Norvic Philatelics

Rugby World Cup - England Winners : 19 December, 2003

The success of the England Rugby Team in winning Rugby's World Cup competition in Australia on 22 November 2003 has been commemmorated by Royal Mail on 19 December with the production of a miniature sheet of four stamps shown here.

The miniature sheet contains 2 x 1st class inland letter rate stamps and 2 x 68p stamps which pay the 20gr airmail rate outside Europe.

Stamp and sheet details:
1st class - England flags - photograph by Jon Buckle;
1st class - Team circle - photograph by Mark Nolan;
68p - World Cup held aloft - photograph by Odd Andersen;
68p - Team celebrations - photograph by Greg Wood.
Background: England (St George's) flag, and the red rose symbol of England Rugby and caption.

Technical details: The 115x90mm sheets are printed by Walsall Security Printers in lithography; the stamps are 41x30mm. Design is by Why Not Associates.

The miniature sheet image is from an actual sheet. Postmark images are taken from Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletin. Postmarks, stamps and the PO FDC are copyright 2003/4 by Royal Mail. The photographs on the stamps are Copyright Getty Images 2003; the Webb Ellis Trophy was used by permission of Rugby World Cup Ltd.; the England Rugby Rose symbol is a registered trade mark of the Rugby Football Union.

AUSTRALIA WINNERS?
Well yes, in 1999 - see the cover at the foot of the page.

Norvic Exclusive First Day Cover

As usual, there is an exclusive Norvic FDC for this stamp issue, limited to 30 copies.
Norvic Philatelics exclusive England Winners Rugby World Cup FDC featuring Johnny Wilkinson cancelled with the Rugby, World Champions, England 2003 postmark
Prices: Norvic cover with complete miniature sheet cancelled on the day of issue £7.50.

PO Stamp Cards were not produced for this issue. We have sets of 4 maximum cards - the four stamps from the sheet on 4 cards, with four different postmarks (8900, 8901, 8902, FD341) Price - £7.95 per set.
We also have single cards with postmark L8934 Price £1.75 each - see below.
A small supply of unused cards is available price 70p each.

Also available :
Mint sheet of 4 - £4.50       No Presentation Packs in Stock

These postmarks were available for first day covers:
'17-20 22 NOV' the score and the date of England's World Cup Rugby Win over Australia text, in shape of a rugby ball - Swing low sweet chariot First day of issue Twickenham Rugby ball and posts England's rose
Ref FD340 Official Philatelic Bureau FDI postmark Ref FD341 Official Twickenham FDI postmark "Swing low, sweet chariot" Ref FD341a Official Twickenham plain FD Postmark Ref L8894 England Rugby World Cup Champions, London Ref M8900 Rugby, World Champions, England 2003
Rugby player Webb Ellis Trophy player kicking drop goal 19th century rugby player Leicester Tigers Rugby Club badge
Ref M8901 Congratulations to the World Champions, Birmingham Ref M8902 Congratulations to the World Champions, Leicester Ref M8904 World Cup Winners, Rugby Warwickshire Ref M8905 Birthplace of Rugby Football, Rugby Warks. Ref M8907 Leicester Tigers Celebrate England's Victory, Leciester
flag on rugby ball rugby ball rugby ball flag hands holding World Cup trophy
Ref L8932 England Rugby, World Champions, London WC2 Ref L8933 England Rugby, World Champions 2003, London SW1 Ref L8934 England Rugby, World Champions 2003, Twickenham Ref L8935 World Champions 2003 England Rugby, Twickenham Ref L8936 England Winners of Rugby World Cup, Twickenham
text, shaped as rugby ball text, shaped as rugby ball rugby ball going over goalposts map of Australia on rugby ball
Ref M8940 The William Webb Ellis congratulates England, Rugby World Cup Winners Australia 2003 Rugby Ref M8941 Northampton Saints congratulates England, Rugby World Cup Winners in Australia 2003 Northampton Ref M8942 Rugby School, Rugby, Warwickshire Ref M8943 England Rugby World Champions 2003, Rugby

Rugby Union World Cup postcard with 28p stamp from sheet cancelled with World Champions postmark L8934 Rugby Union World Cup postcard with 28p stamp from sheet cancelled with World Champions postmark L8934
Above: Single stamped postcards price £1.75 each. Unstamped 70p each

This page updated
29 January 2006

A 1999 souvenir cover with a Rugby World Cup 6 November Cardiff postmark commemorating Australia's win last time.
This is NOT FOR SALE - but we do have 1 October FDCs of the stamps and labels with the same Winners! design.
1999 Souvenir cover commemorating the Australian World Cup win, with 6 November Cardiff postmark

2003 stamp issues
2004
14 January Birds of Prey 21 January Flowers Greetings Stamps Smilers Sheet 4 February Occasions/Greetings stamps and Smilers sheet 25 February Medical Science - DNA & Genome 4 March Hello SA booklet & Wales 1st reprint
25 March Fun Fruit & Vegetables 27 March New definitives, SA airmail booklets of 40gr stamps 29 April Extreme Endeavours 6 May 34p definitives 20 May Wilding II miniature sheet
28 May Wales 2nd class, 1st class gold reprints 2 June - 50th Anniversary of the Coronation 17 June Prince William of Wales 1 July High Value Definitive reprints 15 July British Journey - Scotland
29 July Cartoons Smilers Sheet 12 August Pub Signs - Europa 18 September Transports of Delight - toys 30 September Christmas Robin Smilers Sheet 7 October 250th Anniv. of British Museum
13 October Reprints of Country Stamps 4 November Christmas: Ice Sculptures 18 December - World Rugby Cup England - Winners
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