The 1996–97 National Division 3 (sponsored by Courage Brewery) was the tenth season of the top tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, currently known as Champ Rugby, and was the first season that saw professional rugby openly introduced into the English game. It was also the tenth and final season of sponsorship by Courage. Widespread restructuring of the leagues, including the discontinuation of National Division 4, at the end of the following season meant there a lot of new sides in the division; Clifton, Exeter, Havant, Leeds, Liverpool St Helens, London Welsh, Redruth and Walsall were promoted from tier 4, along with Lydney and Wharfedale who were promoted from tier 5, and there was no relegation from tier 2.
Exeter finished as league champions, one point clear of runners up Fylde, with both clubs promoted to the new look 1997–98 Premiership 2 (formerly National Division 2). For Exeter it would be the second league title and promotion in succession. Four teams were relegated; Walsall to the 1997–98 National League 2 North (formerly National Division 4 North) and Havant, Redruth and Clifton to the 1997–98 National League 2 South (formerly National Division 4 South).
Structure The league consists of sixteen teams, playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches for each team. There are two promotion places and four relegation places, with the champions and runner-up promoted to the new Premiership 2 and the last four teams relegated to either National League 2 North or National League 2 South (formerly National Division 4 North & South), depending on their location.
Participating teams and locations
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaPrevious seasonClifton Station Road 2,200 (200 seats) Cribbs Causeway, Henbury, Bristol Promoted from National 4 (6th)Exeter County Ground 5,750 (750 seats)Exeter, DevonPromoted from National 4 (1st)FyldeWoodlands Memorial Ground7,500 (500 seats)Lytham St Annes, Lancashire10th (no relegation)Harrogate Claro Road 4,500 (500 seats)Harrogate, North Yorkshire 6thHavantHook's Lane 2,000 (200 seats)Havant, HampshirePromoted from National 4 (8th)Leeds Headingley Stadium 22,250 Headingley, Leeds, West YorkshirePromoted from National 4 (5th)Liverpool St Helens Moss Lane 4,370 (370 seats)St Helens, Merseyside Promoted from National 4 (3rd)London Welsh Old Deer Park4,500 (1,500 seats)Richmond, London Promoted from National 4 (2nd)Lydney Regentsholm 3,000 (340 seats)Lydney, Gloucestershire Promoted from National 5 South (1st)MorleyScatcherd Lane6,000 (1,000 seats)Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire5thOtley Cross Green 7,000 (852 seats)Otley, West Yorkshire 7thReading Holme Park Reading, Berkshire 8thRedruth Recreation Ground 12,000 Redruth, Cornwall Promoted from National 4 (4th)Rosslyn ParkThe Rock4,630 (630 seats)Roehampton, London9thWalsall Broadway Ground 2,250 (250 seats)Walsall, West Midlands Promoted from National 4 (4th)Wharfedale The Avenue 2,000 Threshfield, North Yorkshire Promoted from National 5 North (champions)
League table
Notes
See also 1996–97 National Division 1 1996–97 National Division 2 1996–97 National Division 4 North 1996–97 National Division 4 South
References