The 2008–09 National Division Three North was the tenth and last season (twenty-second overall) of the fourth division (north) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three North. The division was set to be re-branded National League 2 North for the following season due to an RFU reshuffle of the entire league system. New teams to the division included Halifax and Nuneaton who were relegated from the 2007–08 National Division Two while promoted sides included Loughborough Students who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 along with Kendal (champions) Huddersfield (playoffs) coming up from North Division 1. A further, final change to the division saw Rugby Lions transfer across to 2008–09 National Division Three South as the most southerly side in the division in order to address a team imbalance between the two leagues. The league system was 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and additional bonus points being awarded for scoring 4 or more tries and/or losing within 7 points of the victorious team. In terms of promotion the league champions would go straight up into what would be known as National League 1 from 2009-10 but unlike previous years, there would be no promotion playoff between the runners up of the division and the runners up of National Division Three South due to the league restructuring. Nuneaton made it an instant return to the (newly named) 2009–10 National League 1 winning the league title and promotion ahead of nearest rivals Caldy who finished 9 points behind without the consolation of the usual north-south playoff. At the opposite end of the table Halifax suffered their second consecutive relegation being comfortably the worst team in the league with just 1 win and 1 draw for their efforts. Much more competitive but ultimately 8 points worse off than next highest team were Darlington Mowden Park who were relegated despite finishing runners up the previous season (narrowly losing in the playoffs). Darlington Mowden Park would drop down to the newly named National League 3 North (previously North Division 1). The second relegated team, Halifax, were initial supposed to join Darlington Mowden Park in that division but due to financial difficulties the club decided to drop out of the national leagues and start as an amateur club in Yorkshire 6 - the lowest level the club could drop to.

Participating teams and locations

Final league table

Results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Rounds 11, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Rounds 12, 15 & 18 (rescheduled games)

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Rounds 7, 14 & 15 (rescheduled games)

Round 26

Rounds 12, 15 & 21 (rescheduled games)

Rounds 14 & 18 (rescheduled games)

Round 19 (rescheduled game)

Rounds 15 & 19 (rescheduled games)

Round 5 (rescheduled game)

Total season attendances

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Top try scorers

Season records

Team

83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 68 - 0 Kendal away to Bradford & Bingley on 9 May 2009 83 - 3 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 Huddersfield away to Halifax on 3 January 2009 Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008

Player

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions away to Bradford & Bingley on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gareth Collins for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jon Boden for Leicester Lions at home to Halifax on 11 April 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ross Winney for Macclesfield at home to Hull Ionians on 6 September 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton away to Harrogate on 4 October 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jon Benson for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Fylde on 7 March 2009 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton at home to Macclesfield on 11 October 2008 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rickie Aley for Nuneaton away to Bradford & Bingley on 29 November 2008

Attendances

Fylde at home to Hull Ionians on 21 March 2009 Loughborough Students at home to Huddersfield on 29 November 2008 Fylde Leicester Lions