1996–97 National Division 3
Rugby union competition in England
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The 1996–97 National Division 3 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the tenth season of the top tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as Champ Rugby, and was the first season that saw professional rugby openly introduced into the English game. It was also the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. Widespread restructuring of the leagues, including the discontinuation of National Division 4, at the end of the following season meant there a lot of new sides in the division; Clifton, Exeter, Havant, Leeds, Liverpool St Helens, London Welsh, Redruth and Walsall were promoted from tier 4, along with Lydney and Wharfedale who were promoted from tier 5, and there was no relegation from tier 2.
Exeter finished as league champions, one point clear of runners up Fylde, with both clubs promoted to the new look 1997–98 Premiership 2 (formerly National Division 2). For Exeter it would be the second league title and promotion in succession. Four teams were relegated; Walsall to the 1997–98 National League 2 North (formerly National Division 4 North) and Havant, Redruth and Clifton to the 1997–98 National League 2 South (formerly National Division 4 South).
Structure
The league consists of sixteen teams, playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches for each team. There are two promotion places and four relegation places, with the champions and runner-up promoted to the new Premiership 2 and the last four teams relegated to either National League 2 North or National League 2 South (formerly National Division 4 North & South), depending on their location.[1][2]
Participating teams and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | Station Road | 2,200 (200 seats)[3] | Cribbs Causeway, Henbury, Bristol | Promoted from National 4 (6th) |
| Exeter | County Ground | 5,750 (750 seats)[4] | Exeter, Devon | Promoted from National 4 (1st) |
| Fylde | Woodlands Memorial Ground | 7,500 (500 seats)[5] | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | 10th (no relegation) |
| Harrogate | Claro Road | 4,500 (500 seats)[6] | Harrogate, North Yorkshire | 6th |
| Havant | Hook's Lane | 2,000 (200 seats)[7] | Havant, Hampshire | Promoted from National 4 (8th) |
| Leeds | Headingley Stadium | 22,250 | Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire[a] | Promoted from National 4 (5th) |
| Liverpool St Helens | Moss Lane | 4,370 (370 seats)[9][10] | St Helens, Merseyside | Promoted from National 4 (3rd) |
| London Welsh | Old Deer Park | 4,500 (1,500 seats)[11] | Richmond, London | Promoted from National 4 (2nd) |
| Lydney | Regentsholm | 3,000 (340 seats)[12] | Lydney, Gloucestershire | Promoted from National 5 South (1st) |
| Morley | Scatcherd Lane | 6,000 (1,000 seats)[13] | Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire | 5th |
| Otley | Cross Green | 7,000 (852 seats)[14] | Otley, West Yorkshire | 7th |
| Reading | Holme Park | Reading, Berkshire | 8th | |
| Redruth | Recreation Ground | 12,000 | Redruth, Cornwall | Promoted from National 4 (4th) |
| Rosslyn Park | The Rock | 4,630 (630 seats)[15] | Roehampton, London | 9th |
| Walsall | Broadway Ground | 2,250 (250 seats)[16] | Walsall, West Midlands | Promoted from National 4 (4th) |
| Wharfedale | The Avenue | 2,000 | Threshfield, North Yorkshire | Promoted from National 5 North (champions) |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter (C) | 30 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 923 | 443 | +480 | 50 | Promoted |
| 2 | Fylde | 30 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 813 | 439 | +374 | 49 | |
| 3 | Leeds | 30 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 1209 | 432 | +777 | 48 | |
| 4 | Morley | 30 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 928 | 570 | +358 | 44 | |
| 5 | Harrogate | 30 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 832 | 599 | +233 | 36 | |
| 6 | Reading | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 869 | 631 | +238 | 35 | |
| 7 | Wharfedale | 30 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 710 | 635 | +75 | 34 | |
| 8 | Rosslyn Park | 30 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 630 | 620 | +10 | 34 | |
| 9 | Otley | 30 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 720 | 766 | −46 | 26 | |
| 10 | Lydney | 30 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 668 | 766 | −98 | 26 | |
| 11 | London Welsh | 30 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 632 | 777 | −145 | 24 | |
| 12 | Liverpool St Helens | 30 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 665 | 827 | −162 | 18 | |
| 13 | Walsall | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 640 | 980 | −340 | 16 | Relegated |
| 14 | Havant | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 580 | 954 | −374 | 16 | |
| 15 | Redruth | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 565 | 1116 | −551 | 16 | |
| 16 | Clifton | 30 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 518 | 1347 | −829 | 8 |
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
- For the 1996–97 season Leeds would move from Clarence Fields to groundshare with Leeds Rhinos at Headingley Stadium.[8]