The 2008–09 National Division Three North was the tenth and last season (twenty-second overall) of the
fourth division (north) of the
English domestic
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
competition using the name National Division Three North. The division was set to be re-branded National League 2 North for the following season due to an
RFU
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It prom ...
reshuffle of the entire league system. New teams to the division included
Halifax and
Nuneaton
Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire to the north-east.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton's population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 censu ...
who were relegated from the
2007–08 National Division Two while promoted sides included
Loughborough Students who came up as champions of
Midlands Division 1 along with
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...
(champions)
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
(playoffs) coming up from
North Division 1. A further, final change to the division saw
Rugby Lions
The Rugby Lions RFC, nicknamed ''The Lions'', is an English rugby union club based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The club plays its home matches at Webb Ellis Road. Its developmental squad is known as the Crusaders. The club also has a ladies team ...
transfer across to
2008–09 National Division Three South
The 2008–09 National Division Three South was the ninth and last season (22nd overall) of the National League 2 South, fourth division (south) of the England, English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South ...
as the most southerly side in the division in order to address a team imbalance between the two leagues. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into what would be known as
National League 1
National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...
from 2009-10 but unlike previous years, there would be no promotion playoff between the runners up of the division and the runners up of National Division Three South due to the league restructuring.
Nuneaton made it an instant return to the (newly named)
2009–10 National League 1
The 2009-10 National League 1, previously known as National Division 2, is the first season of the third division of the English rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced with widespread lea ...
winning the league title and promotion ahead of nearest rivals
Caldy
Caldy (historically spelt Calday) is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward (country subdivision), Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wi ...
who finished 9 points behind without the consolation of the usual north-south playoff.
At the opposite end of the table Halifax suffered their second consecutive relegation being comfortably the worst team in the league with just 1 win and 1 draw for their efforts. Much more competitive but ultimately 8 points worse off than next highest team were
Darlington Mowden Park who were relegated despite finishing runners up the previous season (narrowly losing in the playoffs).
[ Darlington Mowden Park would drop down to the newly named National League 3 North (previously North Division 1). The second relegated team, Halifax, were initial supposed to join Darlington Mowden Park in that division but due to financial difficulties the club decided to drop out of the national leagues and start as an amateur club in Yorkshire 6 - the lowest level the club could drop to.
]
Participating teams and locations
Final league table
Results
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Round 5
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 May 2009.
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Round 6
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Round 7
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.
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Round 8
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Round 9
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Round 10
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Round 11
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.
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Round 12
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.
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Round 13
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Round 14
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.
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Round 15
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.
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Rounds 11, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 29 November 2008.
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
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Round 16
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Round 17
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Round 18
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.
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Round 19
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 May 2009.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.
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Round 20
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Round 21
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.
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Round 22
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Rounds 12, 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.
*Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.
*Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
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Round 23
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Round 24
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Round 25
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Rounds 7, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 25 October 2008.
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
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Round 26
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Rounds 12, 15 & 21 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.
*Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.
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Rounds 14 & 18 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.
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Round 19 (rescheduled game)
*Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.
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Rounds 15 & 19 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.
*Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.
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Round 5 (rescheduled game)
*Game rescheduled from 4 October 2008.
Total season attendances
Individual statistics
* Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances will come first. Also note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 80 pts
83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Largest away win — 68 pts
68 - 0 Kendal away to Bradford & Bingley on 9 May 2009
;Most points scored — 83 pts
83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most tries in a match — 13
Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most conversions in a match — 9
Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most penalties in a match — 8
Huddersfield away to Halifax on 3 January 2009
;Most drop goals in a match — 3 (x2)
Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008
Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008
Player
;Most points in a match — 30 (x2)
Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009
Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most tries in a match — 6 (x2)
Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009
Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most conversions in a match — 9
Jon Boden
Jon Boden (born 17 March 1977) is a singer, composer and musician, best known as lead singer and main arranger of Bellowhead. His first instrument is the fiddle and he is a proponent of "English traditional fiddle style" and also of "fiddle si ...
for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
;Most penalties in a match — (x6)
Ross Winney for Macclesfield at home to Hull Ionians on 6 September 2008
Rickie Aley Rickie is a male or female given name.
People
* Rickie Fowler (born 1988), American professional golfer
* Rickie Harris (born 1943), American football defensive back
* Rickie Lee Jones (born 1954), American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and pro ...
for Nuneaton away to Harrogate on 4 October 2008
Jon Benson for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Fylde on 7 March 2009
;Most drop goals in a match — 3 (x2)
Rickie Aley Rickie is a male or female given name.
People
* Rickie Fowler (born 1988), American professional golfer
* Rickie Harris (born 1943), American football defensive back
* Rickie Lee Jones (born 1954), American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and pro ...
for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008
Rickie Aley Rickie is a male or female given name.
People
* Rickie Fowler (born 1988), American professional golfer
* Rickie Harris (born 1943), American football defensive back
* Rickie Lee Jones (born 1954), American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and pro ...
for Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008
Attendances
;Highest — 1,644
Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 21 March 2009
;Lowest — 65
Loughborough Students at home to Huddersfield on 29 November 2008
;Highest Average Attendance — 590
Fylde
;Lowest Average Attendance — 131
Leicester Lions
See also
* English Rugby Union Leagues
* English rugby union system
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
* Rugby union in England
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which invol ...
References
External links
NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:National3
2008-09
2008–09 in English rugby union leagues