2008–09 National Division Three North Explained

2008–09 National Division Three North
Champions:Nuneaton
Runnersup:Caldy
Relegated:Bradford & Bingley, Darlington Mowden Park
Highest Attendance:1,644
Fylde v Hull Ionians
21 March 2009
Attendance:43,985 (average 262 per match)
Lowest Attendance:65
Loughborough Students v Huddersfield
29 November 2008
Top Point Scorer: Gavin Roberts (Caldy)
290 points
Top Try Scorer: Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions)
29 tries
Prevseason:2007–08
Nextseason:2009–10

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 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 reshuffle of the entire league system.[1] New teams to the division included Halifax and Nuneaton 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 (champions) Huddersfield (playoffs) coming up from North Division 1.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] A further, final change to the division saw Rugby Lions transfer across to 2008–09 National Division Three South as the most southerly side in the division in order to address a team imbalance between the two leagues.[7] 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 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 winning the league title and promotion ahead of nearest rivals Caldy who finished 9 points behind without the consolation of the usual north-south playoff.[8] [9] 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).[8] Darlington Mowden Park would drop down to the newly named National League 3 North (previously North Division 1).[10] 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.[11] [12]

Participating teams and locations

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Area
Bradford & BingleyWagon Lane4,000Bingley, West Yorkshire
CaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside
Darlington Mowden ParkYiewsley DriveDarlington, County Durham
FyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground9,000Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire
HalifaxOvenden ParkHalifax, West Yorkshire
HarrogateClaro RoadHarrogate, North Yorkshire
HuddersfieldLockwood Park1,500 (500 seats)Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hull IoniansBrantingham Park1,500 (240 seats)Brantingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
KendalMint Bridge3,000 (300 stand)Kendal, Cumbria
Leicester LionsWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, Leicestershire
Loughborough StudentsLoughborough University Stadium3,000Loughborough, Leicestershire
MacclesfieldPriory Park1,250 (250 seats)Macclesfield, Cheshire
NuneatonLiberty Way4,314 (514 seats)Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Preston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green5,000Preston, Lancashire

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

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Rounds 11, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

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Round 16

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Rounds 12, 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)

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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)

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Round 26

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Rounds 12, 15 & 21 (rescheduled games)

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Rounds 14 & 18 (rescheduled games)

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Round 19 (rescheduled game)

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Rounds 15 & 19 (rescheduled games)

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Round 5 (rescheduled game)

Total season attendances

ClubHome
Games		TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bradford & Bingley 11 2,240 204 375 95 5%
Caldy 11 3,080 280 419 127 7%
Darlington Mowden Park 12 1,675 140 200 100
Fylde 13 7,672 590 1,644 350 7%
Halifax 12 2,179 182 361 125
Harrogate 12 2,485 207 280 120
Huddersfield 13 2,644 203 283 119 14%
Hull Ionians 13 3,550 273 350 150 18%
Kendal 11 5,999 545 690 375 18%
Leicester Lions 13 1,700 131 200 100 7%
Loughborough Students 9 1,365 152 250 65 5%
Macclesfield 13 2,773 213 310 143 17%
Nuneaton 13 2,709 208 330 127 5%
Preston Grasshoppers 12 3,914 326 758 203 7%

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Points
1 22 290
2 25 215
3 22 248
4 24 229
5 20 216
6 26 189
7 18 186
8 12 150
9 21 146
10 26 145
[13]

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Appearances Tries
1 26 29
2 26 28
3 17 24
24 24
4 21 16
5 23 15
24 15
6 25 14
26 14
26 14
26 14
[14]

Season records

Team

Largest home win — 80 pts83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
  • Largest away win — 68 pts68 - 0 Kendal away to Bradford & Bingley on 9 May 2009
  • Most points scored — 83 pts83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
  • Most tries in a match — 13Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
  • Most conversions in a match — 9Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009
  • Most penalties in a match — 8Huddersfield 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

    • [15] [16] [17] [18]

    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 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 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 for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008
    Rickie Aley for Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008

    • [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

    Attendances

    Highest — 1,644Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 21 March 2009
  • Lowest — 65Loughborough Students at home to Huddersfield on 29 November 2008
  • Highest Average Attendance — 590Fylde
  • Lowest Average Attendance — 131Leicester Lions

    • [24]

    See also

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Championship plan gains support . BBC News . 14 November 2008 .
    2. Web site: Halifax 10 Stourbridge 34 . Yorkshire Post . 3 March 2008 .
    3. Web site: Relegated Nuns stay positive . Coventry Telegraph . 28 March 2008 .
    4. Web site: Loughborough Students' march brings new test . Telegraph . 6 March 2008 .
    5. Web site: Rugby - Champions bid for "perfect" season . The Westmorland Gazette . 19 April 2008 .
    6. Web site: Review of the Year 2008: Heroic Huddersfield make history with play-off triumph . The Huddersfield Daily Examiner . 27 December 2008 .
    7. Web site: Lions are heading south . Coventry Telegraph . 29 April 2008 .
    8. Web site: National League Three North 2008-09 . englandrugby.com . 16 May 2009 .
    9. Web site: Nuns look to celebrate title glory in style . Coventry Telegraph . 24 April 2009 .
    10. Web site: National League 3 North . englandrugby.com . 5 September 2009 .
    11. Web site: Halifax RUFC demise affects Tigers . Halifax Courier . 12 June 2009 .
    12. Web site: Halifax gone? . rolling-maul.com . 9 June 2009 .
    13. Web site: National Three North 08/09 Leading top scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 16 May 2009.
    14. Web site: National Three North 08/09 Leading try scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 16 May 2009.
    15. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most tries in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    16. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most conversions in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    17. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most penalties in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    18. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most drop goals in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    19. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most points in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    20. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    21. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most conversions in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    22. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most penalties in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    23. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Most drop goals in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009 .
    24. Web site: National 3 North 08/09 Home attendance . Rugby Statbunker . 16 May 2009.

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