# 2003–04 European Nations Cup First Division

The 2003–04 European Nations Cup was the fourth edition of the newly reformed European Championship for tier 2 and 3 rugby union nations. This was the second two-year cycled championship, the first to be planned from the start.
The title was won by Portugal for the first time, with their Iberian neighbours Spain being relegated. Portugal won all their games, except to a loss abroad to Romania. The Championship saw another new face in the Czech Republic who replaced the relegated Netherlands.

## Table

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| Place | Nation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference | Table points |
| 1 | Portugal | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 245 | 180 | +65 | 28 |
| 2 | Romania | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 320 | 123 | +197 | 26 |
| 3 | Georgia | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 193 | 148 | +45 | 21 |
| 4 | Russia | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 198 | 175 | +23 | 15 |
| 5 | Czech Republic | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 139 | 263 | −124 | 15 |
| 6 | Spain | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 129 | 335 | −206 | 11 |

## Results
### Week 1

* 16 February 2003
| Portugal | 34–30 | Georgia |
| Try: Gonçalves Da. Mateus Di. Mateus Con: Malheiro (2) Pen: Malheiro (5) | | Try: Abuseridze Katsadze (2) Zedginidze Con: Jimsheladze (2) Pen: Jimsheladze Drop: Jimsheladze |
* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
* 16 February 2003
| Spain | 19–52 | Russia |
| Try: Penalty try Con: Cascarra Pen: Cascarra (3) | | Try: Fedchenko Grachev Kuzin A. Sergeev S. Sergeev Con: Rachkov (3) Pen: Rachkov (6) Drop: Rachkov |
* Inca, Mallorca Referee: Daniel Pruvot (France)
* 22 June 2003
| Czech Republic | 5–42 | Romania |
| Try: Stastny | | Try: Brezoianu Ghioc Popescu Săuan Tofan Con: Dumbravă (4) Pen: Dumbravă (3) |
* Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
* The match between the Czech Republic and Romania, originally scheduled for 15 February, was postponed.

### Week 2

* 22 February 2003
| Georgia | 34–3 | Spain |
| Try: Gundishvili Shvelidze Yachvili Zibzibadze (2) Con: Jimsheladze (3) Pen: Jimsheladze | | Pen: Cascarra |
* Tbilisi Attendance: 10,000 Referee: G. Doyle (Ireland)
* 22 February 2003
| Portugal | 16–15 | Romania |
| Try: Garvão Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (2) Drop: Tomé | | Try: Manta Țincu Con: Tofan Pen: Tofan |
* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: G. Doyle (Ireland)
* 14 June 2003
| Czech Republic | 27–13 | Russia |
| Try: Camrda Pekarek Rohlik Con: Kafka (3) Pen: Kafka (2) | | Try: Lubkov Con: Rachkov Pen: Rachkov (2) |
* Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Nereo Dordolo (Italy)
* The match between the Czech Republic and Russia, originally scheduled for 22 February, was postponed.

### Week 3

* 8 March 2003
| Portugal | 43–10 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Malheiro (2) Da. Mateus Di. Mateus Vieira Con: Malheiro Cardoso Pinto (2) Pen: Malheiro (4) | | Try: Zak Con: Krejci Pen: Krejci |
* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon Referee: Sean Mallon (Netherlands)
* 9 March 2003
| Russia | 17–23 | Georgia |
| Try: Sergeev Pen: Rachkov (2) Drop: Rachkov (2) | | Try: Jimsheladze Pen: Jimsheladze (6) |
* Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Giovanni Morandin (Italy)
* 9 March 2003
| Spain | 6–31 | Romania |
| Pen: Díez Drop: Velazco Querol | | Try: Petrechei Socol Tofan Con: Tofan (2) Pen: Tofan (4) |
* Campo Universitário, Madrid Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Antonio Lombardi (Italy)

### Week 4

* 22 March 2003
| Czech Republic | 15–30 | Georgia |
| Pen: Kafka (4) Drop: Kafka | | Try: Khamashuridze Labadze Shvelidze Zedginidze Zibzibadze Con: Jimsheladze Pen: Jimsheladze |
* Tatra Simchov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 1,400 Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
* 22 March 2003
| Romania | 23–12 | Russia |
| Try: Petrache Vioreanu Penalty try Con: Tofan Pen: Tofan (2) | | Pen: Rachkov (4) |
* Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Daniel Dartigeas (France)
* 23 March 2003
| Portugal | 35–16 | Spain |
| Try: Cunha Sousa Con: Malheiro (2) Pen: Malheiro (5) Drop: Malheiro (2) | | Try: Tuineau Iloa Con: Cascarra Pen: Cascarra (2) Drop: Kovalenco |
* Estádio Municipal, Coimbra Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal (France)

