Eastern Counties 3
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.
Current season or competition: 2019–20 Eastern Counties 3 | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 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 |
Original teams
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
Eastern Counties 3 (1987–1993)
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]
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987–88 | 11 | Old Edwardians | South Woodham Ferrers | Southwold | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Campion | Maldon | Wisbech | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Bancroft | Holt | Thetford | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Newmarket | Wanstead | Ilford Wanderers | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Wymondham | Thames Sports[lower-alpha 1] | No relegation[lower-alpha 2] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Loughton | Clacton | Dereham, Wisbech | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Eastern Counties 3 (1993–96)
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993–94 | 13 | Old Cooperians | Ilford Wanderers | London Hospital, Old Brentwoods | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Fakenham | Southwold | Redbridge, Beccles | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Hadleigh | Felixstowe | Clacton, Haverhill & District | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Eastern Counties 3 (1996–1997)
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | 12 | South Woodham Ferrers | Mersea Island | Wisbech | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (1997–2000)
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).
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997–98 | 9 | Beccles | Crusaders | Brightlingsea | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
8 | Billericay | East London | Haverhill & District | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
1998–99 [2][3] | 9 | Wisbech | Crusaders | March Bears, Stowmarket | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
8 | East London | Stanford Le Hope | Witham | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
1999–00 [4][5] | 9 | Ipswich Y.M. | Lakenham Hewett | No relegation[lower-alpha 3] | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
9 | Stanford Le Hope | Old Brentwoods | No relegation[lower-alpha 4] | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (2000–2004)
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.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 [6][7] | 9 | Stowmarket | Haverhill & District | No relegation | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
11 | May & Baker | Millwall | No relegation | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
2001–02 [8][9] | 9 | Southwold | Norwich Union | No relegation | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
10 | Burnham-On-Crouch | Dagenham | No relegation | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
2002–03 [10][11] | 8 | Broadland – Great Yarmouth | Harwich & Dovercourt | No relegation | East Counties 3 North[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||||
9 | Ravens[lower-alpha 6] | Runwell Wyverns | No relegation | East Counties 3 South[lower-alpha 7] | ||||||||||
2003–04[12] | 6 | Swaffham | Clacton | No relegation | East Counties 3[lower-alpha 8] | |||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Eastern Counties 3: North / South / West (2014—present)
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
| ||||||||||||||
Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014–15 [13][14][15] | 10 | Beccles II | Wymondham II | Wisbech II | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
9 | Colchester III | Sudbury II | Woodbridge II | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
8 | Ely II | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
2015–16 [16][17][18] | 11 | North Walsham II | Norwich Union | Lakenham Hewett | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
9 | Brightlingsea | Colchester IV | Mersea Island II | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
10 | Sawston | Shelford IV | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
2016–17 [19][20][21] | 11 | Diss III[lower-alpha 9] | Holt II | Crusaders II | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
9 | Thurston II | Harwich II | University of Essex | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
11 | March Bears | St Ives II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
2017–18 [22][23][24] | 12 | Dereham | Norwich III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
9 | Woodbridge II | Mersea Island II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
4 | Shelford V[lower-alpha 10] | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
2018–19 [25][26] | 12 | Southwold II | Crusaders II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
8 | Aldeburgh & Thorpeness | Maldon II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
2019–20 | 12 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | |||||||||||
8 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||||
2020–21 | 12 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | |||||||||||
8 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Number of league titles
- Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (1)
- Bancroft (1)
- Beccles (1)[lower-alpha 11]
- 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)[lower-alpha 12]
- Southwold II (1)
- Stanford Le Hope (1)
- Stowmarket (1)
- Swaffham (1)
- Thurston II (1)
- Wisbech (1)
- Woodbridge II (1)
- Wymondham (1)
See also
Notes
- 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
- "EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16" (PDF). Eastern Counties RU. 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.