The 2006–07 National Division Three North was the seventh 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 Orrell who were relegated from the 2005–06 National Division Two while promoted teams included Rugby Lions who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 as well as Morley (champions) and West Park St Helens who came up from North Division 1. 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 Blaydon would pip Tynedale to the title by just one point with Tynedale actually having a better league record in terms of wins and draws but having fewer bonus points. After missing out on the league title by the finest of margins, Tynedale would fail to gain promotion to the 2007–08 National Division Two at the second attempt losing away to the 2006–07 National Division Three South runners up Westcombe Park in the promotion playoff. In terms of relegation Orrell would suffer their third relegation in a row, with just two draws all season, with the much more competitive Cleckheaton and Darlington going down at a later date. In Darlington's case they finished level with newly promoted West Park St Helens, with the same number of wins but with more defeats as West Park managed to draw two extra games (despite having less bonus points). Cleckheaton and Darlington would join North Division 1 for the subsequent season. In the case of Orrell the impact of relegation was much more drastic as the club folded due to its financial backers pulling out. However, an amateur version of the club would carry on playing in the South Lancs/Cheshire 2 league for 2007-08.

Participating teams and locations

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBlaydonCrow Trees2,000 (400 seats)Swalwell, Tyne and WearCleckheatonCleckheaton Sports ClubCleckheaton, West YorkshireDarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,000Darlington, County DurhamDarlington Mowden ParkYiewsley Drive Darlington, County DurhamFyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St. Annes, LancashireHull 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 YorkshireOrrellEdge Hall Road5,300 (300 seats) Orrell, Greater ManchesterPreston 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

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 30 December 2006.

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 11 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 25 November 2006.

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 April 2007.

Round 26

Round 25 (rescheduled game)

Game rescheduled from 14 April 2007.

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. Westcombe Park were the southern division runners up and as they had a superior league record than northern runners-up, Tynedale, they hosted the play-off match.

Total season attendances ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Blaydon 12 3,765 314 810 120 16% Cleckheaton 12 2,941 245 850 130 Darlington 13 2,150 165 500 100 6% Darlington Mowden Park 13 2,452 189 300 120 Fylde 13 7,176 552 1,987 240 7% Hull Ionians 13 3,250 250 500 150 17% Leicester Lions 13 1,515 117 200 60 6% Macclesfield 9 2,282 254 337 154 20% Morley 12 3,500 292 500 220 5% Orrell 12 1,512 126 505 68 2% Preston Grasshoppers 13 5,711 439 805 242 20% Rugby Lions 11 3,352 305 380 235 8% Tynedale 13 3,155 243 410 160 12% West Park St Helens 12 2,155 180 260 100

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 James Hawken Rugby Lions 26 266 2 John Armstrong Fylde 26 247 3 Anthony Mellalieu Darlington Mowden Park / Blaydon 22 217 4 Andrew Soutar West Park St Helens 22 206 5 Paul Bailey Preston Grasshoppers 22 202 6 Ross Winney Macclesfield 23 200 7 Phillip Belgian Tynedale 18 183 8 Glenn Boyd Morley 26 177 9 Nick Royle Fylde 22 155 10 Karl Birch Hull Ionians 21 141

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Nick Royle Fylde 22 31 2 Andrew Fenby Blaydon 24 25 3 Peter Altona Blaydon 22 20 4 Ade Hales Rugby Lions 24 18 5 Oliver Viney Preston Grasshoppers 24 16 6 Craig Field Morley 24 14 7 Ralph Smith Blaydon 18 13 Will Massey Tynedale 25 13 8 Feofaaku Lea Leicester Lions 10 12 Benjamin Duncan Tynedale 19 12 Dominic Wareing Rugby Lions 25 12

Season records

Team Largest home win — 124 pts 124 - 0 Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 Largest away win — 106 pts 106 - 0 Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 Most points scored — 124 pts 124 - 0 Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 Most tries in a match — 18 Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 Most conversions in a match — 17 Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 Most penalties in a match — 5 (x2) Tynedale away to West Park St Helens on 2 September 2006 Rugby Lions at home to Fylde on 27 January 2007 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Fylde at home to Blaydon on 14 October 2006

Player Most points in a match — 35 Nick Royle for Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 Most tries in a match — 7 Nick Royle for Fylde away to Orrell on 31 March 2007 Most conversions in a match — 17 Anthony Mellalieu for Blaydon at home to Orrell on 24 March 2007 Most penalties in a match — 5 (x2) Phillip Belgian for Tynedale away to West Park St Helens on 2 September 2006 James Hawken for Rugby Lions at home to Fylde on 27 January 2007 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) John Armstrong for Fylde at home to Blaydon on 14 October 2006

Attendances Highest — 1,987 Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 23 December 2006 Lowest — 60 Leicester Lions at home to Tynedale on 25 November 2006 Highest Average Attendance — 552 Fylde Lowest Average Attendance — 117 Leicester Lions

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

References

External links NCA Rugby