Where Are They Now: 2003 England Rugby World Cup Winning XV - 20 Years Later

20 years ago today, England made history to win their one and only Rugby World Cup to date. The image of Jonny Wilkinson slotting the winning drop goal has been immortalised for England fans, as Sir Clive Woodward's men beat the Wallabies 20-17, in their own back-yard of Sydney.

Two decades have since passed, with the heroes of yester-year going on a wide variety of post-rugby pathways. Some of the iconic squad turned to a career in coaching, whilst others pursued more left-field careers off the pitch. To celebrate 20 years since England lifted the Web Ellis trophy, we took a look at what the stars of the 2003 Rugby World Cup England squad are doing now.

Let's take a look back on the starting England XV that took on Australia, and wrote their way into the history books.

In 2005, Rugby World Cup winning fullback Josh Lewsey went back to university to complete a postgraduate diploma in Law. The fullback is also a founder of a consultancy, which specialises in leadership development within business. After spending many years outside of rugby, Lewsey returned to the sport in March of 2013, as Interim CEO of Championship club Cornish Pirates. Just five months later, the former England international had achieved the role of Head of Rugby at the Welsh Rugby Union.

Lewsey oversaw the growth of the WRU's grassroots game, and established school-club hubs across the country. Lewsey resigned from the role in November 2015. Aside from his career on the pitch and in the boardroom, Lewsey has quite literally gone to great heights in his climbing hobby. Whilst still an active rugby player, Lewsey trekked up to the base camp of K2 in the Karakoram mountain range. In 2010, Lewsey was 500ft from the summit of Mount Everest when his breathing apparatus failed. Thankfully the former London Wasp was able to return safely in the 8,500m decent.

Robinson initially hung up his boots following a 2007 exhibition run out for the Barbarians at Twickenham, and soon pursued a career in coaching. The former Wigan Warriors man returned to Rugby League, and promptly found a role within a grass-roots set-up, as a dual code ambassador with shaving brand Gillette. Robinson then turned his coaching focus back to Rugby Union, and took up the role as Sale Sharks Head Coach for the 2009/10 Premiership season.

Just three years previously, Robinson had won the Premiership title with Sale Sharks. However, the side sunk with the ex-winger at the helm and ended their campaign one spot off the relegation zone. Sharks were spared the drop thanks to Worcester Warriors, and Robinson stepped down from the role. The former 'Billy Whizz' would then come out of retirement for an unexpected run out in National League 2. At 35-years-old, Robinson re-laced his boots to play for Fylde throughout the 2010/11 season, before officially ending his career at the close of the campaign.

Greenwood continued to shine on the international stage following the 2003 glory, and went on to represent the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour to New Zealand. He ended his career at Harlequins in 2006, and soon gave his experienced views through analysis and punditry. Greenwood co-hosted the 'School of Hard Knocks' TV series with former Wales international Scott Quinnell, and was an on-screen analyst for ITV as England reached the final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Will has also explored opportunities away from rugby, and is the current Chief Customer Officer for data and software company Afiniti's London office. Greenwood's family was struck with tragedy, after his son Freddie died just 45 minutes after being born. The former England centre underwent an inspirational walk to the North Pole in memory of his son, and helped to raise over £750,000 for Borne's research. Greenwood is a patron of Borne, who are a medical research charity that work with cases of premature birth. He is also a patron of Child Bereavement UK, which is a charity that support parents who have lost a child.

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Tindall retired from the England team following the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and continued playing for Gloucester Rugby until 2014. Tindall is married into the royal family, having famously tied the knot with Zara Phillips, who is the Granddaughter to Queen Elizabeth II. Tindall is the nephew-in-law to the now King Charles III, with the wedding taking place on July 30th 2011 in Edinburgh.

The former England centre is well known for his current work as one third of 'The Good, The Bad & The Rugby' Podcast alongside former England and Wasps back row James Haskell and TV Broadcaster Alex Payne. Tindall has also appeared on numerous reality TV shows, including 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here', 'Bear Grylls: Mission Survive' and 'The Jump'. Tindall is an inspirational ambassador, and has appeared in multiple charitable sporting events. He has previously been an ambassador with Rugby for Heroes, the Legion Foundation and for the Midlands Air Ambulance.

In 2013, Tindall hosted an annual charity golf tournament, the ISPS HANDA Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic. He visited Ghana in October 2015, as he worked alongside Right to Play. More recently, Tindall co-founded the Rugby Wine Club in 2021, which works with grass roots clubs to raise funds in the amateur game.

