The 2002β03 National Division Three North was the third season (fifteenth 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
Preston Grasshoppers and
Waterloo who were relegated from the
2001β02 National Division Two while promoted teams included
Broadstreet who came up as champions of
Midlands Division 1 while
Halifax (champions) and
Hull Ionians (playoffs) came up from
North Division 1.[1][2][3] 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.
By the end of the season
Nuneaton would finish as champions, just edging out runners up
New Brighton by virtue of an extra win and gaining promotion to the
2003β04 National Division Two.[4] New Brighton would go into a promotion playoff away at the
2002β03 National Division Three South runners up
Lydney but were unable to join Nuneaton as Lydney won 21 - 7 to claim the final promotion slot.[5] At the other end of the table,
Scunthorpe were the first team to be relegated with just one win all season while Hull Ionians, Broadstreet and
Bedford Athletic were the other teams to go down at a later date with Bedford Athletic just one point off safety.[4] Hull Ionians would drop to North Division 1 while Scunthorpe, Broadstreet and Bedford Athletic would drop to Midlands Division 1.[6][7]
Heslam Park Attendance: 450 Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice
Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
Promotion play-off
The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two.
Lydney were runners-up in the south and because they had a better league record than north runners-up,
New Brighton, they hosted the play-off match.
^Due to extremely poor coverage and reporting by the media for this season there is not enough attendance data for the league to give an accurate figure.
Individual statistics
Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Mark Bedworth for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
Most tries in a match β 4 (x3)
Oliver Viney for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Scunthorpe on 16 November 2002 Fergus Griffies for Waterloo away to Scunthorpe on 15 February 2003 Rod Penney for Dudley Kingswinford at home to Liverpool St Helens on 22 February 2003
Most conversions in a match β 8
Tony Handley for Waterloo at home to Broadstreet on 8 February 2003
Most penalties in a match β 8
Mark Bedworth for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
Most drop goals in a match β 2 (x2)
Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Darlington Mowden Park on 2 November 2002 Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Nuneaton on 23 November 2002
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and there may have been higher attendances that were not recorded.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and it is likely that there were lower attendances that were not recorded.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and is impossible to give even a slightly accurate figure for the team with the highest average attendance.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and is impossible to give even a slightly accurate figure for the team with the lowest average attendance.
The 2002β03 National Division Three North was the third season (fifteenth 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
Preston Grasshoppers and
Waterloo who were relegated from the
2001β02 National Division Two while promoted teams included
Broadstreet who came up as champions of
Midlands Division 1 while
Halifax (champions) and
Hull Ionians (playoffs) came up from
North Division 1.[1][2][3] 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.
By the end of the season
Nuneaton would finish as champions, just edging out runners up
New Brighton by virtue of an extra win and gaining promotion to the
2003β04 National Division Two.[4] New Brighton would go into a promotion playoff away at the
2002β03 National Division Three South runners up
Lydney but were unable to join Nuneaton as Lydney won 21 - 7 to claim the final promotion slot.[5] At the other end of the table,
Scunthorpe were the first team to be relegated with just one win all season while Hull Ionians, Broadstreet and
Bedford Athletic were the other teams to go down at a later date with Bedford Athletic just one point off safety.[4] Hull Ionians would drop to North Division 1 while Scunthorpe, Broadstreet and Bedford Athletic would drop to Midlands Division 1.[6][7]
Heslam Park Attendance: 450 Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice
Game rescheduled from 1 February 2003.
Promotion play-off
The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two.
Lydney were runners-up in the south and because they had a better league record than north runners-up,
New Brighton, they hosted the play-off match.
^Due to extremely poor coverage and reporting by the media for this season there is not enough attendance data for the league to give an accurate figure.
Individual statistics
Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Mark Bedworth for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
Most tries in a match β 4 (x3)
Oliver Viney for Preston Grasshoppers at home to Scunthorpe on 16 November 2002 Fergus Griffies for Waterloo away to Scunthorpe on 15 February 2003 Rod Penney for Dudley Kingswinford at home to Liverpool St Helens on 22 February 2003
Most conversions in a match β 8
Tony Handley for Waterloo at home to Broadstreet on 8 February 2003
Most penalties in a match β 8
Mark Bedworth for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 December 2002
Most drop goals in a match β 2 (x2)
Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Darlington Mowden Park on 2 November 2002 Simon Worsley for Liverpool St Helens at home to Nuneaton on 23 November 2002
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and there may have been higher attendances that were not recorded.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and it is likely that there were lower attendances that were not recorded.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and is impossible to give even a slightly accurate figure for the team with the highest average attendance.
^Note that attendance tracking was very poor this season and is impossible to give even a slightly accurate figure for the team with the lowest average attendance.