2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3

The 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3 was the 14th version of the competition that is part of the annual English rugby union County Championship, organised by the RFU for the tier 3 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the fifth tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into two regional pools (east/west) with the winners of each pool meeting in the final at the Athletic Ground in Richmond, London - a change from previous seasons, where the final was held at Twickenham Stadium. Oxfordshire were the reigning champions, having won last year's final.[1][2]

For the first tier of the English Counties competition, see 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 1. For the second tier of the English Counties competition, see 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2.
2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3
Countries England
Date5 May 2018 - 27 May 2018
ChampionsDorset & Wilts (3rd title)
Runners-upEssex
Top point scorerEngland Sam Baker (Dorset & Wilts)
45 points
Top try scorerEngland Tommy Gray (Oxfordshire)
England Jack Robinson (Oxfordshire)
England Josh Sunley (Berkshire)
England Sam Baker (Dorset & Wilts)
3 tries each

By the end of the group stage, Essex did just enough by winning two tight games to top Pool 1, while Dorset & Wilts managed to win Pool 2 on bonus points despite losing their final game against Berkshire. In the final held at the Athletic Ground, Dorset & Wilts overcame Essex 24 points to 22 to claim their third Division 3 title and first since 2011.[3] Based on results over the two years, Essex (north) and Sussex (south) were promoted to the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2.[4][5]

Competition format

The competition format is two regional group stages (west & east) with three teams in each group, each playing two games (one home, one away). Changes to the 2018 competition see a reduction in teams from seven to six as Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire have decided not to take part this season.[6] At the end of the pool stage the top teams with the best record from each pool advance to the final held on 27 May 2018 at the Athletic Ground in Richmond, London.

A continuation from the 2017 competition is that promotion/relegation occurs every two seasons instead of one, with points accumulated over the two seasons (2017 and 2018) taken into consideration. The two highest ranked counties (one from the north/one from the south) will be promoted into the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2 competition, replacing the lowest ranked aggregate sides who drop down into division 3. As this is the lowest ranked tier in the county championships there is no relegation.

Participating counties and ground locations

Group stage

Division 3 Pool 1 (East)
2018 Bill Beaumont Division 3 Pool 1 (East) Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Essex (Q), (P)220039327008
2Oxfordshire2101934548116
3Buckinghamshire20024297-55112
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the final. (P) means promoted. Updated: 19 May 2018
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
5 May 2018
15:00
(BP) Oxfordshire76 – 27Buckinghamshire (BP)
Oxfordshire
Dry Leas, Henley

[7]

Round 2
12 May 2018
15:00
Essex18 – 17Oxfordshire (BP)
Oxfordshire
Latton Park, Harlow

[8]

Round 3
19 May 2018
15:00
(BP) Buckinghamshire15 – 21Essex
Oak Lodge Meadow, Beaconsfield

[9]

Division 3 Pool 2 (West)
2018 Bill Beaumont Division 3 Pool 2 (West) Table
County Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1Dorset & Wilts (Q)210166642217
2Sussex (P)210150482116
3Berkshire21016064-4116
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background means the county qualified for the final. (P) means promoted. Updated: 19 May 2018
Source: "County Championships". englandrugby.com.

Round 1
5 May 2018
15:00
(BP) Dorset & Wilts28 – 24Sussex (BP)
Dorset & Wilts
Slaughtergate, Gillingham

[7]

Round 2
12 May 2018
15:00
(BP) Sussex26 – 20Berkshire (BP)
Sussex
Roundstone Lane, Angmering

[8]

Round 3
19 May 2018
15:00
(BP) Berkshire40 – 38Dorset & Wilts (2BP)
Dorset & Wilts
Holme Park, Reading

[9]

Final
27 May 2018
12:00
Essex22 – 24Dorset & Wilts
Dorset & Wilts
Athletic Ground, London

[3]

Promotion aggregate table

In order to determine promotion to the 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2, results from the 2017 and 2018 Division 3 competitions will be combined, with the highest ranked sides from each group being promoted. They will be replaced by the lowest ranked teams from the 2017 and 2018 Division 2 competitions. Note that Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire dropped out of the 2018 competition having played in 2017. This means that any results between them and the other sides in Division 3 East have been annulled and do not count towards promotion.

Individual statistics
  • Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Statistics will also include final.

Competition records

Notes
  1. Due to poor press reporting it is not clear whether Josh Bartlett played in Berkshire's game away to Sussex on 12 May 2018.
  2. Due to poor press reporting it is not clear whether Chay Pollinger played in Essex's game at home to Oxfordshire on 12 May 2018.
  3. Due to poor press reporting it is not clear whether Charlie Russo played in Essex's game at home to Oxfordshire on 12 May 2018.

See also

References
  1. "OXFORDSHIRE BECOME DIVISION THREE COUNTY CHAMPIONS". England Rugby. 28 May 2017.
  2. "RUGBY UNION: Oxfordshire beat Sussex in dramatic Twickenham final". Oxford Mail. 28 May 2017.
  3. "DORSET AND WILTS SENIOR XV BILL BEAUMONT DIV. 3 CHAMPIONS". Dorset & Wilts RFU. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  4. "County events schedule". Essex RFU (Pitchero). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  5. "County Championships". Sussex Rugby (Pitchero). Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  6. "NLD SENIOR XV". NLD RFU. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  7. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 503. Rugby Paper Ltd. 6 May 2018. pp. 28–30.
  8. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 504. Rugby Paper Ltd. 13 May 2018. pp. 28–30.
  9. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper. No. 505. Rugby Paper Ltd. 20 May 2018. p. 27.
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