1987–88 Courage League National Division Three

1987–88 Courage League National Division Three
Countries  England
Date September 1987 – April 1988
Champions Wakefield (1st title)
Runners-up West Hartlepool
Relegated Morley and
Birmingham
Matches played 66
1988–89 →

The 1987–88 Courage League National Division Three was the first full season of rugby union within the third tier of the English league system, currently known as the National League 1. Each team played one match against the other teams, playing a total of eleven matches each. There was no set date for matches, clubs having to arrange the fixtures amongst themselves.[1] Both Wakefield and West Hartlepool won ten matches, lost one and finished on forty-one points. Wakefield finished as champions due to their superior points difference but neither team was promoted to National Division Two. Morley, and Birmingham (without a win), finished in the bottom two places and both clubs were relegated to National Division Four North for the following season.[2] Almost all clubs in the national divisions reported an increase in attendances.[3]

Participating teams and locations

Team Ground City/Area
Birmingham Sharmans Cross Road Solihull, West Midlands
Exeter County Ground Exeter, Devon
Fylde Woodlands Memorial Ground Ansdell, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
Maidstone William Davey Memorial Ground Maidstone, Kent
Metropolitan Police Imber Court Sports Ground East Molesey, Surrey
Morley Scatcherd Lane Morley, Leeds
Nuneaton The Harry Cleaver Ground Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Plymouth Albion Beacon Park Plymouth, Devon
Sheffield Abbeydale Park Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Vale of Lune Powder House Lane Lancaster, Lancashire
Wakefield College Grove Wakefield, West Yorkshire
West Hartlepool Brierton Lane Hartlepool, Cleavland

[3][2]

League table

1987–88 Courage League National Division Three Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Diff Points
1 Wakefield 11 10 0 1 308 90 218 41
2 West Hartlepool 11 10 0 1 249 105 144 41
3 Plymouth Albion 11 8 0 3 276 125 151 35
4 Sheffield 11 7 1 3 134 161 –27 33
5 Vale of Lune 11 7 0 4 183 149 34 32
6 Fylde 11 6 0 5 269 170 99 29
7 Metropolitan Police 11 5 0 6 130 128 2 26
8 Maidstone 11 4 0 7 134 162 –28 23
9 Exeter 11 3 2 6 128 197 –69 22
9 Nuneaton 11 2 1 8 94 157 –63 18
10 Morley 11 1 1 9 109 235 –126 15
11 Birmingham 11 0 1 10 46 381 –335 12
  • Points are awarded as follows:
  1. 4 pts for a win
  2. 2 pts for a draw
  3. 1 pt for a loss
  • The scoring system used for this season is not the same as the current bonus points system introduced in 2000–01.
  • Some publications listed league tables with the 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a draw and 0 pts for a loss.
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Difference between points for and against
Pink background are relegation places, (there was no promotion this season)
Updated: 14 August 2014

Sponsorship

National Division Three is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Courage Club Championship 1987/88". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Stephen Jones, ed. (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89. London: Rothmans Publications Ltd.

External link