Lancs/Cheshire 3 (formerly South Lancs/Cheshire 3) was an English rugby union league. Promoted teams entered South Lancs/Cheshire 2, ranked at tier 9 of the English league system. This was the basement level for club rugby union for teams in the South Lancashire, Manchester and Cheshire areas and any team from this area wanting to begin in club rugby union had to join this league. Up until 2008–09 there was relegation with teams dropping down and coming up from South Lancs/Cheshire 4.
The division was initially known as North-West West 3 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names with South Lancs/Cheshire 3 being the longest running. The division had a break for the 2015-16 season as the RFU decided to restructure the South Lancs/Cheshire league into three zones - Merseyside (West), Cheshire (South) and Lancashire (North). This was short-lived and the division returned to its original format for the 2016–17 season - with only Lancashire (North) remaining of the three zones.
At the end of the 2016–17 season the RFU decided to break this division up into two regional leagues known as Lancs/Cheshire 3 (North) and Lancs/Cheshire 3 (South), with teams transferred into each league depending on geographical location. At the end of the 2018–19 season the division was cancelled.
Teams 2018–19
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Ellesmere Port Whitby Sports & Social Club Ellesmere Port, Cheshire 3rd (league) Liverpool University Wyncote Sports Ground Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside 6th (league cup) Mossley Hill Mossley Hill Athletic Club Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside 8th (league) Newton-le-Willows Newton-le-Willows Sports Club Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside 1st (league cup) Old Bedians Millgate Lane Didsbury, Manchester, Greater Manchester 7th (league) Oldershaw Belvidere Recreational Ground Oldershaw, Merseyside Relegated from Lancs/Cheshire Division 2 (14th) Oxton Parkonians HM Curphey Memorial Ground Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside 9th (league) Prenton Prenton Dell Road Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside 2nd (league cup) Ramsey Mooragh Park Ramsey, Isle of Man 4th (league) Ruskin Park RUFC Ruskin Drive Sports Ground St Helens, Merseyside N/A Vagabonds Port-E-Chee Douglas, Isle of Man Relegated from Lancs/Cheshire Division 2 (13th)
Teams 2017–18
North
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Ashton-under-Lyne Gambrel Bank Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester Transferred from Lancashire (North) (11th) Bury Radcliffe Road Bury, Greater Manchester Transferred from Lancashire (North) (10th) Clitheroe Littlemoor Road Clitheroe, Lancashire Transferred from Raging Bull North West Leagues (2nd) Eagle Thornton Road Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (12th) Garstang Hudson Park Garstang, Lancashire Transferred from Lancashire (North) (6th) North Manchester Tudor Lodge Moston, Manchester, Greater Manchester Transferred from Lancashire (North) (9th) Old Bedians Millgate Lane Didsbury, Manchester, Greater Manchester Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (3rd) Ormskirk Green Lane Ormskirk, Lancashire Transferred from Lancashire (North) (8th)
South
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Birchfield Birchfield Road Widnes, Cheshire Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (9th) Christleton Christleton Sports Centre Christleton, Chester, Cheshire Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (7th) Ellesmere Port Whitby Sports & Social Club Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (6th) Liverpool University Wyncote Sports Ground Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (4th) Mossley Hill Mossley Hill Athletic Club Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (11th) Newton-le-Willows Newton-le-Willows Sports Club Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (10th) Oxton Parkonians HM Curphey Memorial Ground Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (8th) Prenton Prenton Dell Road Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (13th) Ramsey Mooragh Park Ramsey, Isle of Man Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (5th) Wallasey Cross Lane Wallasey, Merseyside Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (12th)
Participating clubs 2016-17 Aspull Birchfield Christleton Congleton Ellesmere Port Linley Liverpool University Mossley Hill Newton-le-Willows Old Bedians Oxton Parkonians Prenton Ramsey (IoM) Wallasey
2015-16
For the 2015-16 season this league, and South Lancs/Cheshire 3, were replaced by three county-wide leagues - Cheshire (South), Merseyside (West) and Lancashire (North). However, with the exception of Lancashire North, the county leagues were axed after just one season and the South Lancs/Cheshire leagues were restored.
