2007–08 National Division Three North

The 2007–08 National Division Three North was the eighth season (nineteenth overall) of the fourth division (north) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three North. New teams to the division included Bradford & Bingley and Harrogate who were relegated from the 2006–07 National Division Two, while promoted teams included Caldy (champions) and Beverley (playoffs), both coming up from North Division 1, with no team from Midlands Division 1 as the winners of that league, Luton, went 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 South (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.

At the end of the season the league champions were Tynedale, who made up for the disappointment of missing out on promotion from last season's playoffs by winning the title at a canter, finishing ahead of 2nd placed Darlington Mowden Park by a massive 29 points and qualifying directly for the 2008–09 National Division Two. As runners up Darlington Mowden Park had to go down to the 2007–08 National Division Three South runners up Cinderford for their playoff game, losing a tight encounter that finished 15 - 14 to the Gloucestershire side. The rest of the league was extremely tight, although the relegated sides all probably deserved to go down in terms of results with newly promoted Beverley, West Park St Helens and Morley being the three sides to go down. All three sides would drop to North Division 1 for the following season.

Participating teams and locations

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBeverleyBeaver ParkBeverley, East Riding of YorkshireBradford & BingleyWagon Lane4,000Bingley, West YorkshireCaldyPaton Field4,000Thurstaston, Wirral, MerseysideDarlington Mowden ParkYiewsley Drive Darlington, County DurhamFyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St. Annes, LancashireHarrogateClaro Road4,500 (500 seats)Harrogate, North YorkshireHull IoniansBrantingham Park1,500 (240 seats)Brantingham, East Riding of YorkshireLeicester LionsWestleigh Park2,000Blaby, LeicestershireMacclesfieldPriory Park1,250 (250 seats)Macclesfield, CheshireMorleyScatcherd Lane6,000 (1,000 seats)Morley, Leeds, West YorkshirePreston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green2,250 (250 seats)Preston, LancashireRugby LionsWebb Ellis Road4,000 (200 seats)Rugby, WarwickshireTynedaleTynedale Park2,000 (400 seats)Corbridge, NorthumberlandWest Park St HelensRed RocksSt Helens, Merseyside

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

Round 13

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 January 2008.

Round 14

Round 15

Round 13 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 15 December 2007.

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 February 2008.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 February 2008.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 February 2008.

Round 17

Round 16 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 19 January 2008.

Game rescheduled from 19 January 2008.

Game rescheduled from 19 January 2008.

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Round 24

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2008.

Round 24 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 29 March 2008.

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 Beverley 12 1,710 143 379 86 Bradford & Bingley 12 2,301 192 280 120 5% Caldy 8 3,279 410 900 232 10% Darlington Mowden Park 11 1,964 179 240 100 Fylde 12 5,073 423 683 160 6% Harrogate 11 2,852 259 400 150 6% Hull Ionians 12 2,694 225 310 110 15% Leicester Lions 13 1,795 138 280 50 7% Macclesfield 10 2,174 217 243 175 17% Morley 12 3,105 259 317 150 4% Preston Grasshoppers 12 4,233 353 973 205 16% Rugby Lions 13 3,300 254 322 144 6% Tynedale 12 2,932 244 325 150 12% West Park St Helens 10 889 89 146 39

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 Jon Boden Leicester Lions 25 282 2 Ross Winney Macclesfield 26 215 3 James Hawken Rugby Lions 24 189 4 Jon Benson Darlington Mowden Park 25 188 5 Tom Rhodes Bradford & Bingley 23 176 Andrew Soutar West Park St Helens 26 176 6 James Ferguson Hull Ionians 22 172 7 Simon Mason Caldy 21 164 8 Phillip Belgian Tynedale 19 157 9 Nick Wainwright Harrogate 26 144

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Oliver Brennand Fylde 26 22 2 Jonny Hampsey Morley 24 18 3 Gareth Collins Leicester Lions 24 16 4 Ade Hales Rugby Lions 21 15 5 Nick Royle Fylde 23 14 6 Lisiate Tafa Bradford & Bingley 24 12 7 Robert Miller Tynedale 16 11 James Clark Darlington Mowden Park 16 11 Craig Ross Caldy 19 11 Mark Kirkby Bradford & Bingley 19 11

Season records

Team Largest home win — 74 pts 74 - 0 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 22 December 2007 Largest away win — 49 pts 54 - 5 Leicester Lions away to Beverley on 26 January 2008 Most points scored — 74 pts 74 - 0 Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 22 December 2007 Most tries in a match — 10 (x2) Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 22 December 2007 Fylde at home to Beverley on 12 April 2008 Most conversions in a match — 9 (x2) Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 22 December 2007 Fylde at home to Beverley on 12 April 2008 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Preston Grasshoppers at home to Morley on 20 October 2007 Macclesfield at home to Rugby Lions on 2 February 2008 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3) West Park St Helens away to Beverley on 6 October 2007 Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 1 December 2007 Fylde away to Beverley on 15 December 2007

Player Most points in a match — 23 Jon Boden for Leicester Lions at home to Hull Ionians on 19 January 2008 Most tries in a match — 4 (x2) Lisiate Tafa for Bradford & Bingley away to Fylde on 6 October 2007 Gareth Roberts for Leicester Lions away to Beverley on 26 January 2008 Most conversions in a match — 8 Stephen Nutt for Fylde at home to Beverley on 12 April 2008 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Gerhard Boshoff for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Morley on 20 October 2007 Ross Winney for Macclesfield at home to Rugby Lions on 2 February 2008 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x3) Rob Hitchmough for West Park St Helens away to Beverley on 6 October 2007 John Armstrong for Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 1 December 2007 John Armstrong for Fylde away to Beverley on 15 December 2007

Attendances Highest — 973 Preston Grasshoppers at home to Fylde on 22 December 2007 Lowest — 39 West Park St Helens at home to Leicester Lions on 15 December 2007 Highest Average Attendance — 423 Fylde Lowest Average Attendance — 89 West Park St Helens

See also English Rugby Union Leagues English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby