2008–09 National Division Three North

The 2008–09 National Division Three North was the tenth and last season (twenty-second overall) of the fourth division (north) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three North. The division was set to be re-branded National League 2 North for the following season due to an RFU reshuffle of the entire league system. New teams to the division included Halifax and Nuneaton who were relegated from the 2007–08 National Division Two while promoted sides included Loughborough Students who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 along with Kendal (champions) Huddersfield (playoffs) coming up from North Division 1. A further, final change to the division saw Rugby Lions transfer across to 2008–09 National Division Three South as the most southerly side in the division in order to address a team imbalance between the two leagues. 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 what would be known as National League 1 from 2009-10 but unlike previous years, there would be no promotion playoff between the runners up of the division and the runners up of National Division Three South due to the league restructuring.

Nuneaton made it an instant return to the (newly named) 2009–10 National League 1 winning the league title and promotion ahead of nearest rivals Caldy who finished 9 points behind without the consolation of the usual north-south playoff. At the opposite end of the table Halifax suffered their second consecutive relegation being comfortably the worst team in the league with just 1 win and 1 draw for their efforts. Much more competitive but ultimately 8 points worse off than next highest team were Darlington Mowden Park who were relegated despite finishing runners up the previous season (narrowly losing in the playoffs). Darlington Mowden Park would drop down to the newly named National League 3 North (previously North Division 1). The second relegated team, Halifax, were initial supposed to join Darlington Mowden Park in that division but due to financial difficulties the club decided to drop out of the national leagues and start as an amateur club in Yorkshire 6 - the lowest level the club could drop to.

Round 5

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 16 May 2009.

Round 7

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

Round 11

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

Round 12

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Round 14

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

Round 15

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Rounds 11, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 29 November 2008.


 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Round 18

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

Round 19

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 May 2009.


 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 9 May 2009.

Round 21

 * Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Rounds 12, 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.


 * Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.


 * Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Rounds 7, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 25 October 2008.


 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Rounds 12, 15 & 21 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 6 December 2008.


 * Game rescheduled from 28 February 2009.

Rounds 14 & 18 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.

Round 19 (rescheduled game)

 * Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Rounds 15 & 19 (rescheduled games)

 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.


 * Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Round 5 (rescheduled game)

 * Game rescheduled from 4 October 2008.

Individual statistics

 * Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances will come first. Also note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Team
83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 68 - 0 Kendal away to Bradford & Bingley on 9 May 2009 83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Huddersfield away to Halifax on 3 January 2009 Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008
 * Largest home win — 80 pts
 * Largest away win — 68 pts
 * Most points scored — 83 pts
 * Most tries in a match — 13
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 8
 * Most drop goals in a match — 3 (x2)

Player
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jon Boden for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ross Winney for Macclesfield at home to Hull Ionians on 6 September 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton away to Harrogate on 4 October 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jon Benson for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Fylde on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008
 * Most points in a match — 30 (x2)
 * Most tries in a match — 6 (x2)
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — (x6)
 * Most drop goals in a match — 3 (x2)

Attendances
Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 21 March 2009 Loughborough Students at home to Huddersfield on 29 November 2008 Fylde Leicester Lions
 * Highest — 1,644
 * Lowest — 65
 * Highest Average Attendance — 590
 * Lowest Average Attendance — 131