2003-04 National Division Three North | |
---|---|
Countries | England |
Champions | Waterloo |
Runners-up | Halifax |
Relegated | Longton, Liverpool St Helens, Preston Grasshoppers |
Attendance | N/A |
Top point scorer |
Anthony Birley New Brighton 316 points |
Top try scorer |
Neil Kerfoot Waterloo 23 tries |
← 2002-03
2004-05 →
|
The 2003–04 National Division Three North was the fourth season (sixteenth 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 Fylde and Kendal who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted teams included Longton who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 while Darlington (champions) and Macclesfield (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 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 for the following season.
After two seasons spent in the division Waterloo would pip Halifax to the title by the narrowest of margins finishing dead level on points but going up to the 2004–05 National Division Two by virtue of a massively better for and against record. Halifax would suffer a double disappointment by missing out on their second stab at promotion as they lost narrowly at home to 2003–04 National Division Three South runners up Launceston in the promotion playoff. Relegated teams included newly promoted Longton (who gained only 4 points all season), Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers. Longton would drop back down to Midlands Division 1 while Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers would fall to North Division 1.