Eastern Counties 3
Current season or competition: 2019–20 Eastern Counties 3 | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
Number of teams | 20 |
Holders | Southwold II (North – 1st title) Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (South – 1st title) (2018–19) (promoted to Eastern Counties 2) |
Most titles | Multiple teams (1 title) |
Website | ecrurugby.com |
Eastern Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues (north, south, west). Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while since the abolition of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 2016–17 season there has been no relegation. For most of its history, Eastern Counties 3 was divided into two regional divisions – north and south – with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. A breakaway of Essex teams at the end of the 2002–03 to form a new league would lead to Eastern Counties 3 being abolished by the end of 2003–04 only to return due to a league restructure to cater for more 2nd and 3rd teams.
Original teams
[edit ]When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
- Beccles
- Harwich & Dovercourt
- Holt
- Lakenham Hewett
- Maldon
- Newmarket
- Old Edwardians
- South Woodham Ferrers
- Southwold
- Wisbech
- Wymondham
Eastern Counties 3 honours
[edit ]Eastern Counties 3 (1987–1993)
[edit ]The original Eastern Counties 3 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 2 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 4.[1]
Eastern Counties 3 (1993–96)
[edit ]The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 3 dropped from a tier 10 league to a tier 11 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 and Eastern Counties 4 respectively.
Eastern Counties 3 (1996–1997)
[edit ]The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4.
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (1997–2000)
[edit ]Ahead of the 1997–98 season Eastern Counties 3 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - with both divisions remaining as tier 10 leagues. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - now split into two regional divisions (north and south).
[2] [3]
[4] [5]
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (2000–2004)
[edit ]the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that Eastern Counties North and South dropped to once again become tier 11 leagues. The regionalisation of Eastern Counties 2 meant that promotion was now to either Eastern Counties 2 North or Eastern Counties 2 South, while the cancellation of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 1999–00 season meant there was no longer relegation. The creation of Essex 1, Essex 2 and Essex 3 ahead of the 2003–04 season, meant that Essex based sides left the Eastern Counties leagues. This in turn would lead to the cancellation of Eastern Counties 3 North and South at the end of the 2003–04 season, with all teams transferred to relevant divisions in Eastern Counties 2.
[6] [7]
[8] [9]
[10] [11]
Eastern Counties 3: North / South / West (2014—present)
[edit ]After an absence of nine years, Eastern Counties 3 was re-introduced as a tier 11 league ahead of the 2014–15 season, this time split into three regional divisions - north, south and west. Promotion was to the respective regional division in Eastern Counties 2, and relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - north or south - until that league was cancelled at the end of the 2016–17 season
[13] [14] [15]
[16] [17] [18]
[19] [20] [21]
[22] [23] [24]
[25] [26]
Number of league titles
[edit ]- Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (1)
- Bancroft (1)
- Beccles (1)[k]
- Beccles II (1)
- Billericay (1)
- Brightlingsea (1)
- Broadland – Great Yarmouth (1)
- Burnham-On-Crouch (1)
- Campion (1)
- Colchester III (1)
- Dereham (1)
- Diss III (1)
- East London (1)
- Ely II
- Fakenham (1)
- Hadleigh (1)
- Ipswich Y.M. (1)
- Loughton (1)
- March Bears (1)
- May & Baker (1)
- Newmarket (1)
- North Walsham (1)
- Old Cooperians (1)
- Old Edwardians (1)
- Ravens (1)
- Sawston (1)
- Shelford V (1)
- South Woodham Ferrers (1)
- Southwold (1)[l]
- Southwold II (1)
- Stanford Le Hope (1)
- Stowmarket (1)
- Swaffham (1)
- Thurston II (1)
- Wisbech (1)
- Woodbridge II (1)
- Wymondham (1)
See also
[edit ]- London & SE Division RFU
- Eastern Counties RU
- Essex RFU
- English rugby union system
- Rugby union in England
Notes
[edit ]- ^ League restructuring in the Eastern Counties meant that eight teams would be promoted including Old Bealonians, Thetford, Lakenham Hewett, Ipswich YMCA, Old Palmerians and Harwich & Dovercourt.
- ^ No relegation as league was to increase from 11 to 13 teams for the following season.
- ^ No relegation as Eastern Counties 4 was abolished for the next season.
- ^ No relegation as East Counties tier 4 was abolished for the next season.
- ^ This was the last season for East Counties 3 North due to the restructuring of the Eastern Counties league. A new Essex league would be introduced leading to teams from East Counties 3 South breaking away to join it. Teams from the East Counties 3 North division would move into either Eastern Counties 2 or Eastern Counties 3 for the next year depending on league position, asides from Witham who joined Essex 3.
- ^ Transferred to Essex 1.
- ^ This was the last season for East Counties 3 South as a new Essex league was introduced. The teams in this division would split away and move into either Essex 2 or Essex 3 depending on league position.
- ^ East Counties 3 was only operational as a single division for one season. When the season finished most teams were promoted to Eastern Counties 2 asides from Clacton who transferred to Essex 3.
- ^ Despite being champions Diss III were not promoted as Diss II were in division above.
- ^ Champions Shelford V not promoted as Shelford IV in division above.
- ^ As a club Beccles has won 2 titles - 1 by the 1st XV, 1 by the 2nd XV.
- ^ As a club Southwold has won 2 titles - 1 by the 1st XV, 1 by the 2nd XV.
References
[edit ]- ^ "EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16" (PDF). Eastern Counties RU. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "1998–1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "1998–1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "1999–2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "1999–2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2000–2001 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2000–2001 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2001–2002 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2001–2002 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2002–2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2002–2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "2003–2004 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Leagues – 2014-15 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Leagues – 2014-15 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Leagues – 2014-15 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three South". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2015-16 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three West". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three South". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "London & SE Division – 2016-17 Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three West". Pitchero. Eastern Counties Rugby Union. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North 2017-18". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three South 2017-18". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three West 2017-18". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three North 2018-19". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ "Eastern Counties Greene King Division Three South 2018-19". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 June 2019.