London 3 North East was an English rugby union league that was the eighth level of club rugby union in England and was available to sides from north east London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Promoted clubs move into London 2 North East. Relegated teams tended to drop to Eastern Counties 1 or Essex 1 depending on geographical location, with new teams also coming from these leagues.
The league was discontinued at the end of the 2016–17 season as the RFU decided to instead create two new leagues - London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex - to reduce travelling times for teams involved. The teams from London 3 North East were transferred to either London 3 Eastern Counties or London 3 Essex depending on geography, along with additional teams being promoted from regional leagues if needed.
Participating teams 2016-17 Basildon East London (promoted from Essex 1) Ely (promoted from Eastern Counties 1) Harlow Ilford Wanderers Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth May & Baker Southwold Stowmarket Upminster RFC Wanstead West Norfolk
Participating teams 2015-16 Beccles Epping Upper Clapton (promoted from Essex 1) Harlow Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth May & Baker (promoted from Essex 1) Old Brentwoods Old Cooperians (relegated from London 2 North East) Southwold (promoted from Eastern Counties 1) Stowmarket Upminster Wanstead West Norfolk
Participating teams 2014-15 Beccles Billericay (promoted from Essex 1) Cantabrigian Clacton (promoted from Essex 1) Harlow Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth (relegated from London 2 North East) Old Brentwoods Stowmarket (relegated from London 2 North East) Sudbury Upminster Wanstead West Norfolk (promoted from Eastern Counties 1)
Participating teams 2013-14 Beccles Campion (promoted from Eastern Counties 1) Cantabrigian Canvey Island Harlow Old Brentwoods Old Cooperians (promoted from Essex 1) Sudbury Upminster Wansted Wisbech Wymondham (promoted from Eastern Counties 1)
Participating teams 2012-13 Beccles Cantabrigian Canvey Island East London Harlow Norwich Old Brentwoods South Woodham Ferrers Sudbury Upminster Wanstead Wisbech
Original teams
When this division as introduced in 2000 (as London 4 North East) it contained the following teams:
Bury St Edmunds - relegated from London 3 North East (8th) Canvey Island - relegated from London 3 North East (9th) Ely - relegated from London 3 North East (12th) Hadleigh - relegated from London 3 North East (10th) Holt - relegated from London 3 North East (13th) Newmarket - relegated from London 3 North East (14th) Saffron Walden - promoted from Eastern Counties 1 (champions) Thetford - relegated from London 3 North East (7th) West Norfolk - relegated from London 3 North East (11th) Woodbridge - promoted from Eastern Counties 1 (runners up)
London 3 North East honours
London 4 North East (2000–2009)
Originally known as London 4 North East, this division was a tier 8 league with promotion up to London 3 North East and relegation down to Eastern Counties 1 and (from 2003 to 2004) Essex 1.
London 4 North EastSeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2000–01 10 Bury St Edmunds Hadleigh Holt, Newmarket, Ely 2001–02 10 Saffron Walden West Norfolk Canvey Island 2002–03 10 Braintree Eton Manor Woodbridge, Upminster 2003–04 10 Campion Chelmsford Ely 2004–05 10 Rochford Hundred Westcliff Thetford, Beccles, Mersea Island 2005–06 10 Braintree Colchester West Norfolk, Wanstead, Wymondham 2006–07 10 Saffron Walden Chelmsford Stowmarket, Wisbech 2007–08 10 Mersea Island Sudbury Campion 2008–09 12 Colchester Ipswich Crusaders Green backgrounds are promotion places.
London 3 North East (2009–2017)
League restructuring by the RFU ahead of the 2009–10 season saw London 4 North East renamed as London 3 North East. Remaining as a tier 8 league, promotion was to London 2 North East (formerly London 3 North East), while relegation continued to either Eastern Counties 1 or Essex 1. The division was cancelled at the end of the 2016–17 season, with all non-promoted teams moving into the newly introduced London 3 Eastern Counties and London 3 Essex.
London 3 North EastSeasonNo of teamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 2009–10 12 Beccles Canvey Island Billericay, Dagenham, West Norfolk 2010–11 12 Basildon Lowestoft & Yarmouth Mersea Island, Bancroft, Wisbech 2011–12 12 Holt Stowmarket Newmarket, Wymondham, Campion 2012–13 12 South Woodham Ferrers Norwich East London, Sudbury 2013–14 12 Campion Old Cooperians Canvey Island, Wymondham, Wisbech 2014–15 12 Sudbury Cantabrigian Billericay, Clacton 2015–16 11 Old Cooperians Epping Upper Clapton Beccles, Old Brentwoods 2016–17 11 Harlow Wanstead No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Braintree (2) Campion (2) Saffron Walden (2) Basildon (1) Beccles (1) Bury St Edmunds (1) Colchester (1) Harlow (1) Mersea Island (1) Old Cooperians (1) Rochford Hundred (1) South Woodham Ferrers (1) Sudbury (1)
See also Eastern Counties RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
Notes
References