Sussex 3

Sussex 3 (known as Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 for sponsorship reasons) is an English level 11 Rugby Union League. It is run by the Sussex Rugby Football Union and was originally for teams predominantly from West Sussex until a division reorganization for the 2016-17 meant that clubs from East Sussex would also take part. Promoted teams move up to Sussex 2 while relegated teams drop down to either Sussex Asahi Division 4 East or Sussex Late Red Division 4 West depending on geography. Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West was introduced in 2010–11 and is the equivalent to former division Sussex 3 which had its last season in 2003–04. It changed to its current name of Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3 in 2016–17.

Sussex 3

Current season or competition: 2016–17 Sussex Oranjeboom Division 3
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	1987
Number of teams	12
Country	England
Holders	Hastings & Bexhill II (1st title) (2016–17) (promoted to Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate)
Most titles	Ditchling, Old Brightonian, Rye, Uckfield II (2 titles)
Website	www.sussexrugby.co.uk

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

• Arun
• Brighton Polytechnic
• Ditchling
• Sunallon[lower-alpha 1]
• Midhurst
• Newick
• Pulborough
• Robin Hood

Sussex 3 honours

Sussex 3 (1987–1992)

The original Sussex 3 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Sussex 1 and there was no relegation down as it was the lowest level of the league system. The division was cancelled at the end of the 1991–92 season.

Sussex 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88	8	Old Brightonian	RMP Chichester[lower-alpha 2]	No relegation
1988–89	7	Pulborough	Brighton Polytechnic[lower-alpha 3]	No relegation
1989–90	6	Ditchling	West Sussex Institute	No relegation
1990–91	5	BA Wingspan	Newick	No relegation
1991–92	4	Sunallon	Plumpton[lower-alpha 4]	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 3 (1994-1996)

After an absence of two years, Sussex 3 was reintroduced for the 1994–95 season as a tier 11 league. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation due to Sussex 3 being the lowest level in the league system.

Sussex 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1994–95	5	Rye	Shoreham	No relegation
1995–96	6	Sussex Police	Plumpton	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 3 (1996-2000)

The cancellation of National 5 South at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that Sussex 3 reverted back to being a tier 10 league. Promotion continued to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation. Sussex 3 was cancelled for the second time at the end of the 1999–00 season, with the majority of teams transferred into the new Sussex 2 East or Sussex 2 West (formerly a single Sussex 2 division).

Sussex 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1996–97	6	Shoreham	Rye	No relegation
1997–98	6	Chichester IHE	Robertsbridge	No relegation
1998–99[2]	6	Plumpton	Sussex Police	No relegation
1999–00[3]	6	Rye	St. Francis[lower-alpha 5]	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 3 (2002-2004)

After an absence of two years, Sussex 3 returned for the 2002–03 season, now as a tier 11 league. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and there was no relegation. After just two seasons, Sussex 3 was cancelled for the third time in its history.

Sussex 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2002–03[4]	6	Old Brightonian	Ditchling	No relegation
2003–04[5]	6	Ditchling[lower-alpha 6]	Plumpton	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 2 East / Sussex 2 West (2010–2016)

Sussex 3 was reintroduced for the 2010–11 season in the form of two regional divisions - Sussex "Asahi" 2 East and Sussex "Oranjeboom" 2 West - both sitting at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion was to Sussex Canterbury Jack Intermediate (renamed back to Sussex 2 for the 2015–16 season onward) and relegation to either Sussex 3 East or Sussex 3 West.

