1988–89 Courage League National Division Three
| 1988–89 Courage League National Division Three | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Date | September 1988 – April 1989 |
| Champions | Plymouth Albion (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Rugby (also promoted) |
| Relegated | Metropolitan Police Maidstone |
| Matches played | 66 |
The 1988–89 Courage League National Division Three was the second full season of rugby union within the third tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 1. Each team played one match against the other teams, playing a total of eleven matches each. Plymouth Albion won all their eleven matches and won promotion to National Division Two. Rugby finished second, winning ten of their eleven matches, and were also promoted. Metropolitan Police and Maidstone finished in the bottom two places and both clubs were relegated to Area League South for the following season. Metropolitan Police was relegated on points difference and Maidstone lost all of their matches.[1]
Participating teams and locations[edit]
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Askeans | Broad Walk | Kidbrooke, London | Promoted from Area League South | |
| Exeter | County Ground | 5,200 | Exeter, Devon | 9th |
| Fylde | Woodlands | 9,000 | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | 6th |
| Maidstone | William Davey Memorial | Maidstone, Kent | 8th | |
| Metropolitan Police | Imber Court | East Molesey, Surrey | 7th | |
| Nuneaton | Harry Cleaver Ground | Nuneaton, Warwickshire | 10th | |
| Plymouth Albion | Beacon Park | 3,500 | Plymouth, Devon | 3rd |
| Rugby | Webb Ellis Road | 1,000 | Rugby, Warwickshire | Promoted from Area League North |
| Sheffield | Abbeydale Park | 3,200 | Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 4th |
| Vale of Lune | Powderhouse Lane | Lancaster, Lancashire | 5th | |
| Wakefield | College Grove | 3,000 | Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 1st (not promoted) |
| West Hartlepool | Brierton Lane | Hartlepool, Cleveland | 2nd |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Albion (C) | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 311 | 89 | +222 | 22 | Promoted |
| 2 | Rugby | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 268 | 99 | +169 | 20 | |
| 3 | Wakefield | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 282 | 114 | +168 | 18 | |
| 4 | West Hartlepool | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 164 | 133 | +31 | 11 | |
| 5 | Nuneaton | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 178 | 214 | −36 | 10 | |
| 6 | Sheffield | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 170 | 182 | −12 | 9 | |
| 7 | Vale of Lune | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 120 | 145 | −25 | 9 | |
| 8 | Askeans | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 141 | 215 | −74 | 9 | |
| 9 | Exeter | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 142 | 180 | −38 | 8 | |
| 10 | Fylde | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 136 | 181 | −45 | 8 | |
| 11 | Metropolitan Police | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 130 | 275 | −145 | 8 | Relegated |
| 12 | Maidstone | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 74 | 289 | −215 | 0 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Difference between points for and against
(C) Champions
Sponsorship[edit]
National Division Three is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and is sponsored by Courage Brewery
See also[edit]
- 1988–89 Courage League National Division One
- 1988–89 Courage League National Division Two
- 1988–89 Courage Area League North
- 1988–89 Courage Area League South
References[edit]
- ^ a b Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.
- ^ "Courage Club Championship 1988–89". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 27 August 2012.