2006-07 National Division Three North | |
---|---|
Countries | England |
Champions | Blaydon |
Runners-up | Tynedale |
Relegated | Orrell, Cleckheaton, Darlington |
Attendance | 44,916 (average 263 per match) |
Highest attendance | 1,987 Fylde at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 23 December 2006 |
Lowest attendance | 60 Leicester Lions at home to Tynedale on 25 November 2006 |
Top point scorer |
James Hawken Rugby Lions 266 points |
Top try scorer |
Nick Royle Fylde 31 tries |
← 2005-06
2007-08 →
|
The 2006–07 National Division Three North was the seventh season (nineteenth 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 Orrell who were relegated from the 2005–06 National Division Two while promoted teams included Rugby Lions who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 as well as Morley (champions) and West Park St Helens who came up from North Division 1. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into National Division Two while the runners up would have a one-game playoff against the runners up from National Division Three South (at the home ground of the club with the superior league record) for the final promotion place.
At the end of the season Blaydon would pip Tynedale to the title by just one point with Tynedale actually having a better league record in terms of wins and draws but having fewer bonus points. After missing out on the league title by the finest of margins, Tynedale would fail to gain promotion to the 2007–08 National Division Two at the second attempt losing away to the 2006–07 National Division Three South runners up Westcombe Park in the promotion playoff. In terms of relegation Orrell would suffer their third relegation in a row, with just two draws all season, with the much more competitive Cleckheaton and Darlington going down at a later date. In Darlington's case they finished level with newly promoted West Park St Helens, with the same number of wins but with more defeats as West Park managed to draw two extra games (despite having less bonus points). Cleckheaton and Darlington would join North Division 1 for the subsequent season. In the case of Orrell the impact of relegation was much more drastic as the club folded due to its financial backers pulling out. However, an amateur version of the club would carry on playing in the South Lancs/Cheshire 2 league for 2007-08.