The 2004–05 National Division Three South was the fifth season (18th 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 Lydney who were relegated from 2003–04 National Division Two as well as Havant (champions) and Hertford (playoffs) who were promoted from London Division 1 while Reading came up as champions of South West Division 1. The season would also see the introduction of a new points system with 4 points being awarded for a win, 2 points being awarded for a draw (replacing the old system of 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw) with the addition of a bonus point being given for scoring 4 or more tries as well as a bonus point given if you manage to lose a game 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.
At the end of the season Barking finished as champions with a fantastic record of 24 wins out of 26 games, finishing 12 points ahead of runners up Redruth, with the Cornish side perhaps having finished champions in a different season with just 3 defeats. Redruth would join Barking in the 2005–06 National Division Two by defeating the 2004–05 National Division Three North runners up Macclesfield in the north–south playoff in front of a huge crowd of 4,000 fans at the Recreation Ground in Redruth. At the other end of the table Haywards Heath and Tabard were the first teams to be relegated. Weston-super-Mare were more competitive but still went down in the final relegation place, 7 points off 11th placed Old Patesians. Haywards Heath and Tabard would drop down to London Division 1 while Weston-super-Mare went into South West Division 1.
Participating teams and locations
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBarkingGoresbrook1,000Becontree, Dagenham, LondonDings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, BristolHavantHook's Lane2,000 (200 seats)Havant, HampshireHaywards HeathWhitemans GreenCuckfield, Haywards Heath, West SussexHertfordHighfieldsWare, HertfordshireLydneyRegentsholme3,000 (340 seats)Lydney, GloucestershireNorth WalshamNorwich Road1,200Scottow, North Walsham, NorfolkOld PatesiansEverest RoadCheltenham, GloucestershireReadingHolme ParkSonning, Reading, BerkshireRedruthThe Recreation Ground3,500 (580 seats)Redruth, CornwallSouthendWarners Park1,500 (150 seats) Southend, EssexTabardCobden HillRadlett, HertfordshireWestcombe ParkGoddington Dene3,200Orpington, LondonWeston-super-MareRecreation Ground3,000Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Final league table
Results Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 February 2005.
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 7 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 6 November 2004.
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Game rescheduled for 26 March 2005.
Round 22
Round 23
Round 21 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 5 March 2005.
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. Redruth were the southern division runners up and as they had a superior league record than northern runners-up, Macclesfield, they hosted the play-off match.
Total season attendances
Does not include promotion playoff game.
ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barking 9 3,224 358 1,200 185 36% Dings Crusaders 9 2,120 236 427 153 16% Havant 10 5,084 462 692 346 23% Haywards Heath 11 2,040 185 250 140 Hertford 12 5,782 482 720 345 Lydney 5 2,440 488 570 320 16% North Walsham 11 5,045 459 1,000 180 38% Old Patesians 2 316 158 198 118 Reading 10 2,220 222 700 100 Redruth 11 9,916 901 1,500 450 26% Southend 10 1,538 154 230 114 10% Tabard 10 2,200 220 400 200 Westcombe Park 7 1,750 250 350 150 8% Weston-super-Mare 2 640 320 350 290 11%
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 Adam Westall Lydney 26 332 2 Neil Barrela Hertford 25 298 3 Ben Montgomery Barking 24 236 4 Rob Colbourne Tabard 23 207 5 Simon Hoult Southend 20 177 6 Owen Ashton Haywards Heath 22 176 7 Sid Claffey Havant 23 175 8 Bede Brown Redruth 25 169 9 Waylon Gasson Dings Crusaders 22 136 10 Alex Wallace Reading 22 115 Cam Avery Havant 24 115
Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Cam Avery Havant 24 23 2 Lloyd Williams Barking 25 20 3 Andy Macrae Lydney 20 19 Nathan Pedley Redruth 26 19 4 Neil Barrela Hertford 25 18 5 Sylvan Edwards Dings Crusaders 24 17 Tom Johnson Reading 26 17 Adam Westall Lydney 26 17 6 Jeremy Flynn Reading 24 15 Lewis Vinnicombe Redruth 25 15
Season records
Team Largest home win — 70 pts 70 - 0 Barking at home to Haywards Heath on 19 March 2005 Largest away win — 62 pts 77 - 15 Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Most points scored — 77 pts 77 - 15 Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Most tries in a match — 12 Lydney at home to Weston-super-Mare on 19 March 2005 Most conversions in a match — 11 Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Most penalties in a match — 5 (x5) Barking at home to Havant on 4 September 2004 Havant away to Tabard on 30 October 2004 Redruth at home to Tabard on 6 November 2004 Hertford at home to Southend on 22 January 2005 Haywards Heath away to Havant on 29 January 2005 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple teams
Player Most points in a match — 45 Adam Westall for Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Most tries in a match — 4 (x4) Tom Johnson for Reading at home to Dings Crusaders on 29 January 2005 Adam Westall for Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Lloyd Williams for Barking at home to Haywards Heath on 19 March 2005 Tom Johnson for Reading at home to Lydney on 23 April 2005 Most conversions in a match — 11 Adam Westall for Lydney away to Haywards Heath on 12 March 2005 Most penalties in a match — 5 (x2) Ben Montgomery for Barking at home to Havant on 4 September 2004 Sid Claffey for Havant away to Tabard on 30 October 2004 Bede Brown for Redruth at home to Tabard on 6 November 2004 Neil Barrela for Hertford at home to Southend on 22 January 2005 Owen Ashton for Haywards Heath away to Havant on 29 January 2005 Most drop goals in a match — 1 N/A - multiple players
Attendances Highest — 1,500 (x2) Redruth at home to North Walsham on 5 March 2005 & Barking on 12 March 2005 Lowest — 100 (x3) Reading at home to Tabard on 20 November 2004, Westcombe Park on 12 March 2005 and Hertford on 2 April 2005 Highest Average Attendance — 901 Redruth Lowest Average Attendance — 154 Southend
See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby