Sussex 3
Sussex 3 (known as Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 11 Rugby Union League. It is run by the Sussex Rugby Football Union and was originally for teams predominantly from West Sussex until a division reorganization for the 2016-17 meant that clubs from East Sussex would also take part. Promoted teams move up to Sussex 2 while relegated teams drop down to either Sussex Asahi Division 4 East or Sussex Late Red Division 4 West depending on geography. Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West was introduced in 2010–11 and is the equivalent to former division Sussex 3 which had its last season in 2003–04. It changed to its current name of Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 in 2016–17.
Current season or competition: 2016–17 Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Holders | Hastings & Bexhill II (1st title) (2016–17) (promoted to Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate) |
Most titles | Ditchling, Old Brightonian, Rye, Uckfield II (2 titles) |
Website | www.sussexrugby.co.uk |
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
- Arun
- Brighton Polytechnic
- Ditchling
- Sunallon[lower-alpha 1]
- Midhurst
- Newick
- Pulborough
- Robin Hood
Sussex 3 honours
Sussex 3 (1987–1992)
The original Sussex 3 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Sussex 1 and there was no relegation down as it was the lowest level of the league system. The division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1987–88 | 8 | Old Brightonian | RMP Chichester[lower-alpha 2] | No relegation | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 7 | Pulborough | Brighton Polytechnic[lower-alpha 3] | No relegation | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 6 | Ditchling | West Sussex Institute | No relegation | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 5 | BA Wingspan | Newick | No relegation | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 4 | Sunallon | Plumpton[lower-alpha 4] | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Sussex 3 (1994-1996)
After an absence of two years, Sussex 3 was reintroduced for the 1994–95 season as a tier 11 league. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation due to Sussex 3 being the lowest level in the league system.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1994–95 | 5 | Rye | Shoreham | No relegation | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 6 | Sussex Police | Plumpton | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Sussex 3 (1996-2000)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Sussex 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation. Sussex 3 was cancelled for the second time at the end of the 1999–00 season, with the majority of teams transferred into the new Sussex 2 East or Sussex 2 West (formerly a single Sussex 2 division).
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1996–97 | 6 | Shoreham | Rye | No relegation | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 6 | Chichester IHE | Robertsbridge | No relegation | ||||||||||
1998–99[2] | 6 | Plumpton | Sussex Police | No relegation | ||||||||||
1999–00[3] | 6 | Rye | St. Francis[lower-alpha 5] | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Sussex 3 (2002-2004)
After an absence of two years, Sussex 3 returned for the 2002–03 season, now as a tier 11 league. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation. After just two seasons, Sussex 3 was cancelled for the third time in its history.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002–03[4] | 6 | Old Brightonian | Ditchling | No relegation | ||||||||||
2003–04[5] | 6 | Ditchling[lower-alpha 6] | Plumpton | No relegation | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Sussex 2 East / Sussex 2 West (2010–2016)
Sussex 3 was reintroduced for the 2010–11 season in the form of two regional divisions - Sussex "Asahi" 2 East and Sussex "Oranjeboom" 2 West - both sitting at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion was to Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate (renamed back to Sussex 2 for the 2015–16 season onward) and relegation to either Sussex 3 East or Sussex 3 West.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
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2010–11 [6][7] | 8 | Uckfield II | Ditchling | Heathfield & Waldron IV | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
11 | Midhurst | Littlehampton | Brighton III, Worthing Senior I | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
2011–12 [8][9] | 10 | Hellingly | Hastings & Bexhill II | Haywards Heath III, Hove V, Eastbourne III | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
10 | Horley | Hove IV | Bognor III, Holbrook II | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
2012–13 [10][11] | 8 | East Grinstead III | Heathfield & Waldron III | Newick II, Rye 2nd XV | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
10 | Horsham II | Worthing Senior I | Shoreham II (Veterans) | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
2013–14 [12][13] | 9 | Eastbourne II | Burgess Hill II | Lewes III[lower-alpha 7] | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
9 | Bognor II | Sussex Police | No relegation[lower-alpha 8] | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
2014–15 [14][15] | 12 | Uckfield II | Plumpton | Worthing Senior III | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
12 | Pulborough II | Norfolk Arms | Shoreham II (Veterans) | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
2015–16 [16][17] | 10 | Newick | Hastings & Bexhill II | Lewes II | Sussex 2 East | |||||||||
11 | Barns Green | Brighton III | Burgess Hill III | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Sussex 3 (2016–onward)
For the 2016–17 season, Sussex 3 was remerged back into a single division at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and relegation to Sussex 4.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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2016–17[18] | 12 | Hastings & Bexhill II | Plumpton | Norfolk Arms | ||||||||||
2017–18 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
Number of league titles
- Ditchling (2)
- Old Brightonian (2)
- Rye (2)
- Uckfield II (2)[lower-alpha 9]
- BA Wingspan (1)
- Barns Green (1)[lower-alpha 10]
- Bognor II (1)[lower-alpha 11]
- Chichester IHE (1)
- East Grinstead III (1)[lower-alpha 12]
- Eastbourne II (1)[lower-alpha 13]
- Hellingly (1)[lower-alpha 14]
- Horley (1)[lower-alpha 15]
- Horsham II (1)[lower-alpha 16]
- Midhurst (1)[lower-alpha 17]
- Newick (1)[lower-alpha 18]
- Plumpton (1)
- Pulborough (1)[lower-alpha 19]
- Pulborough II (1)[lower-alpha 20]
- Shoreham (1)
- Sunallon (1)[lower-alpha 21]
- Sussex Police (1)
Notes
- Sunallon would first rename to Sun Alliance in 1994 and then its current name of Holbrook RFC.[1]
- Despite winning promotion, runners up RMP Chichester would drop out of the Sussex leagues the following season, only to reappear in Sussex 2 for the 1989–90 season.
- 3rd place Midhurst also promoted.
- The cancellation of Sussex 3 meant that all four teams in the division were to be promoted to Sussex 2 at the end of the season - however, 3rd and 4th place University of Sussex and Arun decided to drop out of the Sussex leagues at the end of the season.
- Six teams in this division would be promoted to Sussex 2 for the next season as Sussex 3 was to be abolished and would not return until 2002–03.
- As Sussex 3 was to be abolished for the following season no teams were promoted. An equivalent division would return in 2010-11 in the form of Asahi 2 East and Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Lewes III would withdraw from the league for the following season.
- There was no relegation as Bishop's Finger 3 East was abolished the following season.
- Both of Uckfield II's titles were for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
- Barns Green's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Bognor II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- East Grinstead III's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
- Eastbourne II's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
- Hellingly's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
- Horley's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Horsham II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Midhurst's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Newick's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
- As a club Pulborough have won Sussex 3 twice - once with the 1st XV, once with the 2nd XV.
- Pulborough II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
- Sunallon are currently known as Holbrook RFC.
References
- "HISTORY". Holbrook RFC. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- "1998-1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "1999-2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2002-2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2003-2004 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2010-2011 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2010-2011 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2011-2012 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2011-2012 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2012-2013 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2012-2013 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2013-2014 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2013-2014 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- "2014-2015 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "2014-2015 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- "2015-2016 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- "2015-2016 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- "2016-2017 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.