Sussex 2 East / Sussex 2 West
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams	League Name
2010–11 [6][7]	8	Uckfield II	Ditchling	Heathfield & Waldron IV	Sussex 2 East
	11	Midhurst	Littlehampton	Brighton III, Worthing Senior I	Sussex 2 West
2011–12 [8][9]	10	Hellingly	Hastings & Bexhill II	Haywards Heath III, Hove V, Eastbourne III	Sussex 2 East
	10	Horley	Hove IV	Bognor III, Holbrook II	Sussex 2 West
2012–13 [10][11]	8	East Grinstead III	Heathfield & Waldron III	Newick II, Rye 2nd XV	Sussex 2 East
	10	Horsham II	Worthing Senior I	Shoreham II (Veterans)	Sussex 2 West
2013–14 [12][13]	9	Eastbourne II	Burgess Hill II	Lewes III[lower-alpha 7]	Sussex 2 East
	9	Bognor II	Sussex Police	No relegation[lower-alpha 8]	Sussex 2 West
2014–15 [14][15]	12	Uckfield II	Plumpton	Worthing Senior III	Sussex 2 East
	12	Pulborough II	Norfolk Arms	Shoreham II (Veterans)	Sussex 2 West
2015–16 [16][17]	10	Newick	Hastings & Bexhill II	Lewes II	Sussex 2 East
	11	Barns Green	Brighton III	Burgess Hill III	Sussex 2 West
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Sussex 3 (2016–onward)

For the 2016–17 season, Sussex 3 was remerged back into a single division at tier 11 of the league system. Promotion was to Sussex 2 and relegation to Sussex 4.

Sussex 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2016–17[18]	12	Hastings & Bexhill II	Plumpton	Norfolk Arms
2017–18	12
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Ditchling (2)
• Old Brightonian (2)
• Rye (2)
• Uckfield II (2)[lower-alpha 9]
• BA Wingspan (1)
• Barns Green (1)[lower-alpha 10]
• Bognor II (1)[lower-alpha 11]
• Chichester IHE (1)
• East Grindstead III (1)[lower-alpha 12]
• Eastbourne II (1)[lower-alpha 13]
• Hellingly (1)[lower-alpha 14]
• Horley (1)[lower-alpha 15]
• Horsham II (1)[lower-alpha 16]
• Midhurst (1)[lower-alpha 17]
• Newick (1)[lower-alpha 18]
• Plumpton (1)
• Pulborough (1)[lower-alpha 19]
• Pulborough II (1)[lower-alpha 20]
• Shoreham (1)
• Sunallon (1)[lower-alpha 21]
• Sussex Police (1)

Notes

1. Sunallon would first rename to Sun Alliance in 1994 and then its current name of Holbrook RFC.[1]
2. Despite winning promotion, runners up RMP Chichester would drop out of the Sussex leagues the following season, only to reappear in Sussex 2 for the 1989–90 season.
3. 3rd place Midhurst also promoted.
4. The cancellation of Sussex 3 meant that all four teams in the division were to be promoted to Sussex 2 at the end of the season - however, 3rd and 4th place University of Sussex and Arun decided to drop out of the Sussex leagues at the end of the season.
5. Six teams in this division would be promoted to Sussex 2 for the next season as Sussex 3 was to be abolished and would not return until 2002–03.
6. As Sussex 3 was to be abolished for the following season no teams were promoted. An equivalent division would return in 2010-11 in the form of Asahi 2 East and Oranjeboom 2 West.
7. Lewes III would withdraw from the league for the following season.
8. There was no relegation as Bishop's Finger 3 East was abolished the following season.
9. Both of Uckfield II's titles were for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
10. Barns Green's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
11. Bognor II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
12. East Grindstead III's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
13. Eastbourne II's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
14. Hellingly's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
15. Horley's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
16. Horsham II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
17. Midhurst's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
18. Newick's title was for Sussex Asahi 2 East.
19. As a club Pulborough have won Sussex 3 twice - once with the 1st XV, once with the 2nd XV.
20. Pulborough II's title was for Sussex Oranjeboom 2 West.
21. Sunallon are currently known as Holbrook RFC.

See also

• London & SE Division RFU
• Sussex RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. "HISTORY". Holbrook RFC. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
2. "1998-1999 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
3. "1999-2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
4. "2002-2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
5. "2003-2004 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
6. "2010-2011 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
7. "2010-2011 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
8. "2011-2012 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
9. "2011-2012 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
10. "2012-2013 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
11. "2012-2013 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
12. "2013-2014 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
13. "2013-2014 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
14. "2014-2015 London & SE Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
15. "2014-2015 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
16. "2015-2016 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
17. "2015-2016 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
18. "2016-2017 Sussex Spitfire Merit Leagues". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 22 April 2017.

External links

• Sussex Rugby