National League 3 North

Format

The fourteen teams in this league are drawn from across northern England with the league champions being promoted to National League 2 North and the runner-up going into a play-off with the second placed team from National League 3 Midlands with the winner also being promoted. The league's bottom three teams are relegated to either North 1 East or North 1 West depending on their geographic location.

The season runs from September to May and comprises twenty-six rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league table as follows:

2016–17

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They are joined by Huddersfield and Sandal who were relegated from National 2 North while Doncaster Phoenix, Morley and Kendal were promoted into the league. Sheffield Tigers were promoted as champions into National 2 North while Burnage and Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. were relegated to North 1 East and Birkenhead Park dropped to North 1 West. In order to address a league imbalance, 7th placed Sheffield were level transferred to National League 3 Midlands.

2015–16

Sheffield Tigers, are the champions, winning the league by 16 points. It was Sheffield's second promotion to National 2 North; in 2010–11 they won promotion via the play-off (as Midland representatives), beating Chester. Wirral, the second-placed team lost their play-off match against Hinckley and remain in this league for next season. Three clubs are relegated, Huddersfield YMCA to North East 1, and Birkenhead Park and Burnage, both to North West 1 .

Participating clubs and locations

Nine of the fourteen teams participated in last season's competition. They were joined by two teams relegated from National League 2 North, Hull and Stockport; and by three promoted teams, Birkenhead Park, Ilkley and Sheffield. The teams leaving the league were the 2014–15 champions, Sale who were promoted to National League 2 North, along with the runner-up Sandal, the play-off winner against Hinckley; Morley, South Shields West and Beverley were all relegated to North 1 East.

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 3 Midland, and National League 3 North participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 2 North. The team with the best playing record, in this case Hinckley, host the match and their opponents are Wirral.

Participating clubs

Participating clubs

Participating clubs

Participating clubs

Inaugural clubs (first season as National 3 North)

National League 3 North honours

In the first season of the English rugby union league pyramid, sponsored by Courage, there was four, tier five leagues. The geographical area for teams in the north of England covered the ceremonial counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire Northumberland and Yorkshire There were eleven teams in the league and they played each other once, giving each team ten matches. The other tier five leagues were London Division One, Midlands Division One and South West Division One. This system prevailed for five seasons, and in 1992–93 the number of teams increased from eleven to thirteen. The following season (1993–94) the league was reorganised and the four tier five leagues became two; National 5 North and National 5 South. After three seasons, in 1996–97, a further reorganisation occurred, and there was a return to four, tier five leagues; with North Division One covering the area of northern England. This system prevailed until 2009–10 when the number of teams was increased from twelve to fourteen and renamed National League Three North.

The top six teams from North Division One and the top six from Midland Division One were combined to create National 5 North. North Division One was now the name of a tier six league and was one of two feeder leagues for National 5 North, the other being Midland Division One.

National 5 North was split and renamed Midland Division One and North Division One, and the top four divisions increased in size. Wharfedale was promoted to National Division Three and all of the other teams, bar Broughton Park, were transferred to the tier four, National 4 North.

The division was renamed National League 3 North following a restructuring of the national leagues which led to changes at all levels.

Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the league runners-up of National League 3 North and National League 3 Midlands for the third and final promotion place to National League 2 North. The team with the superior league record has home advantage and the home team has won twelve of the sixteen ties. As of the end of the 2015–16 season the Northern teams have been far stronger with twelve wins to the Midlands four.