The Opus tells the story of England’s triumph on an epic scale. The Limited Marquee Champions Edition each featuring a specially designed signature page that is hand-signed by all 31 players.
England 2003 Rugby World Cup squad have teamed up with OPUS to create the definitive OPUS Limited Edition to celebrate their historic win in 2003
It was an iconic moment of English sporting history when every sports fan remembers exactly where they were when watching England take on host nation Australia to be crowned world champions.
Going into the world cup as favourites following their Six Nations triumph, England cruised past their opponents in Pool C albeit with drama, challenging moments and setbacks to reach the quarter finals against a Welsh team that needed zero motivation to thwart the ambitions of their old foe.
The match was a thriller. Both teams showing nerves early on by hitting the post, Jonny Wilkinson eventually broke the deadlock but it was Wales who led 10-3 with 43 minutes gone in the second half. A resilient England fought back with the pace of Jason Robinson setting up a try for Will Greenwood. Despite outscoring England three tries to one, 23 points from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson sent England through to the semi-finals to face France and then onward to the World Cup Final to face the hosts Australia.
Millions watched around the world in different time-zones to see England’s attempt to become the first northern hemisphere team to win the world cup. A game that saw Australia always playing catch-up despite opening the scoring through wing Lote Tuqiri. The match represented the culmination of four impressive years of improvement from an England team determined to prevent Australia from retaining the world cup. Jonny Wilkinson silenced the strong home support with three penalties. The constant rain were conditions that England were happy to contend with and with both sides choosing to keep the ball in hand England found the edge they needed to dominate. Towering performances from many areas on the pitch saw England create problems for the Wallabies. But just as England looked likely to pull away the Aussies punished them by scoring two penalties for sloppy play in quick succession to bring them back to touching distance. As the referee prepared to blow for full time, Flatley slotted his third kick of the half to push the match into extra time. With strong leadership on the field England concentrated on the minutes of play ahead of them rather than dwell on those that had just passed. England played with confidence and found themselves in a position they knew all too well which was six years in the making. A move they called ‘zigzag’ would present Jonny Wilkinson with a drop goal opportunity that he scored leaving just 30 seconds on the clock for Australia to reply, which they didn’t. The magnitude of England’s fifth drop goal of the match is one still remembered across the country and rugby playing world today.
The England Champions Opus will celebrate every game England played in the world cup through dynamic and unseen photography, quotes and unprecedented interviews with all 31 squad members, something that has never been achieved before. There will also be an interview with Sir Clive Woodward who orchestrated England’s triumph in Australia. A unique OPUS photographic Portrait Gallery has been captured and created featuring all the players present day that sit alongside their memories of the tournament.
The OPUS tells the story of England’s triumph on an epic scale. The Limited Marquee Champions Edition each featuring a specially designed signature page that is hand signed by all 31 players. The Edition measures 62cm x 45cm. The 350 plus pages have been printed in ultra-high definition on luxury heavyweight 200gsm silk paper and then hand-bound. It is housed in a hand-made presentation case and weighs over 16kg.
Martin Johnson, England World Cup winning captain said:
“It’s sometimes hard to imagine that it’s already 21 years since we lifted the William Webb Ellis Trophy in Sydney. It was the highlight of our sporting careers and brought unimaginable joy to the nation and our families. It is what many of us will be remembered for and the reason why we are still stopped in the streets by fans all over the world. I’ve known the guys at OPUS for 20 years and the stories they have told over the last two decades have transformed the landscape of luxury publishing. It’s wonderful to announce the collaboration with OPUS to create The England 2003 Opus on the 21st anniversary of our triumph and for the first time give a voice to all 31 members of the playing squad who truly deserve to be celebrated and honoured for what they all achieved. For me it serves as a lasting legacy for our collective exploits in Australia and something that my future grandchildren and great-grandchildren can one day enjoy.”
Ben Kay, England World Cup winner said:
‘’England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad will always have a special bond as the first and so far, only northern hemisphere team to lift the Webb Ellis trophy. We are both delighted and honoured that OPUS have chosen our story to portray in their own unique and remarkable fashion. The attention to detail in every OPUS mirrors our squad’s attitude and was a major factor in our success. I can’t wait to hold and be immersed in such a prestigious record of our journey.’’
OPUS is thrilled and honoured to celebrate the 2003 World Cup victory with the entire squad reliving and contributing to the story. Capturing the portraits of all 31 players, a body of work that has true historical importance and also becomes a unique significant section in the OPUS. This OPUS will be created with passion and pride and will inspire the next generation of world cup winners.”
More details and information about all the editions to be released will be announced in early 2025. You can register your interest at: www.thisisopus.com/England
Hari Ramachandran
OPUS
enquiries@thisisopus.com