The 2003–04 National Division Three North was the fourth season (sixteenth 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 Fylde and Kendal who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted teams included Longton who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 while Darlington (champions) and Macclesfield (playoffs) came up from North Division 1. The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the promotion system changing for this season with a playoff system being introduced. The champions of both National Division Three North and National Division Three South would automatically go up but the runners up of these two divisions would meet each other in a one off match (at the home ground of the side with the superior league record) to see who would claim the third and final promotion place to National Division Two for the following season.
After two seasons spent in the division Waterloo would pip Halifax to the title by the narrowest of margins finishing dead level on points but going up to the 2004–05 National Division Two by virtue of a massively better for and against record. Halifax would suffer a double disappointment by missing out on their second stab at promotion as they lost narrowly at home to 2003–04 National Division Three South runners up Launceston in the promotion playoff. Relegated teams included newly promoted Longton (who gained only 4 points all season), Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers. Longton would drop back down to Midlands Division 1 while Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers would fall to North Division 1.
Participating teams and locations
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBlaydonCrow Trees2,000 (400 seats)Swalwell, Tyne and WearDarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,000Darlington, County DurhamDarlington Mowden ParkYiewsley Drive Darlington, County DurhamDudley KingswinfordHeathbrook2,260Kingswinford, Dudley, West MidlandsFyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St. Annes, LancashireHalifaxOvenden ParkHalifax, West YorkshireKendalMint Bridge4,600 (600 seats) Kendal, CumbriaLiverpool St HelensMoss Lane4,370 (370 seats)St Helens, MerseysideLongtonTrentham FieldsTrentham, Stoke-on-Trent, StaffordshireMacclesfieldPriory Park1,250 (250 seats)Macclesfield, CheshireNew BrightonHartsfield2,000Wirral, MerseysidePreston GrasshoppersLightfoot Green2,250 (250 seats)Preston, LancashireTynedaleTynedale Park2,000 (400 seats)Corbridge, NorthumberlandWaterlooSt Anthony's Road9,950 (950 seats) Blundellsands, Merseyside
Final league table
Results Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 5
Round 6
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 March 2004.
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 24 April 2004.
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 18
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2004.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 19
Round 20
Rounds 4, 17 & 18 (rescheduled games)
Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
Game rescheduled from 18 October 2003.
Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
Game rescheduled from 24 January 2004.
Game rescheduled from 18 October 2003.
Round 21
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 March 2004.
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 27 March 2004.
Game would initially be postponed but due to fixture congestion it would ultimately be cancelled.
Rounds 6 & 21 (rescheduled games)
Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
Game rescheduled from 1 November 2003.
Round 22
Round 23
Round 21 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
Round 24
Round 25
Round 26
Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2004.
Round 12 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 13 December 2003.
Round 18 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
Round 26 (rescheduled game)
Game rescheduled from 17 April 2004.
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. Halifax were the northern divisions runners up and as they had a superior league record than southern runners-up, Launceston, they hosted the play-off match.
Total season attendances ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Blaydon 3 420 140 150 120 7% Darlington 1 450 450 450 450 15% Darlington Mowden Park 0 0 0 0 0 Dudley Kingswinford 0 0 0 0 0 0% Fylde 1 400 400 400 400 5% Halifax 1 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 Kendal 2 630 315 350 280 7% Liverpool St Helens 0 0 0 0 0 0% Longton 0 0 0 0 0 Macclesfield 0 0 0 0 0 0% New Brighton 1 450 450 450 450 23% Preston Grasshoppers 0 0 0 0 0 0% Tynedale 1 150 150 150 150 8% Waterloo 0 0 0 0 0 0%
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 Anthony Birley New Brighton 26 316 2 Mike Scott Fylde 26 289 3 Tony Handley Waterloo 25 269 4 Douglas Sanft Halifax 25 266 5 Gary Bell Macclesfield 25 229 6 David Dalrymple Blaydon 17 166 7 Phillip Belgian Tynedale 16 159 Mark Butler Darlington 24 159 8 Simon Worsley Liverpool St Helens 25 149 9 Mark Bedworth Darlington Mowden Park 21 135
Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Neil Kerfoot Waterloo 26 23 2 Ian Gowland Dudley Kingswinford 24 21 Jan Van Deventer Waterloo 26 21 3 Oliver Viney Preston Grasshoppers 25 16 4 Dave Cunliffe Liverpool St Helens 25 14 5 Iain Dixon Darlington Mowden Park 22 13 Andrew Foreman Darlington Mowden Park 25 13 Aaron Canning Halifax 26 13 6 Rob Hitchmough Waterloo 18 12 Jamie Bloem Halifax 25 12 Robert Afoa-Peterson Halifax 26 12
Season records
Team Largest home win — 91 pts 91 - 5 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004 Largest away win — 50 pts 53 - 3 Waterloo away to Fylde on 17 January 2004 Most points scored — 91 pts 91 - 5 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004 Most tries in a match — 14 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004 Most conversions in a match — 9 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004 Most penalties in a match — 7 New Brighton at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 13 September 2003 Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2) Longton at home to Fylde on 8 November 2003 Fylde away to Halifax on 24 January 2004
Player Most points in a match — 29 Alistair J Murray for Tynedale at home to Longton on 18 October 2003 Most tries in a match — 4 Jamie Bloem for Halifax at home to Darlington on 13 December 2003 Most conversions in a match — 9 John Broxson for Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004 Most penalties in a match — 7 Anthony Birley for New Brighton at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 13 September 2003 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Mike Scott for Fylde away to Halifax on 24 January 2004
Attendances Highest — 1,500 Halifax at home to Waterloo on 10 April 2004 Lowest — 120 Blaydon at home to Darlington on 10 April 2004 Highest Average Attendance — N/A Lowest Average Attendance — N/A
See also English Rugby Union Leagues English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References
External links NCA Rugby