English Rugby Union Championship 2003/04

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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

  • Direct final qualification and participation in the Heineken Cup
  • Qualification for semi-finals and participation in the Heineken Cup
  • Participation in the Heineken Cup
  • Relegation to National Division One

    • M: Last year's champion
    P: Promotion (promoted) from National Division One

    team Games Victories Unent. Ndlg. Game
    points     		Diff. Bonus
    points     		Table
    points
    01. Bath rugby 22nd 18th 0 4th 508: 311 + 197 7th 79
    02. London Wasps (M) 22nd 16 0 6th 575: 406 + 169 9 73
    03. Northampton Saints 22nd 15th 1 6th 574: 416 + 158 8th 70
    04th Gloucester RFC 22nd 14th 0 8th 491: 412 + 79 7th 63
    05. Leicester Tigers 22nd 11 3 8th 537: 430 + 107 6th 55 *
    06th Harlequins 22nd 10 2 10 502: 449 + 53 10 54
    07th Sale Sharks 22nd 9 3 10 510: 472 + 38 11 53
    08th. London Irish 22nd 10 1 11 427: 454 - 27 7th 49
    09. 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.
    15th Mike Catt
    14th Andrew Higgins
    13 Robbie Fleck
    12 Mike Tindall
    11 Alex Crockett
    10 Chris Malone
    09 Martyn Wood
    08th Zak Feau'nati
    07th Michael Lipman
    06th Andy Beattie
    05 Danny Grewcock
    04th Steve Borthwick
    03 Duncan Bell
    02 Jonathan Humphreys
    01 David Barnes
    Substitute:
    16 Hentie Martens
    17th Lee Mears
    18th Matthew Stevens
    19th Olly Barkley
    20th Wylie Human
    21st James Scaysbrook
    22nd Rob Fidler
    15th Mark van Gisbergen
    14th Josh Lewsey
    13 Fraser Waters
    12 Stuart Abbott
    11 Tom Voyce
    10 Alex King
    09 Rob Howley
    08th Lawrence Dallaglio
    07th Paul Volley
    06th Joe Worsley
    05 Richard Birkett
    04th Simon Shaw
    03 Will Green
    02 Trevor Leota
    01 Tim Payne
    Substitute:
    16 Henry Nwume
    17th Mark Lock
    18th Ben Gotting
    19th Martin Purdy
    20th Peter Richards
    21st Mark Denney
    22nd Ayoola Erinle

    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
  • Promotion to the Premiership
  • Relegation to National Division Two

    • 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
    01. Worcester Warriors 26th 26th 0 0 1119: 340 + 779 21st 125
    02. Orrell RUFC 26th 22nd 0 4th 946: 455 + 491 20th 108
    03. Plymouth Albion 26th 19th 1 6th 752: 417 + 335 14th 92
    04th Birmingham & Solihull RFC 26th 16 1 9 691: 526 + 165 17th 83
    05. Otley RUFC 26th 17th 0 9 609: 484 + 125 7th 75
    06th Exeter Chiefs 26th 15th 1 10 706: 499 + 207 12 74
    07th Bedford Blues 26th 12 1 13 623: 627 - 4th 11 61
    08th. London Welsh 26th 12 0 14th 526: 605 - 79 10 58
    09. 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

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