North West 3
North West 3 was an English Rugby Union league which was at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and was available to teams in North [West England]. Promoted teams moved up to North West 2 while relegated teams dropped to either South Lancs/Cheshire 1 or North Lancs/Cumbria depending on their location.
At the end of the 1999-2000 the division was cancelled along with North West 1, North West 2, and their counterparts North East 1, North East 2 and North East 3, due to northern league restructuring by the RFU. Most teams in North West 3 were transferred to their relevant regional leagues - South Lancs/Cheshire 1, South Lancs/Cheshire 2, North Lancs/Cumbria or the Cumbrian League depending on final league position.
Original teams
When this division was introduced in 1996 it contained the following teams:- Calder Vale - promoted from Cumbria/Lancs North
- Caldy - relegated from North West 2
- Cockermouth - relegated from North West 1
- Merseyside Police - relegated from North West 2
- Rossendale - relegated from North West 2
- Ruskin Park - promoted from Cheshire/Lancs South
- Stockport - relegated from North West 2
- Wigan - relegated from North West 2
- Windermere - relegated from North West 2
- Workington - promoted from Cumbria/Lancs North