Cohen ended his rugby career with Sale Sharks, having previously also represented Northampton Saints and French club Brive. An inspirational activist, the former winger founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation in 2011, which works on raising awareness regarding the impacts of bullying and implements "real-world work to stop it". Cohen is an leading activist for LGBTQ+ rights, and in 2013 was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.

Due to having a hearing issue called tinnitus, Cohen is clinically deaf. He lacks approxmiatly 30% of his hearing in both ears, and he is a campaigner for increased accessibility within rugby for hard of hearing people. Cohen met his partner Kristina Rihanoff on TV show 'Strictly Come Dancing', and the pair have since had a daughter together. Cohen has appeared on numerous reality TV shows, including The Jump, The Celebrity Chase and has worked with charity Sports Relief.

One of the most famous faces in all of rugby, Jonny Wilkinson spent six more seasons at Newcastle Falcons following the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Wilkinson then made the move to Toulon in the Top 14, where he joined a star-studded squad amongst the likes of Matthieu Basteraud, Ma'a Nonu and Bryan Habana. Wilkinson ended his playing career in 2014, having also played for England at the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups, and wrapped up his tenure as the nation's leading points scorer.

However, this accolade has since been surpassed by Owen Farrell, with the Saracen also taking Wilkinson's honour as the top scoring player in Rugby World Cup history. Following his retirement, Wilkinson received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth II, for his services to Rugby Union. Wilkinson has remained amongst the sport, firstly with his TV show 'Jonny's Hotshots', and as an on-screen pundit and analyst for Six Nations and Rugby World Cup coverage. Wilkinson is also a published author, having brought a total of five books to print about his enthralling on-field career.

Three-time British & Irish Lion Matt Dawson ended his playing career in 2006, and seamlessly transitioned into the media side of the sport. Since 2004, Dawson had been a re-occuring face on TV show 'A Question of Sport', alongside former Scotland footballer Aly McCoist and retired England cricketer Phil Tufnel. Dawson remained active on the programme, and took part in numerous reality shows including 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Celebrity MasterChef'.

Dawson entered the world of broadcast journalism for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, as he covered the competition for the BBC. Dawson is also heavily involved in charity work, as he is the President of children's medical research charity Sparks, and a patron for Beating Bowel Cancer, the National Hospital Development Foundation, and Lyme's disease awareness charity The Big Tick. In 2015, Dawson took part in a cycle ride for Sparks, which saw him ride 150 miles from Wales' Principality Stadium to England's Twickenham Stadium in one day. He is also an honorary president for children's charity Wooden Spoon, and has been a supportive backer of UNICEF since 2009.

Born in Plymouth, Woodman spent the majority of his career in the South West of England with Gloucester Rugby. The loose-head prop was forced into retirement at just 29-years-old, due to a problematic back injury. Woodman called time on his career a year after joining Sale Sharks, as he hung up the boots in 2005. Woodman soon turned his attention to sports broadcasting, as he provided commentary for Fox Sports in Australia.

Woodman then pursued a coaching career 'down under', and began working with Sydney University. The former prop soon progressed in the world of coaching, and achieved the position as scrum coach for the Australian national team. the 22-capped England international then returned to the Premiership, as he took up a role as forwards coach with London Wasps. He has most recently been the scrum coach of his long-time on-field club, Gloucester.

Following his retirement in 2011, Steve Thompson and his family moved to Dubai where he took up work within the construction trade. However, the former hooker has since returned to England, due to his developing battle with early onset Dementia after a career of concussions. Thompson is one of a growing number of ex-rugby players who are speaking out about their retirement struggles with this neurodegenerative disease.

Thompson joined the likes of former Welsh international Alix Popham, in taking legal action against rugby's governing bodies. The 45-year-old has recently appeared at the launches of a new book by journalist and concussion activist Sam Peters, entitled 'Concussed: Sports Uncomfortable Truth'. Thompson has spoken publicly and within documentaries about how he does not remember winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and is a key voice in the conversation regarding rugby player welfare.

A former Gloucester and London Wasps prop, Phil Vickery called time on his career at the end of the 2010 Premiership season. The two-time British & Irish Lion was a revered opponent across the world, and has since started a successful clothing brand 'Raging Bull', with his on-field nickname. Vickery was forced into retirement due to a series of neck injuries, and in 2012 he joined Worcester Warriors as their Scrum Coach.

Vickery has also tried his hand at sports broadcasting, as he was apart of the commentary team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. His on-screen appearances have also been witnessed across a variety of TV shows, including 'Celebrity MasterChef', which he won in 2011. An eternal fan favourite at Kingsholm Stadium, Vickery was appointed the title of Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2015.

