It’s been 20 years since England were crowned 2003 Rugby World Cup champions, and Last Word on Rugby caught up with one of the successful squad members Simon Shaw.
2003 Rugby World Cup Anniversary: Simon Shaw
Simon Shaw shared with Larissa Falls his favourite moments and memories from the 2003 triumph, and looked ahead to the current 2023 tournament. Played in Australia, Shaw was a member of the title-winning squad, coached by Sir Clive Woodward and driven by skipper, Martin Johnson.
What are your memories of the 2003 RWC?
My memory of the 2003 tournament was that from the first training camp till the last game against Australia in Sydney; the intensity of the environment, the training, the press conferences, the analysis meetings; every moment was focused intently on winning the tournament- nothing else.
We had come to do a job and [we] expected to do that job. The pressure was huge, but the intensity of the approach almost made the pressure insignificant.
Your favourite moment from the 2003 RWC
Seeing my family and my newborn daughter after an incredibly long period post-match, at The Rocks in Sydney. We had so many commitments post-match; drug tests, press interviews etc. that we were unable to see our loved ones until 2/3am. It was basically the first time I had seen my daughter since she was born on 18 August 2003. They are the sacrifices that sometimes you need to make to succeed at high-level sports.
I [had] also asked my wife if she wouldn’t mind having an induced labour (for our firstborn) so that I might play in the first warm-up match v Wales. She agreed. I went on to win Man of the Match, so now she doesn’t hold it against me!
What change – good or bad – have you most noticed about rugby in the last 20 years?
The periods under which focus is expected are way too long now. What people believe about success- and what it takes to achieve- means that more and more time is dedicated to the task.
The reason the most supreme athletes exist is often less about raw talent and more [about] dedication. The problem with that is it means those that strive to be supreme, must sacrifice practically everything else in their lives to attain their goals. Coaches who apply this principle in a team setting, are doing so against the common viewpoint. Most athletes do not have this kind of mindset (Wilkinson did), and they don’t want to sacrifice other elements in their lives for the unadulterated pursuit of success.
Sport is also something that we should take pleasure in and that is why the matches are more often referred to as the ‘game’?
How has rugby shaped your life over the previous two decades?
I tried to not let sport take over my life. I played for over twenty years and loved every minute of it. Of course it exerts a certain amount of control over your; schedules, what you eat, drink, how much you go out, when you can and can’t go on holiday, get married etc. I have always tried to retain a level of normality and [a] balanced existence; retaining outside interests, expanding circles of friends and business associates that are beyond rugby.
Never sacrifice true pleasure in life; always retaining a sense of self, humility; and not normalising what was- for a long period- an extremely privileged existence.
Read the ‘Paper Cup’ story if you can find it!
What piece of advice you would give to players going into RWC 2023?
I played in three World Cups, the most recent of which was in 2011. I can’t begin to imagine what camps are like nowadays. The world moves on quickly.
What I do know is that in every camp – from the All Blacks to Chile – it will be intense.
All I will say is that out of the three world cups I participated in, 2007 (in France) was by far the best! We could have exited as the world defending Champions but fought our way to another Final. We came within a whisker of retaining the World Cup. The organisation at the time was deemed shambolic; the Coaching indecisive; the players were assumed ‘over the hill.’ I enjoyed that World Cup more than the others because it came down to a bunch of talented, honest, hard-working guys who wanted to make their families proud.
We had each other’s back, we were living in the moment and enjoying the experience.
It’s amazing what you can do through a collective will, [have] belief in one another, and are enjoying the experience of what you do.
How do you think England will fare at the World Cup?
I believe that they will do better than most people think they will. A semi-final loss to France or New Zealand is my guess.
They have a relatively easy group, a quarter-final most likely against a very weakened Welsh team. But I don’t believe they will have enough to beat my two favourites for the title – France or New Zealand.
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The next match for England is this Saturday. Another step in the path for England who seem on course to participate in the knockout rounds of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
England v Chile – Pool D match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, Saturday September 23.
“Main photo credit Wikimedia Creative Commons”
