The 2002–03 National Division Three North was the third season (fifteenth 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
Preston Grasshoppers
Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. The men's senior team play in the RFU National League 2 North, a level 4 league in the RFU league pyramid.
History
The club was founded on 28 Se ...
and
Waterloo
Waterloo most commonly refers to:
* Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat
* Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place.
Waterloo may also refer to:
Other places
Antarctica
*King George Island (S ...
who were relegated from the
2001–02 National Division Two
The 2001–02 National Division Two was the second version (fifteenth overall) of the third division of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Orrell and Waterloo wh ...
while promoted teams included
Broadstreet who came up as champions of
Midlands Division 1 while
Halifax (champions) and
Hull Ionians (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
National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...
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
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
for the following season.
By the end of the season
Nuneaton
Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth in northern Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire and West Midlands County.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton's ...
would finish as champions, just edging out runners up
New Brighton New Brighton is the name of several places, sports teams etc.:
Australia
* New Brighton, New South Wales, a town near Ocean Shores
Canada
* New Brighton, Calgary, Alberta, a neighborhood
* New Brighton (Gambier Island), a settlement in British ...
by virtue of an extra win and gaining promotion to the
2003–04 National Division Two
The 2003–04 National Division Two was the fourth version (seventeenth overall) of the third division of the English rugby union league system using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Moseley and Rugby Lions who ...
.
New Brighton would go into a promotion playoff away at the
2002–03 National Division Three South
The 2002–03 National Division Three South was the third season (sixteenth 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 ...
runners up
Lydney but were unable to join Nuneaton as Lydney won 21 - 7 to claim the final promotion slot.
At the other end of the table,
Scunthorpe were the first team to be relegated with just one win all season while Hull Ionians, Broadstreet and
Bedford Athletic
Bedford Athletic Rugby Club is a rugby union team based in Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire. The club currently play in the fifth tier of the English rugby union system, participating in Regional 1 South East after being promoted from M ...
were the other teams to go down at a later date with Bedford Athletic just one point off safety.
[ Hull Ionians would drop to North Division 1 while Scunthorpe, Broadstreet and Bedford Athletic would drop to Midlands Division 1.
]
Participating teams and locations
Final league table
Results
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Round 5
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Round 6
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 December 2002.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 December 2002.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 December 2002.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 December 2002.
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Round 7
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Round 8
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Round 9
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 28 December 2002.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2003.
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Round 10
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Round 11
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
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Round 12
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
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Round 13
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Round 14
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Round 15
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2003.
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Rounds 6 & 9 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 19 October 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 9 November 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 19 October 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 19 October 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 19 October 2002.
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Round 16
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2003.
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Round 17
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 22 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 15 February 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
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Round 18
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Round 19
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Round 20
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 April 2003.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 April 2003.
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Round 21
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Rounds 9, 16 & 17 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 4 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 9 November 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 9 November 2002.
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Round 22
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Round 23
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 March 2003.
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Rounds 11, 12, 17 & 23 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 1 March 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 30 November 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 23 November 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
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Round 24
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Rounds 15, 16 & 17 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 4 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 21 December 2002.
*Game rescheduled from 4 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
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Round 25
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Rounds 17 & 20 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 11 January 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
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Round 26
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Round 20 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
*Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
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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. Lydney were runners-up in the south and because they had a better league record than north runners-up, New Brighton New Brighton is the name of several places, sports teams etc.:
Australia
* New Brighton, New South Wales, a town near Ocean Shores
Canada
* New Brighton, Calgary, Alberta, a neighborhood
* New Brighton (Gambier Island), a settlement in British ...
, they hosted the play-off match.
[
]
Total season attendances
Individual statistics
* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 67 pts
67 - 0 Bedford Athletic at home to Scunthorpe on 22 March 2003
;Largest away win — 60 pts
60 - 0 Darlington Mowden Park away to Scunthorpe 22 February 2003
;Most points scored — 71 pts
71 - 19 Waterloo at home to Broadstreet on 8 February 2003
;Most tries in a match — 11
Bedford Athletic at home to Scunthorpe on 22 March 2003
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Waterloo at home to Broadstreet on 8 February 2003
;Most penalties in a match — 8
Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Liverpool St Helens at home to Nuneaton on 23 November 2002
Player
;Most points in a match — 35
Mark Bedworth
Mark Bedworth, known locally as Bedders, is a Rugby Union Footballer who is currently player Coach at Westoe RFC. Mark Bedworth was born in Durham City in 1982 and attended Bow Preparatory School before moving onto Durham School where he is no ...
for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
;Most tries in a match — 4 (x3)
Oliver Viney for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Scunthorpe on 16 November 2002
Fergus Griffies for Waterloo away to Scunthorpe on 15 February 2003
Rod Penney for Dudley Kingswinford at home to Liverpool St Helens on 22 February 2003
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Tony Handley for Waterloo at home to Broadstreet on 8 February 2003
;Most penalties in a match — 8
Mark Bedworth
Mark Bedworth, known locally as Bedders, is a Rugby Union Footballer who is currently player Coach at Westoe RFC. Mark Bedworth was born in Durham City in 1982 and attended Bow Preparatory School before moving onto Durham School where he is no ...
for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
;Most drop goals in a match — 2 (x2)
Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Darlington Mowden Park on 2 November 2002
Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Nuneaton on 23 November 2002
Attendances
;Highest — 1,200
Nuneaton at home to Broadstreet on 1 November 2002
;Lowest — 150
Blaydon at home to Nuneaton on 12 October 2002
;Highest Average Attendance — N/A
;Lowest Average Attendance — N/A
See also
* English Rugby Union Leagues
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England cons ...
* English rugby union system
* Rugby union in England
References
External links
NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:National3
2002–03
2002–03 in English rugby union leagues