Unbreakable: Everything you need to know to watch England 2003, TNT Sports’ new World Cup retrospective
It’s been 21 years since England became the Northern Hemisphere’s first and only Rugby World Cup winner. A new documentary from TNT Sports; Unbreakable: England 2003 We take a look back at Sydney’s famous victory with a mix of never-before-seen archival footage and new interviews to recall some of English rugby’s most famous moments.
Of course, there are many parts that evoke nostalgia, but unbreakable It’s also a surprisingly sad watch, as it turns out that winning a World Cup isn’t necessarily a ticket to a lifetime of fortune and glory.
Why is the 2003 England team still such a great team?
Sir Clive Woodward’s squad are still regarded as one of the best European sides of all time. The manager had a laser-focused plan to build England into a team capable of taking on the world, and by the time the team headed to Australia in October 2003, it looked like it was coming to fruition. Woodward’s men were regularly beating the Southern Hemisphere giants and had just been crowned Six Nations champions, completing their first Grand Slam since 1995.
However, England had to work hard to lift the William Webb Ellis Cup despite being pre-tournament favorites. Wales made life particularly difficult in a tight quarter-final, and while victory over France in the semi-final was relatively routine, the final could not have been closer.
Hosts Australia, coached by future England manager Eddie Jones, were level with England just before the end of extra time, with penalties looming. Then came Jonny Wilkinson (one of England’s greatest rugby players of all time) and made history by scoring the most famous drop goal of all time to give England a 20-17 win.
Tragically, Steve Thompson no longer remembers his team’s journey to World Cup glory (AFP/Getty)
What happened to the players after that?
While some of the Class of 2003 went on to successful professional or coaching careers or appeared on reality TV, others found the subsequent decades to be somewhat more difficult. This generation did not particularly coincide with the game’s transition between the amateur and professional eras, when players were not necessarily thinking about life after retirement and player welfare was not as high on the agenda as it should have been.
Winger Ben Cohen – whose uncle George was part of the England team that won the 1966 football World Cup – has sold his winners’ medals to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, hooker Steve Thompson was diagnosed with early-onset dementia in 2020 and, tragically, can no longer remember anything about his team’s journey to World Cup victory.
Read more: Stay up to date with all the men’s and women’s matches in England
Cohen, Thompson, Phil Vickery, Lewis Moody, Trevor Woodman, Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Jonny Wilkinson, Paul Grayson and Jason Robinson are among the former England stars who contributed to the documentary. Several players started Champions 2003 to help retired rugby professionals suffering from physical and mental health problems.
Where can I see it? Unbreakable: England 2023?
Unbreakable: England 2003 Available in Discovery+streaming service TNT Sports. The documentary will also air on TNT Sports 1 at 10:30pm on Wednesday, December 11, and has also been shown on free-to-air Quest.
subscribe Discovery+ Premium (Gives access to Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Champions League football and a range of Premier League matches) In the UK it costs £30.99 per month.
