2008–09 National Division Three South

The 2008–09 National Division Three South was the ninth and last season (22nd overall) of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. The division was set to be re-branded National League 2 South for the following season due to an RFU reshuffle of the entire league system. New teams to the division included Henley Hawks who were relegated from the 2007–08 National Division Two while promoted teams included Richmond (champions) and Worthing Raiders (playoffs) from London Division 1, Chinnor who returned after an absence of just one year as champions of South West Division 1 and finally Rugby Lions who were transferred from the 2008–09 National Division Three North to ensure that there was not an imbalance of teams between the two regional 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 North due to the league restructuring.

London Scottish finished the season as champions and clinched the only promotion spot to the (newly named) 2009–10 National League 1. The Richmond-based side had a successful season with only one draw against Rugby Lions early on in the season blemishing what would have been a perfect record (this was achieved by Plymouth Albion back in the 2001-02 season). Fellow Londoners, runners up Rosslyn Park had a good season which could have seen them champions on any other year but they finished 22 points behind Scottish and did not have the consolation of a playoff due to the league restructuring. The two relegation spots were filled by Havant, who were the worst team in the division (ending a five-year stay in National 3 South), and Chinnor, who ranked down again but were improved from their last time spent in the division. Havant would drop to National League 3 London & South East (formerly London Division 1) while Chinnor would drop to National League 3 South West (formerly South West Division 1).

Participating teams and locations

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaBarkingGoresbrook1,000Barking, LondonBridgwater & AlbionBath Road5,000Bridgwater, SomersetCanterburyMerton Lane1,500 (75 seats)Canterbury, KentChinnorKingsey Road2,000Thame, OxfordshireDings CrusadersLandseer Avenue1,500Lockleaze, BristolEaling TrailfindersTrailfinders Sports Ground3,020Ealing, LondonHavantHook's Lane2,000 (200 seats)Havant, HampshireHenley HawksDry Leas4,000Henley-on-Thames, OxfordshireLondon ScottishAthletic Ground4,500 (1,000 seats)Richmond, LondonLydneyRegentsholme3,000 (340 seats)Lydney, GloucestershireRichmondAthletic Ground4,500 (1,000 seats)Richmond, LondonRosslyn ParkThe Rock2,000 (630 seats)Roehampton, LondonRugby LionsWebb Ellis Road4,000 (200 seats)Rugby, WarwickshireWorthing RaidersRoundstone Lane1,500 (100 seats)Angmering, West Sussex

Final league table

Results

Round 1

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 17 January 2009.

Round 15

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

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 14 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

Rounds 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Round 16

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

Round 17

Round 18

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 14 March 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 11 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 23 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 25 April 2009.

Round 19

Postponed. Game rescheduled to 2 May 2009.

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Rounds 1, 14, 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 6 September 2008.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 3 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Rounds 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 10 January 2009.

Round 26

Round 18 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2008.

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2008.

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2008.

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2008.

Game rescheduled from 7 February 2008.

Rounds 16 & 19 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 24 January 2009.

Game rescheduled from 14 February 2009.

Total season attendances

ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barking 13 2,800 215 350 150 22% Bridgwater & Albion 13 7,724 594 907 397 12% Canterbury 13 2,815 217 336 137 14% Chinnor 13 1,532 118 250 75 6% Dings Crusaders 13 2,063 159 269 110 11% Ealing Trailfinders 12 3,313 276 573 87 9% Havant 13 2,741 211 300 126 11% Henley Hawks 12 4,693 391 580 240 10% London Scottish 13 12,329 948 2,100 300 21% Lydney 12 5,233 436 620 320 15% Richmond 13 8,319 640 1,685 325 14% Rosslyn Park 13 6,365 490 1,920 187 24% Rugby Lions 12 3,432 286 459 224 7% Worthing Raiders 12 3,726 311 420 250 21%

Individual statistics

Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 James Brown London Scottish 23 253 2 Ben Ward Ealing Trailfinders 26 232 3 Gert De Kock Canterbury 25 223 Mark Davies Lydney 26 223 4 Adam Westall Dings Crusaders 22 204 5 Matt Hart Richmond 24 202 6 Ben Coulson Worthing Raiders 22 181 7 Dylan Pugh Rosslyn Park 21 173 8 James Hawken Rugby Lions 18 169 9 Luke Cozens Bridgwater & Albion 18 165 David Howells Ealing Trailfinders 21 165

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 David Howells Ealing Trailfinders 21 33 2 Michael Melford Canterbury 23 22 3 Rory Damant London Scottish 22 18 4 Charles Broughton London Scottish 15 15 5 Gareth Swailes London Scottish 16 12 Roman Piotrowski London Scottish 23 12 6 Frankie Neale London Scottish 14 11 Owen Bruynseels Ealing Trailfinders 20 11 Pat Sykes Canterbury 23 11 7 Kiba Richards Ealing Trailfinders 11 10 Ade Hales Rugby Lions 19 10 Nick Canty Rosslyn Park 22 10 Chris Simmons Rosslyn Park 22 10 Peter Hodgkinson Ealing Trailfinders 23 10 Scott Shaw Barking 23 10

Season records

Team Largest home win — 82 pts 85 - 3 London Scottish at home to Rugby Lions on 21 March 2009 Largest away win — 58 pts 71 - 13 London Scottish away to Worthing Raiders on 11 April 2009 Most points scored — 85 pts 85 - 3 London Scottish at home to Rugby Lions on 21 March 2009 Most tries in a match — 12 London Scottish at home to Barking on 6 December 2008 Most conversions in a match — 10 London Scottish at home to Barking on 6 December 2008 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x3) Rugby Lions at home to Bridgwater & Albion on 6 September 2008 Richmond at home to Lydney on 13 September 2008 Lydney away to Henley Hawks on 29 November 2008 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Lydney at home to Worthing Raiders on 6 September 2008

Player Most points in a match — 28 Ben Ward for Ealing Trailfinders at home to Lydney on 11 October 2008 Most tries in a match — 5 David Howells for Ealing Trailfinders away to Bridgwater & Albion on 29 November 2008 Most conversions in a match — 10 James Brown for London Scottish at home to Barking on 6 December 2008 Most penalties in a match — 6 (x2) Matt Goode for Rugby Lions at home to Bridgwater & Albion on 6 September 2008 Mart Hart for Richmond at home to Lydney on 13 September 2008 Most drop goals in a match — 2 Mark Davies for Lydney at home to Worthing Raiders on 6 September 2008

Attendances Highest — 2,100 London Scottish at home to Richmond on 24 January 2009 Lowest — 75 Chinnor at home to Havant on 29 November 2008 Highest Average Attendance — 948 London Scottish Lowest Average Attendance — 118 Chinnor

See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby