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SYDNEY, Wednesday (Reuters) - The 2003 Rugby World Cup will be officially launched at the Sydney Opera House on May 20, a New Zealand Press Association report said on Tuesday.

More than 300 people, including rugby union officials from the 16 competing nations, and representatives from sponsors and the international media are expected to attend the function hosted by the International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Vernon Pugh and ARU managing director John O'Neill, NZPA said.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU), the World Cup hosts, were not able to confirm the launch date when contacted by Reuters.

Australia and New Zealand were originally scheduled to co-host the 48-match tournament.

But World Cup organisers withdrew the invitation for New Zealand to co-host the sport's showpiece, held every four years, after officials refused to sign the sub-host agreement because they could not comply with key conditions.

The 2003 World Cup launch planned for March in Sydney had to be postponed because of the dispute over the sub-host agreement. 

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