The 2007–08 National Division Three South was the eighth season (21st overall) of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Barking who were relegated from the 2006–07 National Division Two while promoted sides included London Scottish (champions) and Ealing (playoffs) who came up from London Division 1, Mounts Bay who came up as champions of South West Division 1 and Luton who were Midlands Division 1 champions. In the case of Luton, Midlands league champions usually moved up to National Division Three North but due to number imbalances in that division, for this season, they would go into National Division Three South instead. 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 National Division Two while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from National Division Three North (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.
In what was a very competitive league there were a number of teams tipped to be promoted. In the end, it was Mounts Bay who came out on top as champions 12 points clear and sealing promotion to the 2008–09 National Division Two – part of an sequence of six successive promotions stretching back to Cornwall 1 in 2003–04. The battle for the runner up spot was keenly contested between Cinderford and newly promoted Ealing Trailfinders but in the end the Gloucestershire side took second spot despite losing their final game to the west Londoners. Cinderford would join Mounts Bay in National Division Two after defeating 2007–08 National Division Three North runners up Darlington Mowden Park in a very close playoff game viewed by over 2,000 spectators at Dockham Road. At the other end of the table newly promoted Luton went straight back down as the worst side in the division followed by North Walsham. The third and final relegation spot was very closely contested but eventually Clifton went down just 1 point behind relegation rivals Barking and Havant – an away victory against relegation rivals Havant not being enough as Barking had a shock win against champions Mount Bays to keep them up instead. Luton and North Walsham would drop to London Division 1 while Clifton would go into South West Division 1.
Participating teams and locations
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBarkingGoresbrook1,000Barking, LondonBridgwater & AlbionBath Road5,000Bridgwater, SomersetCanterburyMerton Lane1,500 (75 seats)Canterbury, KentCinderfordDockham Road2,500Cinderford, GloucestershireCliftonStation Road2,200 (200 seats) Clifton, BristolDings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, BristolEaling TrailfindersTrailfinders Sports Ground3,020Ealing, LondonHavantHook's Lane2,000 (200 seats)Havant, HampshireLondon ScottishAthletic Ground4,500 (1,000 seats)Richmond, LondonLutonNewlands RoadLuton, BedfordshireLydneyRegentsholme3,000 (340 seats)Lydney, GloucestershireMounts BayMennaye Field3,500Penzance, CornwallNorth WalshamNorwich Road1,200Scottow, North Walsham, NorfolkRosslyn ParkThe Rock2,000 (630 seats)Roehampton, London
Final league table
Results Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 February 2008.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 January 2008.
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 12 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 1 December 2007.
Round 16
Round 17
Round 12 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 1 December 2007.
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Round 23
Round 24
Round 25
Round 26
Promotion play-off The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two. Cinderford were the southern division runners up and as they had a superior league record than northern runners-up, Darlington Mowden Park, they hosted the play-off match.
Total season attendances
ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barking 10 1,766 177 300 100 18% Bridgwater & Albion 13 8,109 624 973 375 12% Canterbury 13 3,049 254 436 164 17% Cinderford 13 5,918 455 2,100 200 18% Clifton 11 1,499 136 312 66 6% Dings Crusaders 13 1,920 148 276 105 10% Ealing Trailfinders 13 3,624 279 506 134 9% Havant 13 3,351 258 350 180 13% London Scottish 11 5,670 515 1,320 300 11% Luton 12 3,256 271 626 150 Lydney 12 5,795 483 675 340 16% Mounts Bay 10 5,408 541 1,000 300 15% North Walsham 11 4,191 381 1,400 230 30% Rosslyn Park 12 4,504 375 560 170 19%
Individual statistics
Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Lee Jarvis Mounts Bay 24 266 2 Richard Mahoney Rosslyn Park 24 215 3 Ben Ward Ealing Trailfinders 26 212 4 Tristan Roberts Cinderford 19 187 5 Harry Bryan Barking 22 170 6 John Barnes Clifton 22 166 7 Adam Westall Lydney 14 127 8 Waylon Gasson Dings Crusaders 19 122 9 Gert De Kock Canterbury 25 121 10 Mark Davies Lydney 12 120
Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Owen Bruynseels Ealing Trailfinders 26 20 2 Chris McNeil Cinderford 22 19 3 Rob Viol Clifton 19 15 Michael Melford Canterbury 25 15 4 Dylan Raubenheimer Havant 18 14 James Copsey Cinderford 22 14 Gert De Kock Canterbury 25 14 Kiba Richards Ealing Trailfinders 26 14 5 Michael Panoho Dings Crusaders 25 13 6 Matt Fitzgerald London Scottish 19 12 Andy Thorpe North Walsham 20 12 Jonathan Marlin Mounts Bay 23 12
Season records
Team Largest home win – 61 pts 61 – 0 Cinderford at home to North Walsham on 22 September 2007 Largest away win – 39 pts 39 – 0 Cinderford away to Havant on 27 October 2007 Most points scored – 71 pts 71 – 17 Ealing Trailfinders at home to Clifton on 20 October 2007 Most tries in a match – 10 (x4) Cinderford at home to North Walsham on 22 September 2007 Ealing Trailfinders at home to Clifton on 20 October 2007 London Scottish at home to Luton on 19 January 2008 Mounts Bay v Luton on 15 March 2008 Most conversions in a match – 9 (x2) Ealing Trailfinders at home to Clifton on 20 October 2007 Mounts Bay v Luton on 15 March 2008 Most penalties in a match – 6 (x2) Mounts Bay away to Ealing Trailfinders on 3 November 2007 Luton at home to North Walsham on 22 December 2007 Most drop goals in a match – 1 N/A – multiple teams
Player Most points in a match – 27 Lee Jarvis for Mounts Bay away to Bridgwater & Albion on 8 September 2007 Most tries in a match – 4 (x2) Stuart Peel for London Scottish at home to Barking on 20 October 2007 Gert De Kock for Canterbury at home to Barking on 12 April 2008 Most conversions in a match – 9 (x2) Lee Jarvis for Mounts Bay at home to Barking on 1 September 2007 Ben Ward for Ealing Trailfinders at home to Clifton on 20 October 2007 Most penalties in a match – 6 (x3) Tim Mosey for Mounts Bay away to Ealing Trailfinders on 3 November 2007 Lee Jarvis for Mounts Bay at home to Lydney on 10 November 2007 Andy Davey for Luton at home to North Walsham on 22 December 2007 Most drop goals in a match – 1 N/A – multiple players
Attendances Highest – 2,100 Cinderford at home to Lydney on 8 September 2007 Lowest – 66 Clifton at home to Barking on 2 February 2008 Highest Average Attendance – 624 Bridgwater & Albion Lowest Average Attendance – 136 Clifton
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby