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
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and promoted teams moved up to
Essex 2
Essex 2 (also known as Essex Spitfire 2 for sponsorship reasons) was an English Rugby Union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition. It was the basement division of club rugby in Essex with promoted teams moving up to Essex 1 and ...
. Originally formed in 2003 by breakaway Essex clubs from
East Counties 3 South the division ran for six seasons before being abolished at the end of the 2008–09 campaign.
Original teams
When Essex 3 was introduced in 2003 it contained the following teams:
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Kings Cross Steelers
The Kings Cross Steelers are a United Kingdom, British rugby team, based in London. Founded in 1995 it was the world's first gay-inclusive rugby union club. Its founding sparked the beginning of a much larger gay-inclusive rugby movement which ...
- transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 South (8th)
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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 ...
- transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 South (4th)
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Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
- N/A (joined league)
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Pegasus Palmerians - transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 South (6th)
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Old Cooperians - transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 South (5th)
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Ongar - transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 South (7th)
*
Witham
Witham () is a town in the county of Essex in the East of England, with a population ( 2011 census) of 25,353. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the city of Chelms ...
- transferred from
Eastern Counties 3 North (8th)
Essex 3 honours
Number of league titles
*
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
(1)
*
Old Cooperians (1)
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Pegasus Palmerians (1)
*
Runwell Wyverns (1)
*
Witham
Witham () is a town in the county of Essex in the East of England, with a population ( 2011 census) of 25,353. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the city of Chelms ...
(1)
*
Writtle Wanderers (1)
Notes
See also
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Essex RFU
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English rugby union system
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 ...
*
Rugby union in England
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which involv ...
References
{{Rugby union in England
E
Rugby union in Essex
Sports leagues established in 2003
Sports leagues disestablished in 2009
2003 establishments in England
2009 disestablishments in England