Eastern Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues (north, south, west). Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while since the abolition of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 2016–17 season there has been no relegation. For most of its history, Eastern Counties 3 was divided into two regional divisions – north and south – with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. A breakaway of Essex teams at the end of the 2002–03 to form a new league would lead to Eastern Counties 3 being abolished by the end of 2003–04 only to return due to a league restructure to cater for more 2nd and 3rd teams.
Current season or competition: 2019–20 Eastern Counties 3 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Holders | Southwold II (North – 1st title) Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (South – 1st title) (2018–19) (promoted to Eastern Counties 2) |
| Most titles | Multiple teams (1 title) |
| Website | ecrurugby.com |
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
- Beccles
- Harwich & Dovercourt
- Holt
- Lakenham Hewett
- Maldon
- Newmarket
- Old Edwardians
- South Woodham Ferrers
- Southwold
- Wisbech
- Wymondham
Eastern Counties 3 honours
Eastern Counties 3 (1987–1993)
The original Eastern Counties 3 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 2 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 4.[1]
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 11 | Old Edwardians | South Woodham Ferrers | Southwold | ||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 11 | Campion | Maldon | Wisbech | ||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 11 | Bancroft | Holt | Thetford | ||||||||||
| 1990–91 | 11 | Newmarket | Wanstead | Ilford Wanderers | ||||||||||
| 1991–92 | 11 | Wymondham | Thames Sports[a] | No relegation[b] | ||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | Loughton | Clacton | Dereham, Wisbech | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Eastern Counties 3 (1993–96)
The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 3 dropped from a tier 10 league to a tier 11 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 and Eastern Counties 4 respectively.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 13 | Old Cooperians | Ilford Wanderers | London Hospital, Old Brentwoods | ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 13 | Fakenham | Southwold | Redbridge, Beccles | ||||||||||
| 1995–96 | 13 | Hadleigh | Felixstowe | Clacton, Haverhill & District | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Eastern Counties 3 (1996–1997)
The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 12 | South Woodham Ferrers | Mersea Island | Wisbech | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (1997–2000)
Ahead of the 1997–98 season Eastern Counties 3 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - with both divisions remaining as tier 10 leagues. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - now split into two regional divisions (north and south).
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 9 | Beccles | Crusaders | Brightlingsea | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 8 | Billericay | East London | Haverhill & District | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 1998–99 [2][3] | 9 | Wisbech | Crusaders | March Bears, Stowmarket | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 8 | East London | Stanford Le Hope | Witham | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 1999–00 [4][5] | 9 | Ipswich Y.M. | Lakenham Hewett | No relegation[c] | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 9 | Stanford Le Hope | Old Brentwoods | No relegation[d] | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Eastern Counties 3: North / South (2000–2004)
the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that Eastern Counties North and South dropped to once again become tier 11 leagues. The regionalisation of Eastern Counties 2 meant that promotion was now to either Eastern Counties 2 North or Eastern Counties 2 South, while the cancellation of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 1999–00 season meant there was no longer relegation. The creation of Essex 1, Essex 2 and Essex 3 ahead of the 2003–04 season, meant that Essex based sides left the Eastern Counties leagues. This in turn would lead to the cancellation of Eastern Counties 3 North and South at the end of the 2003–04 season, with all teams transferred to relevant divisions in Eastern Counties 2.
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 [6][7] | 9 | Stowmarket | Haverhill & District | No relegation | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 11 | May & Baker | Millwall | No relegation | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 [8][9] | 9 | Southwold | Norwich Union | No relegation | East Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 10 | Burnham-On-Crouch | Dagenham | No relegation | East Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 [10][11] | 8 | Broadland – Great Yarmouth | Harwich & Dovercourt | No relegation | East Counties 3 North[e] | |||||||||
| 9 | Ravens[f] | Runwell Wyverns | No relegation | East Counties 3 South[g] | ||||||||||
| 2003–04[12] | 6 | Swaffham | Clacton | No relegation | East Counties 3[h] | |||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Eastern Counties 3: North / South / West (2014—present)
After an absence of nine years, Eastern Counties 3 was re-introduced as a tier 11 league ahead of the 2014–15 season, this time split into three regional divisions - north, south and west. Promotion was to the respective regional division in Eastern Counties 2, and relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - north or south - until that league was cancelled at the end of the 2016–17 season
| ||||||||||||||
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 [13][14][15] | 10 | Beccles II | Wymondham II | Wisbech II | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 9 | Colchester III | Sudbury II | Woodbridge II | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 8 | Ely II | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
| 2015–16 [16][17][18] | 11 | North Walsham II | Norwich Union | Lakenham Hewett | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 9 | Brightlingsea | Colchester IV | Mersea Island II | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 10 | Sawston | Shelford IV | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
| 2016–17 [19][20][21] | 11 | Diss III[i] | Holt II | Crusaders II | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 9 | Thurston II | Harwich II | University of Essex | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 11 | March Bears | St Ives II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West | ||||||||||
| 2017–18 [22][23][24] | 12 | Dereham | Norwich III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 9 | Woodbridge II | Mersea Island II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 4 | Shelford V[j] | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 2018–19 [25][26] | 12 | Southwold II | Crusaders II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North | |||||||||
| 8 | Aldeburgh & Thorpeness | Maldon II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 12 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | |||||||||||
| 8 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 12 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | |||||||||||
| 8 | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South | ||||||||||||
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. | ||||||||||||||
Number of league titles
- Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (1)
- Bancroft (1)
- Beccles (1)[k]
- Beccles II (1)
- Billericay (1)
- Brightlingsea (1)
- Broadland – Great Yarmouth (1)
- Burnham-On-Crouch (1)
- Campion (1)
- Colchester III (1)
- Dereham (1)
- Diss III (1)
- East London (1)
- Ely II
- Fakenham (1)
- Hadleigh (1)
- Ipswich Y.M. (1)
- Loughton (1)
- March Bears (1)
- May & Baker (1)
- Newmarket (1)
- North Walsham (1)
- Old Cooperians (1)
- Old Edwardians (1)
- Ravens (1)
- Sawston (1)
- Shelford V (1)
- South Woodham Ferrers (1)
- Southwold (1)[l]
- Southwold II (1)
- Stanford Le Hope (1)
- Stowmarket (1)
- Swaffham (1)
- Thurston II (1)
- Wisbech (1)
- Woodbridge II (1)
- Wymondham (1)