England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning captain, Martin Johnson's name is certainly in the conversation regarding the nation's greatest on-field leaders. His off-field career saw a similar role, as he took the reins of the England set-up just three years after his retirement from rugby. Johnson ended his on-field career with an unforgettable testimonial match at Twickenham, which put his selected side against Jonah Lomu's XV.

Johnson was first called into the England coaching staff in 2007, as the Team Manager for Brian Ashton's squad. The former lock was then appointed to Head Coach in 2008, when the RFU cut ties with Ashton after a two-year stint. Johnson led England at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, yet stepped down from the role after an underwhelming run saw them eliminated by France in the quarter-finals. A lifelong NFL fan, Johnson previously played American Football at an early age for the Leicester Panthers, and in his retirement, has provided analyses and punditry in ITV's coverage of the Super Bowl matches. He has also been a studio analyst for the BBC throughout previous Six Nations Championships.

Kay played a further seven seasons after the Ruby World Cup, before ending his rugby career in 2010. The lifelong Leicester Tigers man has remained active amongst the sport, as Kay is best known for his work as a commentator, and has formed a nice gantry partnership with former England and Harlequins winger Ugo Monye. The duo are often heard in the coverage of the Gallagher Premiership, as Kay has provided his expert analysis for ESPN, BT Sports and more recently TNT Sports.

Kay has also remained active around his second home of Welford Road, as a member of the Leicester Tigers committee. Kay was appointed to the role of Non-Executive Director in 2014, which he held until stepping away in 2021. The former lock remains one of the most recognisable faces in today's rugby coverage and provides insightful anecdotes towards the on-field action.

After two knee surgeries saw Richard Hill end up with a permanent limp, the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning flanker decided to end his rugby career following the 2007/08 season. The hard-hitting Saracen racked up over 275 club appearances in his career, and made his last rugby appearence in a charity match in September 2008. Hill ran out for the Help for Heroes XV, as they took on former Wales international Scott Gibbs' XV at Twickenham. Hill scored a try in his side's 29-10 victory, ending his career on a high.

After a tenure away from the professional rugby scene, Hill returned to the sport as the Team Manager for the England Saxons. The former back-rower then progressed into the same role within the senior side in 2019, for the Rugby World Cup in Japan. Hill has a published autobiography, and has also accrued a total of five test caps for the British & Irish Lions.

Neil Back's time in an England jersey came to an end at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, as he announced his international retirement when Sir Clive Woodward's men returned home as World Champions. Back made 66 caps for his country, and boasts the impressive accolade of being the only forward in England test match history to slot a drop goal. Back ended his rugby career two years later, following the 2004/05 Premiership season with Leicester Tigers.

Back's coaching career began prior to his on-field retirement, as he took over a defence coach role with Leicester Tigers in 2003. He expanded his coaching responsibilities following his retirement, taking an oversight on the Leicester Tigers Academy set-up, and a promotion to Assistant Forwards Coach. Most impressive of all, was Back's leadership as Leeds Carnegie's Head Coach, following their promotion into the Premiership. Back kept the side in the top flight for two seasons, despite their vastly reduced budget.

Back's coaching career then continued in the Midlands, where he joined up with Rugby Lions. Back took the National 3 Midlands side to an unbeaten season, before moving North of the border and joining the Edinburgh Rugby coaching staff in 2011.

One of the most decorated back-rowers the Premiership had ever seen, Lawrence Dallaglio ended his 18-year career with London Wasps in 2008. Dallaglio is a five-time Premiership winner, and has also tasted European success with two Champions Cup and one Challenge Cup title. Dallaglio won the Premiership in his final Wasps match, and three years later took up a broadcasting and analytical role with ITV Sport. Dallaglio covered the 2011 Rugby World Cup for the channel, and has established himself as a leading commentator in the sport.

Dallaglio and Nick Mullins have formed a lead broadcasting partnership throughout the years, and covered numerous matches throughout the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Dallaglio took part in the aformentioned Help for Heroes match, and captained his former England teammates Will Greenwood, Jason Robinson and Martin Johnson. A devout charity supporter, Dallaglio has previously been an ambassador and patron for numerous charities, and has undergone some incredible fundraising efforts.

The many Dallaglio Cycle Slam events are amongst his leading efforts, with the inaugural ride seeing Dallaglio ride from Rome to Edinburgh, and pass by all of the Six Nations stadiums ahead of the 2010 Championship.

Can you identify how many of the top 20 most-capped England rugby players you can name?

We've supplied the total number of caps and their respective playing positions for each player. Your task is simply to complete their surnames.

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