| Sussex 3 | |
| Current Season: | 2016–17 Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 |
| Sport: | Rugby union |
| Teams: | 12 |
| Champion: | Hastings & Bexhill II (1st title) |
| Season: | 2016–17) (promoted to Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate |
| Most Champs: | Ditchling, Old Brightonian, Rye, Uckfield II |
| Count: | 2 |
| Website: | www.sussexrugby.co.uk |
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.
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
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 | |||||||||||
| 1987–88 | 8 | Old Brightonian | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 7 | Pulborough | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 6 | Ditchling | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 5 | BA Wingspan | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 4 | Sunallon | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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 | |||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 5 | Rye | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 6 | Sussex Police | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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 | |||||||||||
| 1996–97 | 6 | Shoreham | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 6 | Chichester IHE | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1998–99[1] | 6 | Plumpton | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 1999–00[2] | 6 | Rye | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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[3] | 6 | Old Brightonian | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| 2003–04[4] | 6 | Ditchling | No relegation | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 [5] [6] | 8 | Uckfield II | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Midhurst | Sussex 2 West | |||||||||||||
| 2011–12 [7] [8] | 10 | Hellingly | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Horley | Sussex 2 West | |||||||||||||
| 2012–13 [9] [10] | 8 | East Grinstead III | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Horsham II | Shoreham II (Veterans) | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||||
| 2013–14 [11] [12] | 9 | Eastbourne II | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Bognor II | No relegation | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||||
| 2014–15 [13] [14] | 12 | Uckfield II | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Pulborough II | Shoreham II (Veterans) | Sussex 2 West | ||||||||||||
| 2015–16 [15] [16] | 10 | Newick | Sussex 2 East | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Barns Green | Sussex 2 West | |||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||
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 | |||||||||||
| 2016–17[17] | 12 | Hastings & Bexhill II | |||||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | |||||||||||||||