It’s 21 years since England became the first and only team from the northern hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup. TNT Sports’ new documentary, Unbreakable: England 2003 travels back to that famous win in Sydney, using a mixture of previously unseen archive footage and new interviews to reminisce on English rugby’s most famous hour.

There’s plenty of nostalgia, of course, but Unbreakable is also a surprisingly sad watch, as it turns out winning a World Cup isn’t necessarily a ticket to lifelong fortune and glory.

Why are the England 2003 team still such a big deal?

Sir Clive Woodward’s squad are still regarded as one of the greatest sides ever to come of Europe. The head coach had a laser-focused plan to turn England into a team capable of taking on the world, and by the time the team headed out to Australia in October 2003 it appeared to be coming to fruition. Woodward’s men were regularly beating the southern hemisphere giants, and had just been crowned Six Nations champions, winning the Grand Slam for the first time since 1995.

But despite being pre-tournament favourites, England had to work hard to lift the William Webb Ellis Cup. Wales made life particularly difficult in a tight quarter-final, and – while the semi-final win over France was comparatively routine – the final couldn’t have been closer.

Coached by future England boss Eddie Jones, hosts Australia were tied with England in the dying seconds of extra time, with penalty kicks looming. Then, Jonny Wilkinson (one of the best England rugby players of all time) turned up to deliver the most famous drop goal of all time, earning his England team a 20-17 victory – and a place in the history books.

Tragically, Steve Thompson can no longer remember his team’s journey to World Cup glory  (AFP/Getty)

What happened to the players afterwards?

While some of the class of 2003 have gone on to successful punditry or coaching careers – or appearances on reality TV – others have found the subsequent decades rather more challenging. This generation was particularly unlucky to coincide with the game’s transition between the amateur and professional eras, when players weren’t necessarily thinking about life after retirement, and player welfare wasn’t as high on the agenda as it should have been.

Winger Ben Cohen (whose uncle, George, was part of the England team that won the football World Cup in 1966) sold his winners’ medal to make ends meet during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hooker Steve Thompson, meanwhile, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia in 2020, and tragically can no longer recall anything about his team’s journey to the World Cup title.

Read more: Keep up-to-date with all the England men’s and women’s fixtures

Cohen, Thompson, Phil Vickery, Lewis Moody, Trevor Woodman, Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Jonny Wilkinson, Paul Grayson and Jason Robinson are among the former England stars who contribute to the documentary. Several of the players have also launched the Champions 2003 to help retired rugby professionals suffering from physical and mental health issues.

Where can I watch Unbreakable: England 2023?

Unbreakable: England 2003 is available on Discovery+, the streaming service of TNT Sports. The documentary will also air on TNT Sports 1 at 10.30pm on Wednesday 11 December, and has also screened on free-to-air service Quest.

A subscription to Discovery+ Premium (which gives you access to Gallagher Premiership rugby, Champions League football and a selection of Premier League matches) will cost you £30.99 per month in the UK.