North East 3

North East 3 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North East England. Promoted teams moved up to North East 2 while relegated teams dropped to either Yorkshire 1 or Durham/Northumberland 1 depending on their location.

North East 3

Sport	Rugby Union
Instituted	1996; 28 years ago (1996)
Ceased	2000; 24 years ago (2000)
Country	England
Website	clubs.rfu.com

At the end of the 1999-2000 the division was cancelled along with North East 1, North East 2, and their counterparts North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3, due to northern league restructuring by the RFU. Most teams in North West 3 were transferred to their relevant regional leagues - Yorkshire 1 or Durham/Northumberland 1 - although one side went into Yorkshire 2.

Original teams

When this division was introduced in 1996 it contained the following teams:

• Blyth - relegated from North East 2 (8th)
• Bramley - relegated from North East 2 (13th)
• Darlington - promoted from Durham/Northumberland 1 (champions)
• Hull - relegated from North East 2 (9th)
• Pocklington - promoted from Yorkshire 1 (champions)
• Ripon - relegated from North East 2 (12th)
• Sunderland - promoted from Durham/Northumberland 1 (runners up)
• Thornensians - relegated from North East 2 (11th)
• Whitley Bay Rockcliff - relegated from North East 2 (10th)
• Whitby - relegated from North East 2 (7th)

North East 3 honours

North East 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1996–97	10	Darlington	Hull	Blyth, Whitley Bay Rockcliff
1997–98	10	Pocklington	Redcar	Whitby, Bramley Phoenix
1998–99[1]	10	Selby	West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B.	Thornensians, Sunderland, Bradford Salem
1999–00[2]	10	Westoe[a]	Yarnbury[b]	Roundhegians[c]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Darlington (1)
• Pocklington (1)
• Selby (1)
• Westoe (1)

Notes

1. As North East 2 was abolished Westoe instead transferred to Yorkshire 1.
2. Due to the cancellation of North East 1, 2 and 3 runners up Yarnbury, Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. and Ripon were transferred to Yorkshire 1 for the following season. Gateshead, Ryton, Hartlepool Rovers, Ashington and Medicals transferred to Durham/Northumberland 1.
3. Although not relegated in the usual fashion, Roundhegians were the only Yorkshire team to go into Yorkshire 2.

References

1. "1998-99 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
2. "1999-00 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 April 2017.

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England