Participating clubs 2014-15 Capenhurst Congleton Ellesmere Port Helsby Knutsford Linley Liverpool University Oldershaw Oxton Parkonians Ramsey (IoM) (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 2) Wallasey (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 2)
Participating clubs 2013-14 Buxton (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 2) Capenhurst Congleton Ellesmere Port Helsby Holmes Chapel - withdrew after 3 games, 1st team now plays in NOWIRUL Leagues Knutsford Linley Liverpool University Oldershaw (relegated from South Lancs/Cheshire 2) Oxton Parkonians Prenton Trentham
Participating clubs 2012-13 Capenhurst Congleton Ellesmere Port Helsby Holmes Chapel Knutsford Linley Liverpool University Manchester Medics Parkonians Port Sunlight Prenton Trentham
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Agecroft Burtonwood Halton Helsby Hoylake Mossley Hill Old Rockferrians Prescot Shell Stanlow Wigan Tech
Lancs/Cheshire 3 honours
North-West West 3 (1987–1992)
The original incarnation of South Lancs/Cheshire 3 was known as North-West West 3, and was a tier 11 league with promotion up to North-West West 2 and as the lowest ranked league in the region there was no relegation.
North-West West 3 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 10 Halton Old Rockferrians No relegation 1988–89 12 Hoylake Shell Stanlow No relegation 1989–90 9 Vagabonds Wallasey No relegation 1990–91 8 St. Mary's Old Boys Mossley Hill No relegation 1991–92 8 Birchfield Wallasey No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (1996–2000)
The division would be reintroduced for the 1996–97 season, this time with the name South Lancs/Cheshire 3 and at tier 12 of the league system. Promotion would be to South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (formerly North-West West 2) while relegation would be down to the newly formed South Lancs/Cheshire 4. From the 1998–99 season onward the league was known as EuroManx South Lancs/Cheshire 3 after its sponsor EuroManx.
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 8 Marple St. Mary's Old Boys Vulcan, Mossley Hill 1997–98 8 Shell Stanlow Prenton Halton, Hoylake 1998–99 8 Moore Douglas Didsbury Toc H 1999–00 8 Runcorn Hoylake Vulcan, Oxton Parkonians Green backgrounds are promotion places.
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (2000–2015)
Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999-2000 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that South/Lancs Cheshire 3 became a tier 9 league. The division would continue to be known as EuroManx South Lancs/Cheshire 1 until the 2007–08 season when EuroManx ceased operations. At the end of 2014–15 season South Lancs/Cheshire 2 and South Lancs/Cheshire 3 were discontinued and all teams were transferred into Cheshire (South), Lancashire (North) or Merseyside (West).
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2000–01 9 Anselmians Runcorn No relegation 2001–02 10 Hoylake Bowdon No relegation 2002–03 11 Ruskin Park Orrell Crosby St. Mary's 2003-04 11 Manchester Wanderers Wallasey Congleton 2004–05 12 Sale FC St. Edward's Old Boys Trentham, Prenton 2005–06 11 Oswestry Sefton No relegation 2006–07 11 Southport Liverpool Collegiate Marple 2007–08 11 Douglas Trentham Oxton Parkonians 2008–09 12 Oldershaw Liverpool Collegiate Mossley Hill, Newton-le-Willows, Eagle 2009–10 11 Holmes Chapel Ramsey No relegation 2010–11 12 Crewe & Nantwich Ellesmere Port No relegation 2011–12 12 Wallasey Buxton No relegation 2012–13 12 Manchester Medics Port Sunlight No relegation 2013–14 12 Prenton Trentham No relegation 2014–15 11 Ellesmere Port Ramsey (IOM) No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 (2016-2017)
After just one season Cheshire (South) and Merseyside (West) were discontinued and South Lancs/Cheshire 2 and South Lancs/Cheshire 3 reinstated for the 2016–17 season with all clubs transferred back into these divisions.
South Lancs/Cheshire 3 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2016–17 14 Aspull Congleton No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Lancs/Cheshire 3 (2017-2019)
A further restructure for the 2018–19 season saw South Lancs/Cheshire 3 renamed to Lancs/Cheshire 3. At the end of the 2018–19 the division was cancelled.
Lancs/Cheshire 3 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2017–18 9 Garstang Birchfield No relegation 2018–19 11 Ramsey Ellesmere Port No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Ellesmere Port (2) Hoylake (2) Anselmians (1) Aspull (1) Birchfield (1) Crewe & Nantwich (1) Douglas (1) Garstang (1) Halton (1) Holmes Chapel (1) Manchester Medics (1) Manchester Wanderers (1) Marple (1) Moore (1) Oldershaw (1) Oswestry (1) Prenton (1) Ramsey (1) Runcorn (1) Ruskin Park (1) Sale FC (1) Southport (1) St. Mary's Old Boys (1) Vagabonds (1) Wallasey (1)
Notes
See also Cheshire RFU Lancashire RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References