Counties 3 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 3, is an English
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 ...
league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promoted to
Counties 2 Yorkshire
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
and the bottom two teams are relegated to
Counties 4 Yorkshire. Each season a team from Counties 3 Yorkshire or
Counties 4 Yorkshire may be picked to take part in the
RFU Junior Vase
The RFU Junior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since 1990. It is mostly contested by 1st XV teams at level 9 of the English rugby union system, altho ...
- a national competition for clubs at levels 9–12.
Participating clubs 2025-26
Departing were Old Otliensians and Halifax, both promoted to
Counties 2 Yorkshire
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
while Thirsk were relegated to
Counties 4 Yorkshire.
Participating clubs 2024–25
Departing were Northallerton and
Halifax Vandals, both promoted to
Counties 2 Yorkshire
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
while Sheffield Medicals were relegated to
Counties 4 Yorkshire.
Participating clubs 2023–24
Departing were Hemsworth and Ossett, both promoted to
Counties 2 Yorkshire
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
. Thornensians (10th), Knottingley (11th) and Leeds Medics & Dentists (12th) were relegated to
Counties 4 Yorkshire.
Participating clubs 2022–23
This was the first season following the
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 ...
Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to
Yorkshire 3
Counties 3 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 3, is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically ...
with teams ranked 4th to 12th returning (1st to 3rd were 'promoted' to
Counties 2 Yorkshire
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
and the bottom two 'relegated' to
Counties 4 Yorkshire) and supplemented by top 2 from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
and one coming down from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
so with five departing but only three arriving the league was reduced from 14 teams to 12.
Participating clubs 2021–22
The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.
Season 2020–21
On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced
that due to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (
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 ...
and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Yorkshire 3 was not contested.
Participating clubs 2019–20
Participating clubs 2018-19
Participating clubs 2017-18
Participating clubs 2016-17
*Aireborough
*Baildon
*Castleford (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*Goole
*
Halifax
*
Halifax Vandals RUFC (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*
Harrogate Pythons
*Knottingley (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*Leeds Medics and Dentists
*Leeds Modernians
*Northallerton
*Old Otliensians
*Stocksbridge
*Wensleydale (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
Participating clubs 2015-16
*Aireborough
*Baildon
*Bramley Phoenix
*Goole (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*
Halifax (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*
Harrogate Pythons
*Leeds Medics and Dentists (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*Leeds Modernians
*Northallerton
*Old Otliensians
*
Rotherham Phoenix
*Stocksbridge
*Thornensians
*Wetherby (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
Participating clubs 2014-15
*Aireborough
*Baildon (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*Bramley Phoenix
*Burley
*Castleford
*
Harrogate Pythons
*Hemsworth
*Northallerton
*Old Grovians
*Old Modernians
*Old Otliensians (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*
Rotherham Phoenix
*Stocksbridge (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*Thornensians
Participating clubs 2013-14
*Aireborough
*Bramley Phoenix
*Burley
*Castleford
*Goole
*
Harrogate Pythons (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*Hemsworth
*Leeds Medics and Dentists
*Northallerton
*Old Grovians (promoted from
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
)
*Old Modernians
*
Rotherham Phoenix
*Skipton (relegated from
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
)
*Thornensians
Participating clubs 2012–13
*Aireborough
*Baildon
*Bramley Phoenix
*Burley
*Goole
*Hemsworth
*
Hessle
Hessle () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, west of Kingston upon Hull. Geographically it is part of a larger urban area consisting of the city of Kingston upon Hull, the town of H ...
*Leeds Medics and Dentists
*Northallerton
*Old Modernians
*Old Rishworthians
*
Rotherham Phoenix
*Thornensians
*York Railway Institute
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
*
Airebronians
*
Baildon
Baildon is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Bradford, Bradford Metropolitan Borough in West Yorkshire, England and within the Historic counties of England, historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
...
