2017 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 3

The Division 3 format was changed for the 2017 season. Where before there were ten teams playing in three pools, this was narrowed down to seven teams playing in two pools. The first pool had four teams with two of the counties playing two home games and the others just one - the RFU plans to switch this around the following year so that teams that played one home game in 2017 will get two during the 2018 competition. Pool 2 only had three teams due to the withdrawal of Middlesex who were supposed to take part, meaning that each team played one home game each. The top side in each group went through to the final held at Twickenham Stadium. Due to changes to the County Championships implemented for this competition, promotion between tier 3 and tier 2 has been introduced. This will be done over a two-year period, with points accumulated from the pool stages determining the promoted sides (one for each group), who will be turn replaced by the bottom two sides (one from each group) from tier 2. ==Participating counties and ground locations==

Division 3 Pool 1 • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: • Number of matches won • Difference between points for and against • Total number of points for • Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams • Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Round 1 ---- Round 2 ---- Round 3 • Oxfordshire awarded 5 point win by default as Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire were unable to field a team due to a lack of front-row forwards. Division 3 Pool 2 • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: • Number of matches won • Difference between points for and against • Total number of points for • Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams • Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Round 1 ---- Round 2 ---- Round 3 ==Final==

• Oxfordshire champions by virtue of scoring more tries (5) than Sussex (4). ==Individual statistics==

• Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Statistics will also include final. Top points scorers Top try scorers ==Competition records==

Team ;Largest home win — 20 points 30 - 10 Buckinghamshire at home to Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire on 13 May 2017 ;Largest away win — 29 points 37 - 8 Essex away to Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire on 6 May 2017 ;Most points scored — 37 points 37 - 8 Essex away to Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire on 6 May 2017 ;Most tries in a match — 5 (x2) Essex away to Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire on 6 May 2017 Oxfordshire at Twickenham against Sussex on 28 May 2017 ;Most conversions in a match — 4 Sussex at home to Dorset & Wilts on 6 May 2017 ;Most penalties in a match — 3 (x2) Sussex away to Berkshire on 13 May 2017 Berkshire away to Dorset & Wilts on 20 May 2017 ;Most drop goals in a match — 0 ;Most points in a match — 17 Ed Phillips for Oxfordshire away to Buckinghamshire on 6 May 2017 ;Most tries in a match — 2 (x2) Pat Ockendon for Buckinghamshire at home to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire on 13 May 2017 Bradley Burr for Essex at home to Buckinghamshire on 20 May 2017 ;Most conversions in a match — 4 Carlos Casanova for Sussex at home to Dorset & Wilts on 6 May 2017 ;Most penalties in a match — 3 (x2) Carlos Casanova for Sussex away to Berkshire on 13 May 2017 Tom Finnie for Berkshire away to Dorset & Wilts on 20 May 2017 ==Notes==