1989–90 National Division 3
Rugby union league
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The 1989–90 National Division 3 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the third season of the third tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as National League 1. New teams to the division included London Scottish and London Welsh (relegated from tier 2) and Lydney and Roundhay who were promoted up from tier 4.
England| 1989–90 National Division 3 | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Date | 2 September 1989 – 30 April 1990 |
| Champions | London Scottish (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Wakefield (also promoted) |
| Relegated | London Welsh |
| Matches played | 66 |
| Top point scorer | 102 – Andy Higgin (Vale of Lune)[1] |
| Top try scorer | 7 – Brendan Hanavan (Fylde) Mike Harrison (Wakefield)[1] |
London Scottish won all their eleven matches and won promotion with three matches remaining, to return to the 1990–91 National Division 2 after one season away. Wakefield finished second and were also promoted. London Welsh finished in last place and was relegated to the 1990–91 Courage National 4 South in what was the club's second demotion in a row.[2]
Structure
Each team played one match against each of the other teams, playing a total of eleven matches each. The top two clubs were promoted to National Division 2 and only the bottom club was relegated to either National Division 4 North (formerly Area League North) or National Division 4 South (formerly Area League South) depending on locality, due to the expansion of the division from twelve to thirteen teams for the following season.
Participating teams and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Askeans | Broad Walk | 1,500 (300 seats)[3] | Kidbrooke, London | 8th |
| Exeter | County Ground | 5,750 (750 seats)[4] | Exeter, Devon | 9th |
| Fylde | Woodlands | 7,500 (500 seats)[5] | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | 10th |
| London Scottish | Athletic Ground | 7,000[6] | Richmond, London | Relegated from National 2 (11th) |
| London Welsh | Old Deer Park | 4,500 (1,500 seats)[7] | Richmond, London | Relegated from National 2 (12th) |
| Lydney | Regentsholm | 3,000 (340 seats)[8] | Lydney, Gloucestershire | Promoted from Area South (1st) |
| Nuneaton | Harry Cleaver Ground | 5,000 (650 seats)[9] | Nuneaton, Warwickshire | 5th |
| Roundhay | Chandos Park | 3,000[10] | Roundhay, Leeds West Yorkshire | Promoted from Area North (1st) |
| Sheffield | Abbeydale Park | 3,300 (100 seats)[a] | Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 6th |
| Vale of Lune | Powderhouse Lane | 9,860 (360 seats)[12] | Lancaster, Lancashire | 7th |
| Wakefield | College Grove | 4,000 (500 seats)[13] | Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 3rd |
| West Hartlepool | Brierton Lane | 4,950 (450 seats)[14] | Hartlepool, Cleveland | 4th |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Scottish (C) | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 258 | 92 | +166 | 22 | Promoted |
| 2 | Wakefield | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 210 | 126 | +84 | 15 | |
| 3 | West Hartlepool | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 175 | 110 | +65 | 12 | |
| 4 | Sheffield | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 176 | 174 | +2 | 12 | |
| 5 | Askeans | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 170 | 235 | −65 | 12 | |
| 6 | Exeter | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 149 | 153 | −4 | 11 | |
| 7 | Roundhay | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 156 | 166 | −10 | 10 | |
| 8 | Fylde | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 169 | 222 | −53 | 10 | |
| 9 | Vale of Lune | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 154 | 219 | −65 | 8 | |
| 10 | Nuneaton | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 127 | 196 | −69 | 8 | |
| 11 | Lydney | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 153 | 166 | −13 | 6 | |
| 12 | London Welsh | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 141 | 179 | −38 | 6 | Relegated |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
If teams are level at any stage, the following tiebreaker is applied:
- Difference between points for and against
(C) Champions
Notes
- Although a 1990 club estimate was 1,100 (100 seated and 1,000 standing) this is very conservative as Abbeydale Park would experience 3,000+ crowds several times in later history in what was a relatively unchanged ground.[11]