*
Bradford Salem
*
Bridlington
Bridlington (previously known as Burlington) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is on the Holderness part (Flamborough Head to the Humber estuary) of the Yorkshire Coast by the North Sea. The town is ...
*
Heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
*
Knottingley
Knottingley is a town in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the old A1 road before it was bypassed as the A1(M). Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 13,503, increasing ...
*
Leeds CSSA
*
Marist
*
Northallerton
Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Wiske in the Vale of Mowbray and had a population of 16,832 in 2011. Northallerton is an administrative centre for York and North Yorkshire ...
*
Rodillians
*
Yarnbury
Yorkshire 3 honours
Yorkshire 3 (1987–1993)
The original Yorkshire 3 was a tier 11 league with promotion up to
Yorkshire 2
Counties 2 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 2 is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top tw ...
and relegation down to
Yorkshire 4
Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
.
Yorkshire 3 (1993–2000)
The creation of
National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Yorkshire 3 dropped to become a tier 12 league. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season, which included the cancellation of National 5 North and the addition of
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 ...
at tier 9, saw Yorkshire 3 remain at tier 12.
Yorkshire 3 (2000–present)
Northern league restructuring by the
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 ...
at the end of the 1999–2000 season saw the cancellation of
North East 1
North East 1 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the 7th tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North East England. Promoted teams moved up to North 2 East while relegated teams dropped to North East 2. ...
,
North East 2
North East 2 was an English Rugby Union league was at the eighth tier of the domestic competition when it was founded in 1987 and was available to teams in North East England. Promoted teams moved up to North East 1 while relegated teams dro ...
and
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 ...
(tiers 7–9). This meant that Yorkshire 3 became a tier 9 league.
Number of league titles
*
Aireborough
Aireborough was a local government district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, from 1937 to 1974. It was formed through the abolition of the urban districts of Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon and enlarged by the addition of parts of Otl ...
(2)
*
Heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
(2)
*
Hemsworth
Hemsworth is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire and had a population of 13,311 at the 2001 census, ...
(2)
*
Leeds Corinthians (2)
*
Roundhegians (2)
*Wetherby (2)
*
Wath upon Dearne
Wath upon Dearne (shortened to Wath or often hyphenated) is a town south of the River Dearne in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, north of Rotherham and almost midway between Barnsley and Doncaster. It had a pop ...
(2)
*
Yarnbury (2)
*
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
(2)
*
Bradford Salem (1)
*
Bridlington
Bridlington (previously known as Burlington) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is on the Holderness part (Flamborough Head to the Humber estuary) of the Yorkshire Coast by the North Sea. The town is ...
(1)
*
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's Historic counties of England, historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
At the 2021 United Kingdom censu ...
(1)
*
Halifax Vandals (1)
*
Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. (1)
*
Hullensians
Counties 1 Yorkshire is an English rugby union division, the seventh tier of the domestic competition, and the top level for local rugby union in parts of Yorkshire. The champions are automatically promoted to Regional 2 North East (formerly No ...
(1)
*
Knottingley
Knottingley is a town in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the old A1 road before it was bypassed as the A1(M). Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 13,503, increasing ...
(1)
*
Leodiensian (1)
*
Moortown (1)
*
Northallerton
Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Wiske in the Vale of Mowbray and had a population of 16,832 in 2011. Northallerton is an administrative centre for York and North Yorkshire ...
(1)
*
Pocklington
Pocklington () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, its population was 10,123. It lies east of York, and ...
(1)
*
Old Grovians (1)
*
Old Rishworthians (1)
*
Skipton
Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...
(1)
*
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is a valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Dales, which are part of the Pennines. The Dale (landform), dale is named after the village of Wensley, North Yorkshire, Wensley, formerly the valley's market tow ...
(1)
*
West Park Leeds (1)
*York Railway Institute (1)
See also
*
Yorkshire RFU
*
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 ...
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yorkshire 3
9
Rugby union competitions in Yorkshire