as follows:
- 4 points if you win
- 2 points if there is a tie
- 0 points in the event of a loss (before possible bonus points)
- 1 bonus point for four or more successful attempts , regardless of the final score
- 1 bonus point if you lose less than seven points
* One point was deducted from the Leicester Tigers for staking an unlicensed player. For the same offense, the Saracens received a deduction of two points, after the appeal the penalty was reduced to one point.
Play-off
- Semifinals
May 16, 2004 |
London Wasps | 57:20 | Northampton Saints |
Adams Park , High Wycombe Spectators: 6,219 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Attempts: Voyce (2) 31st received, 66th received Dallaglio (2) 40th received, 80th received Erinle 40th received Abbott 47th received Volley 62th received Payne 70th received Elevations: van Gisbergen (7) Penalty kicks: King (1) 12. |
(22: 6) Report |
Attempts: Blowers 58th raised Beal 76th raised elevations: Drahm (2) Penalty kicks : Reihana (2) 3rd, 8th. |
- final
May 29, 2004 |
Bath rugby | 6:10 | London Wasps |
Twickenham Stadium , London Spectators: 59,500 Referee: Chris White |
---|---|---|---|---|
Penalty kicks: Malone (1) 4.Dropgoals: Malone (1) 49. |
(3: 0) report |
Attempts: Abbott 63. Raised increases: van Gisbergen (1) Dropgoals: King (1) 41. |
|
|
National Division One
The season of the second division ( National Division One ) consisted of 26 game days (one first and one second round). The top ranked team Worcester Warriors rose to the Premiership. The Manchester RC had to relegate , while the Wakefield RFC went bankrupt.
- table
P: Promotion (promoted) from National Division Two
R: Relegation (relegated) from the Premiership
team | Games | Victories | Unent. | Ndlg. | Game points |
Diff. | Bonus points |
Table points |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Worcester Warriors | 26th | 26th | 0 | 0 | 1119: 340 | + 779 | 21st | 125 |
2. | Orrell RUFC | 26th | 22nd | 0 | 4th | 946: 455 | + 491 | 20th | 108 |
3. | Plymouth Albion | 26th | 19th | 1 | 6th | 752: 417 | + 335 | 14th | 92 |
4th | Birmingham & Solihull RFC | 26th | 16 | 1 | 9 | 691: 526 | + 165 | 17th | 83 |
5. | Otley RUFC | 26th | 17th | 0 | 9 | 609: 484 | + 125 | 7th | 75 |
6th | Exeter Chiefs | 26th | 15th | 1 | 10 | 706: 499 | + 207 | 12 | 74 |
7th | Bedford Blues | 26th | 12 | 1 | 13 | 623: 627 | - 4th | 11 | 61 |
8th. | London Welsh | 26th | 12 | 0 | 14th | 526: 605 | - 79 | 10 | 58 |
9. | Bristol Shugons (R) | 26th | 10 | 0 | 16 | 547: 650 | - 103 | 11 | 51 |
10. | Penzance and Newlyn (P) | 26th | 8th | 1 | 17th | 474: 892 | - 418 | 9 | 43 |
11. | Henley RFC (P) | 26th | 6th | 2 | 18th | 488: 780 | - 292 | 11 | 39 |
12. | Coventry RFC | 26th | 6th | 2 | 18th | 488: 733 | - 245 | 9 | 37 |
13. | Wakefield RFC | 26th | 6th | 1 | 19th | 392: 709 | - 317 | 11 | 37 |
14th | Manchester RC (P) | 26th | 1 | 0 | 23 | 363: 1007 | - 644 | 5 | 11 |
The points were distributed as follows:
- 4 points if you win
- 2 points if there is a tie
- 0 points in the event of a loss (before possible bonus points)
- 1 bonus point for four or more successful attempts , regardless of the final score
- 1 bonus point if you lose less than seven points