Herts/Middlesex 3 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league that was organized by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union. It was the third division competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that belonged to the historic county of Middlesex, with promoted teams moving up to Herts/Middlesex 2.

It involved a number of formats over the years, switching between a single division and regional (north/south) divisions and during certain years there was relegation to Herts/Middlesex 4 (when in existence). Herts/Middlesex 3 folded at the end of the 2013-14 season with most teams being promoted automatically to Herts/Middlesex 2.

Participating Clubs 2013-14 Borehamwood Hatfield London French Mill Hill Old Grammarians Old Isleworthians Pinner & Grammarians Watford

Participating Clubs 2012-13 Borehamwood Feltham Hatfield London French Mill Hill Old Ashmoleans Old Tottonians Sodam Thamesians Watford

Participating Clubs 2009-10 Cuffley Hatfield London French Ickenham Old Tottonians Pinner & Grammarians - promoted from Middlesex/Herts 4 in 2009 Thamesians Watford

Original teams

When this division began in 1996 it contained the following teams:

Antlers - transferred from Middlesex 2 (4th) Bank of England - transferred from Middlesex 2 (6th) Barclays Bank - transferred from Middlesex 2 (3rd) Old Abbots - transferred from Middlesex 2 (runners up) Hitchin - transferred from Hertfordshire 1 (5th) London Exiles - transferred from Middlesex 2 (7th) London French - transferred from Middlesex 2 (5th) London Nigerian - transferred from Middlesex 1 (runners up) Roxeth Manor Old Boys - transferred from Middlesex 1 (11th) Sudbury Court - transferred from Middlesex 1 (12th) UCS Old Boys - promoted from Middlesex 3 (champions) Watford - transferred from Hertfordshire 1 (4th)

Herts/Middlesex 3 honours

Herts/Middlesex 3SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated TeamsLeague Name1996–97 12 London Nigerian UCS Old Boys No relegation Herts/Middlesex 31997–98 10 St. Nicholas Old Boys Hammersmith & Fulham Pinner & Grammarians Herts/Middlesex 31998–99 13 Northolt Southgate Multiple teams Herts/Middlesex 3 1999–00 6 Cuffley Old Streetonians Royston Herts/Middlesex 3 North 6 London Exiles Old Isleworthians British Airways Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2000–01 9 Kilburn Cosmos Old Grammarians Old Ashmoleans, Southgate, Old Streetonians Herts/Middlesex 3 North 9 Wasps Amateurs Old Actonians London Tribes, Quintin Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2001–02 8 Chess Valley Hendon Watford II, Hatfield, Northolt Herts/Middlesex 3 North 8 Wasps Amateurs Old Isleworthians Wealdstone, Ickenham Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2002–03 7 Old Grammarians Old Haberdashers No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 North 9 Harlequin Amateurs Belsize Park Northolt, Osterley Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2003–04 8 Wealdstone Cuffley No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 North 7 Belsize Park London French No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2004–05 7 Old Ashmoleans Hendon No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 North 7 Feltham GWR No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2005–06 7 Saracens Amateurs Watford II No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 North 8 British Airways Old Isleworthians No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2006–07 8 Royston Wasps Amateurs No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 North 9 Thamesians H.A.C. No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2007–08 7 Hackney Cuffley Multiple teams Herts/Middlesex 3 North 7 London French Quintin Multiple teams Herts/Middlesex 3 South 2008–09 8 Old Isleworthians Hackney Watford, Old Tottonians, Cuffley Herts/Middlesex 32009–10 8 Ickenham London French Cuffley, Watford, Hatfield Herts/Middlesex 32010–11 9 Harrow Hillingdon Abbots No relegation Herts/Middlesex 32011–12 9 Quintin Chess Valley No relegation Herts/Middlesex 32012–13 8 Feltham Thamesians No relegation Herts/Middlesex 32013–14 7 London French Watford No relegation Herts/Middlesex 3 Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Promotion play-offs

From 2000 to 2003 there was a playoff between the runners-up of Herts/Middlesex 3 North and Herts/Middlesex 3 South for the third and final promotion place to Herts/Middlesex 2 with the team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. The promotion playoffs were discontinued for the 2003-04 season when Herts/Middlesex 2 split into two divisions (north and south), meaning that the top two sides in Herts/Middlesex 3 North and Herts/Middlesex 3 South automatically went up instead. At the end of the 2003-04 season the Herts/Middlesex 3 South teams had been the most successful with two wins to the Herts/Middlesex 3 North teams one; and the away team had won promotion two times to the home team's one.

Herts/Middlesex 3 North v Herts/Middlesex 3 South promotion play-off results Season Home team Score Away team Venue Attendance 2000-01 Hammersmith & Fulham (S) 58-0 Old Grammarians (N) Hurlingham Park, Fulham, London 2001-02 Hendon (N) 5-22 Old Isleworthians (S) Copthall Playing Fields, Hendon, London 2002-03 Belsize Park (S) 8-12 Old Haberdashers (N) Regent's Park, Central London, London Green background is the promoted team. N = Herts/Middlesex 3 North and S = Herts/Middlesex 3 South

Number of league titles

Feltham (2) London French (2) Wasps Amateurs (2) Belsize Park British Airways Chess Valley Cuffley (1) Hackney (1) Harlequin Amateurs (1) Harrow (1) Ickenham (1) Kilburn Cosmos (1) London Exiles (1) London Nigerian (1) Northolt (1) Old Ashmoleans (1) Old Grammarians (1) Old Isleworthians (1) Quintin (1) Royston (1) Saracens Amateurs (1) St. Nicholas Old Boys (1) Thamesians (1) Wealdstone (1)

Notes

See also London & SE Division RFU Hertfordshire RFU Middlesex RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References