2003 Hong Kong Sevens

2003 Hong Kong Sevens
United States
Runner-up	Japan
Tournament details
Matches played	45
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The 2003 Hong Kong Sevens was an international rugby sevens tournament that took place at the Hong Kong Stadium between 28 and 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.

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.

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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	3	3	0	0	141	10	131	9
Namibia	3	2	0	1	70	66	4	7
United States	3	1	0	2	62	97	–35	5
Malaysia	3	0	0	3	18	118	–100	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Pool B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
England	3	3	0	0	137	12	125	9
Tonga	3	2	0	1	83	59	24	7
Chinese Taipei	3	1	0	2	57	81	–24	5
Singapore	3	0	0	3	12	137	–125	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Pool C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
Samoa	3	3	0	0	125	24	101	9
Canada	3	2	0	1	57	64	–7	7
Japan	3	1	0	2	47	97	–50	5
Russia	3	0	0	3	38	82	–44	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Pool D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
Kenya	3	3	0	0	61	29	32	9
Australia	3	2	0	1	78	29	49	7
Hong Kong	3	1	0	2	43	48	–5	5
China	3	0	0	3	21	97	–76	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Pool E

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
South Africa	3	3	0	0	132	7	125	9
Scotland	3	2	0	1	66	43	23	7
South Korea	3	1	0	2	69	75	–6	5
Sri Lanka	3	0	0	3	0	142	–142	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Pool F

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
Samoa	3	3	0	0	112	24	88	9
Cook Islands	3	1	1	1	72	38	34	6
Wales	3	1	1	1	55	65	–10	6
Netherlands	3	0	0	3	19	131	–112	3

Source: HK Sevens

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Source: HK Sevens

Knockout stage

Bowl

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	30 March – United States		39
				30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Sri Lanka	7
				United States	31
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					China	0
	Malaysia	7
								30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	China	12
								United States	24
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
									Japan	19
	Russia	24
					30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Netherlands	12
					Russia	12
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					Japan	19
	Singapore	0
	Japan	41

Source: HK Sevens

Plate

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Scotland	49
					30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Chinese Taipei	5
					Scotland	24
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					Cook Islands	5
	Wales	19
									30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Cook Islands	24
									Scotland	14
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
									Canada	19
	Canada	24
					30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Hong Kong	0
					Canada	33
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					South Korea	10
	South Korea	24
	Namibia	21

Source: HK Sevens

Cup

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	New Zealand	31
					30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Tonga	5
					New Zealand	21
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					South Africa	17
	South Africa	40
									30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Kenya	0
									New Zealand	17
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
									England	22
	Fiji	12
					30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
	Samoa	7
					Fiji	19
	30 March – Hong Kong Stadium
					England	24
	Australia	14
	England	19

Source: HK Sevens

Tournament placings

Source: Rugby7.com

References

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