Group 3 Rugby League
Group 3 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The Group 3 area runs from Kempsey in the north to Forster in the south.
History
The league began in 1946, with Taree Old Bar winning the first ever premiership. At the time, this league was known as Group 18. In 1966, the boundaries were re-drawn to include three new clubs and the group's name was changed to Group 3.In 1995, Port Macquarie and Wauchope joined Group 2 in another re-zoning, with teams from Group 3 Saturday League joining the competition. In 2003, Port City RLFC joined the competition on loan from Group 2. In 2004, Wauchope re-joined the league after departing at the end of the 1994 season.
The current First Grade premiers are the Old Bar Beach Pirates.
The 2020 Group 3 competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Junior competitions were postponed, eventually commencing in July. The highest age group competition winners were Wingham Tigers and Port Macquarie Sharks.
Teams
The following clubs field teams in the Group 3 First Grade competition.| Club | City/Town | Founded | Home Ground | No. of Titles | Premierships |
| Forster Tuncurry Hawks | Forster/Tuncurry | 1946 | Harry Elliot Oval | 9 | 1947, 1968, 1970, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2011 |
| Macleay Valley Mustangs | Kempsey | 1995 | Verge Street Oval | 2 | 2014, 2019 |
| Old Bar Beach Pirates | Old Bar | 1995 | Old Bar Reserve | 3 | 1996, 1999, 2023 |
| Port City Breakers | Port Macquarie | 2002 | Regional Stadium | 5 | 2008, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2022 |
| Port Macquarie Sharks | Port Macquarie | 1940 | Regional Stadium | 7 | 1976, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2018 |
| Taree City Bulls | Taree | 1998 | Jack Neal Oval | 3 | 2000, 2001, 2007 |
| Wauchope Blues | Wauchope | 1920 | Lank Bain Oval | 8 | 1967, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1984, 2009, 2012, 2013 |
| Wingham Tigers | Wingham | 1900s | Wingham Sporting Complex | 9 | 1950, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962, 1989, 1997, 2002, 2003 |
Former Teams
- Camden Haven Eagles
- Cape Hawke
- Cundletown
- Forster Dragons
- Gloucester Magpies
- Halliday Point Makos
- Taree Rhinos
- Taree Browns Creek
- Taree Old Bar
- Taree United
Premierships
First Grade
Separate teams in 1946, Forster and Tuncurry combined as Cape Hawke in 1947, then played as Foster-Tuncurry from 1953.Group 3
Source:''Grand Final scores compiled from results published in the Rugby League Week.''
Leaderboard
Bold indicates active club'
| Club | Premierships | Runners-up | Minor Premierships |
| Wingham District | 9 | 16 | 3 |
| Forster Tuncurry | 9 | 12 | 8 |
| Gloucester | 9 | 1 | ? |
| Wauchope District | 8 | 8 | 11 |
| Taree Old Bar | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| Port Macquarie Sharks | 8 | 6 | 10 |
| Taree United | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Port City | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Taree Browns Creek | 5 | 3 | ? |
| Taree City | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Old Bar Beach | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Camden Haven | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Macleay Valley Mustangs''' | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Cundletown | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Forster Dragons | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| South Taree | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Juniors
Junior Clubs- Camden Haven Eagles
- Forster Tuncurry Hawks
- Gloucester Magpies
- Lake Cathie Raiders
- Old Bar Beach Pirates
- Port City Breakers
- Port Macquarie Sharks
- Taree Red Rovers
- Taree Panthers
- Wauchope Blues
- Wingham Tigers