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
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
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.
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
*
Beccles
*
Harwich & Dovercourt
*
Holt
Holt or holte may refer to:
Natural world
*Holt (den), an otter den
* Holt, an area of woodland
Places Australia
* Holt, Australian Capital Territory
* Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...
*
Lakenham Hewett
*
Maldon
*
Newmarket
*
Old Edwardians Old Edwardians, sometimes abbreviated to OE, refers to old boys/girls of schools with Edward in the name of the school. It is also used to refer to Old Etonians.
Schools called King Edward's School or similar names include:
* King Edward VI Asto ...
*
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 1 (known as Essex/Canterbury Jack 1 for sponsorship reasons) is an English Rugby Union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and features teams from Essex and parts of north-east London. Promoted clubs tend to move up to L ...
,
Essex 2 and
Essex 3
Essex 3 (also known as Essex Oranjeboom League 3 for sponsorship reasons) was an English Rugby Union league which was at the eleventh tier of the domestic competition. It was formerly the basement division of club rugby in Essex and promoted t ...
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.
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
Number of league titles
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Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (1)
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Bancroft (1)
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Beccles (1)
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Beccles II (1)
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Billericay (1)
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Brightlingsea (1)
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Broadland – Great Yarmouth (1)
*
Burnham-On-Crouch
Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting.
The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
(1)
*
Campion (1)
*
Colchester III (1)
*
Dereham (1)
*
Diss III (1)
*
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
(1)
*
Ely II
*
Fakenham (1)
*
Hadleigh (1)
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Ipswich Y.M. (1)
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Loughton (1)
*
March Bears (1)
*
May & Baker
May & Baker was a British chemical company founded by John May and William Gerrard Baker in Wandsworth, London in 1839. They initially specialized in the manufacture of chemicals derived from mercury and bismuth. Over the years they diversified ...
(1)
*
Newmarket (1)
*
North Walsham (1)
*
Old Cooperians (1)
*
Old Edwardians Old Edwardians, sometimes abbreviated to OE, refers to old boys/girls of schools with Edward in the name of the school. It is also used to refer to Old Etonians.
Schools called King Edward's School or similar names include:
* King Edward VI Asto ...
(1)
*
Ravens (1)
*
Sawston (1)
*
Shelford V (1)
*
South Woodham Ferrers (1)
*
Southwold (1)
*
Southwold II (1)
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Stanford Le Hope (1)
*
Stowmarket (1)
*
Swaffham (1)
*
Thurston II (1)
*
Wisbech (1)
*
Woodbridge II (1)
*
Wymondham (1)
See also
*
London & SE Division RFU
*
Eastern Counties RU
*
Essex RFU
*
English rugby union system
*
Rugby union in England
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:East Counties 3
11
Rugby union in Essex
Rugby union in Cambridgeshire
Rugby union in Norfolk
Rugby union in Suffolk