There were a number of positions open to European nations to qualify for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Ireland, Romania, Georgia and Italy, joining a number of other nations that automatically qualified.

Round 1 (2000–2001) The 18 teams that entered qualification at this stage were divided into three pools of six teams each. The winners of each pool and the best runner-up advanced to the second round of qualifying.

Pool A Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts15500+2081525401+791335302+781145203+51955104−222765005−1945

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 23 September 2000 9–41 Stavanger, Norway 21 October 2000 10–42 Vienna, Austria 28 October 2000 24–19 Riga, Latvia 28 October 2000 44–3 Korsangens, Sweden 11 November 2000 38–12 Riga, Latvia 3 March 2001 3–62 Luxembourg 17 March 2001 3–21 Israel 5 May 2001 43–3 Israel 5 May 2001 3–116 Cessange, Luxembourg 12 May 2001 77–0 Vienna, Austria 19 May 2001 37–0 Riga, Latvia 19 May 2001 35–20 Växjö, Sweden 2 June 2001 21–6 Vienna, Austria 9 June 2001 7–51 Borrebanen, Norway 9 June 2001 17–10 Korsangens, Sweden

Pool B Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts15401+1661325302+451135302+431145203−9955203−58965104−1877

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 30 September 2000 13–12 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7 October 2000 43–6 Geneva, Switzerland 14 October 2000 9–90 Pernik, Bulgaria 14 October 2000 12–9 Andorra la Vella, Andorra 28 October 2000 27–21 Százhalombatta, Hungary 5 November 2000 46–6 Dimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia 31 March 2001 25–10 Dimitrovgrad, Yugoslavia 5 May 2001 38–25 Lausanne, Switzerland 5 May 2001 30–8 12 May 2001 59–10 Andorra la Vella, Andorra 12 May 2001 61–23 Basel, Switzerland 12 May 2001 23–13 25 May 2001 13–10 Gornji, Yugoslavia 25 May 2001 23–13 Andorra la Vella, Andorra 25 May 2001 46–7

Pool C Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts15500+711525311+461235302+251145212+381055104−30765005−1505

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 28 October 2000 15–17 Menton, France 28 October 2000 24–10 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium 18 November 2000 19–19 Ljubljana, Slovenia 18 November 2000 58–8 Bender, Moldova 25 November 2000 0–26 Three Cities, Malta 2 December 2000 8–13 Menton, France 20 January 2001 3–9 Three Cities, Malta 3 March 2001 12–18 Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France 7 April 2001 26–10 Brussels, Belgium 21 April 2001 11–39 Three Cities, Malta 28 April 2001 30–15 Ljubljana, Slovenia 5 May 2001 29–20 Laakdal, Belgium 12 May 2001 45–5 Ljubljana, Slovenia 12 May 2001 33–10 Vilnius, Lithuania 2 June 2001 20–16 Chișinău, Moldova

Round 2 (2001–2002) The four teams that qualified from Round 1 were joined by the six teams from the European Nations Cup Second Division. They were divided into two pools of five teams each. Each pool was played as a single round-robin tournament, and the winner of each pool advanced to Round 3.

Pool A Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts14400+691224202+24834202+23844202+19854004−1354

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 22 September 2001 18–60 Riga, Latvia 29 September 2001 18–6 Gdańsk, Poland 7 October 2001 37–12 Trelleborg, Sweden 20 October 2001 32–10 Malmö, Sweden 27 October 2001 33–21 Frederiksberg, Denmark 3 November 2001 19–26 Copenhagen, Denmark 10 November 2001 34–24 Heidelberg, Germany 24 November 2001 44–0 Hanover, Germany 6 April 2002 20–12 Gdynia, Poland 6 April 2002 8–32 Riga, Latvia

Pool B Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts14400+951224301+461034202−14844103−40654004−874

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 22 September 2001 46–3 Prague, Czech Republic 6 October 2001 6–32 Lausanne, Switzerland 13 October 2001 5–13 Makarska, Croatia 13 October 2001 21–10 Kyiv, Ukraine 20 October 2001 41–7 Kyiv, Ukraine 27 October 2001 15–22 Brussels, Belgium 3 November 2001 26–8 Prague, Czech Republic 10 November 2001 18–16 Makarska, Croatia 24 November 2001 0–26 Brussels, Belgium 24 November 2001 11–30 Hermance, Switzerland

Round 3 (May–June 2002) The two teams that advanced from Round 2 were joined by the four lowest-ranked teams from the 2000–01 European Nations Cup First Division. The six teams were divided into two pools of three teams each, again played as a single round-robin, with the winners of each pool advancing to Round 4.

Pool A Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts12101+14221010432101−14

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 4 May 2002 27–15 Warsaw, Poland 18 May 2002 39–26 Jamor, Portugal 2 June 2002 34–21 Madrid, Spain

Pool B Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts12200+81622101+23432002−1042

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 5 May 2002 18–37 Prague, Czech Republic 21 May 2002 12–54 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1 June 2002 65–3 Monino, Russia

Round 4 (September–October 2002) In Round 4, the two teams that advanced from Round 3 were joined by the two remaining teams from the 2000–01 European Nations Cup First Division, as well as Ireland and Italy. The six teams were divided into two pools of three teams each, which were again played as a single round-robin. The top two teams from each pool qualified directly for the Rugby World Cup, while the bottom team from each pool advanced to Round 5.

Pool A Italy qualified for the Rugby World Cup as Europe 2 and were placed in Pool D, while Romania qualified as Europe 3 and were placed in Pool A.

Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts12200+55622101+53432002−1082

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 22 September 2002 3–50 Valladolid, Spain 28 September 2002 25–17 Parma, Italy 5 October 2002 67–6 Iași, Romania

Pool B Ireland qualified for the Rugby World Cup as Europe 1 and were placed in Pool A, while Georgia qualified as Europe 4 and were placed in Pool C. Pos Team Pld W D L +/− Pts12200+81622101−45432002−362

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 21 September 2002 3–35 Krasnoyarsk, Russia 28 September 2002 63–14 Dublin, Ireland 13 October 2002 17–13 Tbilisi, Georgia

Round 5 (October–November 2002) The two teams that advanced from Round 4 played a two-legged tie. The winners advanced to the repechage.

Date Home team Score Away team Venue 27 October 2002 3–36 Madrid, Spain 24 November 2002 22–38 Krasnodar, Russia

Russia won 58–41 on aggregate. However, after it was determined they used ineligible South African players, they were ejected from the competition and Spain advanced to Repechage.

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