Current season or competition: 2023–24 Counties 3 Yorkshire | |
Sport | Rugby union |
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Instituted | 1987 |
Number of teams | 12 |
Country | England |
Holders | Hemsworth (2nd title) (2022–23) (promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire) |
Most titles | Aireborough, Heath, Hemsworth, Leeds Corinthians, Roundhegians, Wetherby, Wath upon Dearne, Yarnbury, Barnsley (2 titles) |
Website | England RFU |
Counties 3 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 3, is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire and the bottom two teams are relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire. Each season a team from Counties 3 Yorkshire or Counties 4 Yorkshire may be picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a national competition for clubs at levels 9–12.
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This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Yorkshire 3 with teams ranked 4th to 12th returning (1st to 3rd were 'promoted' to Counties 2 Yorkshire and the bottom two 'relegated' to Counties 4 Yorkshire) and supplemented by top 2 from Yorkshire 4 and one coming down from Yorkshire 2 so with five departing but only three arriving the league was reduced from 14 teams to 12.
| {{location map+ |United Kingdom West Yorkshire |float= |width=400|caption= Locations of the 2022-23 Counties 3 Yorkshire teams in Leeds |places= |
The teams competing in 2021-22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season not 2020–21.
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On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced [1] that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Yorkshire 3 was not contested.
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When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
The original Yorkshire 3 was a tier 11 league with promotion up to Yorkshire 2 and relegation down to Yorkshire 4.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1987–88 | 11 | Bridlington | Marist | Northallerton, Bradford Salem | ||||||||||
1988–89 | 11 | Yarnbury | Old Otliensians | Heath, Leeds CSSA | ||||||||||
1989–90 | 11 | Leodiensian | Knottingley | Baildon | ||||||||||
1990–91 | 11 | Bradford Salem | Sheffield Oaks | Aireborians | ||||||||||
1991–92 | 11 | Wath upon Dearne | Old Modernians [a] | No relegation [b] | ||||||||||
1992–93 | 13 | Hessle | Halifax Vandals | Baildon | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Yorkshire 3 dropped to become a tier 12 league. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season, which included the cancellation of National 5 North and the addition of North East 3 at tier 9, saw Yorkshire 3 remain at tier 12.
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Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams | ||||||||||
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1993–94 | 13 | Aireborough | Wibsey | Leeds YMCA | ||||||||||
1994–95 | 13 | Wetherby | Skipton | Burley | ||||||||||
1995–96 | 13 | Hullensians | Phoenix Park | Multiple teams [c] | ||||||||||
1996–97 | 10 | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. | West Leeds | No relegation [d] | ||||||||||
1997–98 | 10 | Hemsworth | Stanley Rodillians | Hornsea | ||||||||||
1998–99 [2] | 10 | York Railway Institute | Heath | Wibsey, Old Modernians, Wetherby | ||||||||||
1999–00 [3] | 10 | Leeds Corinthians | Moortown | Stanley Rodillians, Baildon, Stocksbridge | ||||||||||
Green backgrounds are promotion places. |
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