# Eastern Counties 3

Eastern Counties 3 is an English level 11 Rugby Union league, currently divided into 3 regional leagues (north, south, west). Promoted teams moved up to the relevant regional divisions in Eastern Counties 2 while since the abolition of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 2016–17 season there has been no relegation. For most of its history, Eastern Counties 3 was divided into two regional divisions – north and south – with teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex taking part. A breakaway of Essex teams at the end of the 2002–03 to form a new league would lead to Eastern Counties 3 being abolished by the end of 2003–04 only to return due to a league restructure to cater for more 2nd and 3rd teams.

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
* Beccles
* Harwich & Dovercourt
* Holt
* Lakenham Hewett
* Maldon
* Newmarket
* Old Edwardians
* South Woodham Ferrers
* Southwold
* Wisbech
* Wymondham

## Eastern Counties 3 honours
### Eastern Counties 3 (1987–1993)

The original Eastern Counties 3 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Eastern Counties 2 and relegation down to Eastern Counties 4.
Eastern Counties 3 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1987–88 | 11 | Old Edwardians | South Woodham Ferrers | Southwold |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Campion | Maldon | Wisbech |
| 1989–90 | 11 | Bancroft | Holt | Thetford |
| 1990–91 | 11 | Newmarket | Wanstead | Ilford Wanderers |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Wymondham | Thames Sports | No relegation |
| 1992–93 | 13 | Loughton | Clacton | Dereham, Wisbech |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Eastern Counties 3 (1993–96)

The creation of National 5 South meant that Eastern Counties 3 dropped from a tier 10 league to a tier 11 league for the years that National 5 South was active. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2 and Eastern Counties 4 respectively.
Eastern Counties 3 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1993–94 | 13 | Old Cooperians | Ilford Wanderers | London Hospital, Old Brentwoods |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Fakenham | Southwold | Redbridge, Beccles |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Hadleigh | Felixstowe | Clacton, Haverhill & District |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Eastern Counties 3 (1996–1997)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Eastern Counties 3 reverted to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4.
Eastern Counties 3 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1996–97 | 12 | South Woodham Ferrers | Mersea Island | Wisbech |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Eastern Counties 3: North / South (1997–2000)

Ahead of the 1997–98 season Eastern Counties 3 was split into two regional divisions - north and south - with both divisions remaining as tier 10 leagues. Promotion and relegation continued to Eastern Counties 2, while relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - now split into two regional divisions (north and south).
Eastern Counties 3: North / South :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name |
| 1997–98 | 9 | Beccles | Crusaders | Brightlingsea | East Counties 3 North |
| 1997–98 | 8 | Billericay | East London | Haverhill & District | East Counties 3 South |
| 1998–99 | 9 | Wisbech | Crusaders | March Bears, Stowmarket | East Counties 3 North |
| 1998–99 | 8 | East London | Stanford Le Hope | Witham | East Counties 3 South |
| 1999–00 | 9 | Ipswich Y.M. | Lakenham Hewett | No relegation | East Counties 3 North |
| 1999–00 | 9 | Stanford Le Hope | Old Brentwoods | No relegation | East Counties 3 South |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Eastern Counties 3: North / South (2000–2004)

the introduction of London 4 North East ahead of the 2000–01 season meant that Eastern Counties North and South dropped to once again become tier 11 leagues. The regionalisation of Eastern Counties 2 meant that promotion was now to either Eastern Counties 2 North or Eastern Counties 2 South, while the cancellation of Eastern Counties 4 at the end of the 1999–00 season meant there was no longer relegation. The creation of Essex 1, Essex 2 and Essex 3 ahead of the 2003–04 season, meant that Essex based sides left the Eastern Counties leagues. This in turn would lead to the cancellation of Eastern Counties 3 North and South at the end of the 2003–04 season, with all teams transferred to relevant divisions in Eastern Counties 2.
Eastern Counties 3: North / South :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name |
| 2000–01 | 9 | Stowmarket | Haverhill & District | No relegation | East Counties 3 North |
| 2000–01 | 11 | May & Baker | Millwall | No relegation | East Counties 3 South |
| 2001–02 | 9 | Southwold | Norwich Union | No relegation | East Counties 3 North |
| 2001–02 | 10 | Burnham-On-Crouch | Dagenham | No relegation | East Counties 3 South |
| 2002–03 | 8 | Broadland – Great Yarmouth | Harwich & Dovercourt | No relegation | East Counties 3 North |
| 2002–03 | 9 | Ravens | Runwell Wyverns | No relegation | East Counties 3 South |
| 2003–04 | 6 | Swaffham | Clacton | No relegation | East Counties 3 |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Eastern Counties 3: North / South / West (2014—present)

After an absence of nine years, Eastern Counties 3 was re-introduced as a tier 11 league ahead of the 2014–15 season, this time split into three regional divisions - north, south and west. Promotion was to the respective regional division in Eastern Counties 2, and relegation was to Eastern Counties 4 - north or south - until that league was cancelled at the end of the 2016–17 season
Eastern Counties 3: North / South / West :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | League Name |
| 2014–15 | 10 | Beccles II | Wymondham II | Wisbech II | Eastern Counties 3 North |
| 2014–15 | 9 | Colchester III | Sudbury II | Woodbridge II | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2014–15 | 8 | Ely II | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West |
| 2015–16 | 11 | North Walsham II | Norwich Union | Lakenham Hewett | Eastern Counties 3 North |
| 2015–16 | 9 | Brightlingsea | Colchester IV | Mersea Island II | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2015–16 | 10 | Sawston | Shelford IV | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West |
| 2016–17 | 11 | Diss III | Holt II | Crusaders II | Eastern Counties 3 North |
| 2016–17 | 9 | Thurston II | Harwich II | University of Essex | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2016–17 | 11 | March Bears | St Ives II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 West |
| 2017–18 | 12 | Dereham | Norwich III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North |
| 2017–18 | 9 | Woodbridge II | Mersea Island II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2017–18 | 4 | Shelford V | Cantabrigian III | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2018–19 | 12 | Southwold II | Crusaders II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 North |
| 2018–19 | 8 | Aldeburgh & Thorpeness | Maldon II | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2019–20 | 12 | | | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2019–20 | 8 | | | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2020–21 | 12 | | | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| 2020–21 | 8 | | | No relegation | Eastern Counties 3 South |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Number of league titles

* Aldeburgh & Thorpeness (1)
* Bancroft (1)
* Beccles (1)
* Beccles II (1)
* Billericay (1)
* Brightlingsea (1)
* Broadland – Great Yarmouth (1)
* Burnham-On-Crouch (1)
* Campion (1)
* Colchester III (1)
* Dereham (1)
* Diss III (1)
* East London (1)
* Ely II
* Fakenham (1)
* Hadleigh (1)
* Ipswich Y.M. (1)
* Loughton (1)
* March Bears (1)
* May & Baker (1)
* Newmarket (1)
* North Walsham (1)
* Old Cooperians (1)
* Old Edwardians (1)
* Ravens (1)
* Sawston (1)
* Shelford V (1)
* South Woodham Ferrers (1)
* Southwold (1)
* Southwold II (1)
* Stanford Le Hope (1)
* Stowmarket (1)
* Swaffham (1)
* Thurston II (1)
* Wisbech (1)
* Woodbridge II (1)
* Wymondham (1)