### Week 5

* 29 March 2003
| Russia | 14–25 | Portugal |
| Try: Dymchenko Pen: Akulov | | Try: Cunha Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (5) Drop: Malheiro |
* Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Mircea Paraschivescu (Romania)
* 30 March 2003
| Georgia | 6–19 | Romania |
| Pen: Jimsheladze (2) | | Try: Brezoianu Gontineac Maftei Con: Tofan (2) |
* Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Daniel Gillet (France)
* 30 March 2003
| Spain | 38–40 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Beltrán Rodriguéz Cascarra Loubsens Monreal Izquierdo Zarzosa Con: Cascarra (2) Pen: Cascarra (3) | | Try: Rohlik Stastny Suster Syrovy Con: Kafka (4) Pen: Kafka (4) |
* Campo Universitário, Madrid Referee: Jeremy Schauder (Israel)

### Week 6

* 14 February 2004
| Romania | 55–11 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Baraulea (2) Gheara Gontineac Săuan Teodorescu (2) Zebega Con: Dumbravă (6) Pen: Dumbravă | | Try: Rohlik Pen: Kafka Krejci |
* Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal (France)
* 14 February 2004
| Georgia | 14–19 | Portugal |
| Try: Ghvaberidze Kopaliani Con: Kvnikhidze Urjukashvili | | Try: Aguilar Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (3) Drop: Malheiro |
* Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Antonio Lombardo (Italy)
* 14 February 2004
| Russia | 36–6 | Spain |
| Try: Fedchenko Grachev Korobeynikov Korshunov Kuzin Rachkov Pen: Rachkov (2) | | Pen: Martinéz Torres |
* Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Referee: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat (France)

### Week 7

* 21 February 2004
| Romania | 36–6 | Portugal |
| Try: Baraulea Mersoiu Săuan (2) Toderașc Con: Dumbravă (4) Pen: Dumbravă | | Pen: Malheiro (2) |
* Stade 1 Mai, Constanta Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Johan Meersman (Belgium)
* 22 February 2004
| Spain | 6–6 | Georgia |
| Pen: Kovalenco Martinéz Torres | | Pen: Kvinikhidze (2) |
* Tarragona Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Mauro Dordolo (Italy)
* The game between Russia and the Czech Republic, originally scheduled for 21 February 2004 and postponed due to snow, was not played.

### Week 8

* 6 March 2004
| Romania | 50–10 | Spain |
| Try: Dragoș Dima Sîrbu Socol Teodorescu Țincu Toderașc Tonița Voicu Con: Tofan (5) | | Try: Loubsens Con: Martinéz Torres Pen: Martinéz Torres |
* Stadionul Ghencea II, Bucharest Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou (France)
* 6 March 2004
| Georgia | 9–3 | Russia |
| Pen: Barkalaia Jimsheladze Drop: Jimsheladze | | Pen: Rachkov |
* Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Joel Dume (France)
* 6 March 2004
| Czech Republic | 8–13 | Portugal |
| Try: Rohlik Drop: Brabek | | Try: Cunha Garvão Pen: Grenho |
* Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Attendance: 500 Referee: Séan Mallon (Netherlands)

### Week 9

* 20 March 2004
| Russia | 33–24 | Romania |
| Try: Grachev Kazantsev Klyuchnikov Shelepkov Con: Simonov (2) Pen: Simonov (3) | | Try: Săuan Toderașc Penalty try Con: Dumbravă (3) Pen: Dumbravă |
* Stadium Junost, Krasnodar Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Gérard Borréani (France)
* 20 March 2004
| Spain | 19–35 | Portugal |
| Try: Davila Sánchez Velazco Querol Pen: Kovalenco (3) | | Try: Aguilar (2) Garvão (3) Mateus Con: Malheiro Pen: Malheiro |
* Ibiza Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Akim Hadj Bachir (France)
* 20 March 2004
| Georgia | 23–7 | Czech Republic |
| Try: Gorgodze Zedginidze Con: Kvinikhidze (2) Pen: Kvinikhidze (3) | | Try: Rohlik Con: Krejci |
* Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Bernd Gabbei (Germany)

### Week 10

* 27 March 2004
| Czech Republic | 16–6 | Spain |
| Try: Brabec Con: Kafka Pen: Kafka Drop: Kafka | | Pen: Martinéz Torres (2) |
* Tatra Smichov Rugby Club, Prague Referee: Maurizio Vancini (Italy)
* 27 March 2004
| Portugal | 19–18 | Russia |
| Try: Andrade Malheiro Pen: Malheiro (3) Drop: Kazantsev | | Try: Kuzin Simonov Con: Simonov Pen: Simonov |
* Municipal Stadium, Coimbra
* 27 March 2004
| Romania | 25–18 | Georgia |
| Try: Sîrbu Tudori Pen: Dumbravă (2) Tofan (3) | | Try: Gorgodze Kvinikhidze Con: Kvinikhidze Pen: Kvinikhidze (2) |
* Iași Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Stefano Mancini (Italy)