Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland

Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland, previously known as Durham/Northumberland 3, is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition and is currently the basement league of club rugby in North East England. Any club in the north east wishing to join the rugby union club hierarchy must begin at the bottom so all new teams from the north east start in this division - although until 2005-06 there was relegation to the now defunct Durham/Northumberland 4. The champions and runner-up are promoted to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.

Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland

Current season or competition: 2024–25
Sport	Rugby union
Formerly known as	Durham/Northumberland 3
Instituted	1987; 38 years ago (1987)
Inaugural season	1987–88
Number of teams	11
Country	England
Holders	Durham University (2023–24)
Most titles	Guisborough South Shields (4 titles)
Website	England RFU
Promotion to	Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland

Each season two teams from Durham/Northumberland 3 are picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase (a national competition for clubs at levels 9-12) - one affiliated with the Durham County RFU, the other with the Northumberland RFU. Redcar won the league in 2020 with Seaham also promoted.

The division was split across two geographic areas (North & South) for the 2021–22 season as part of an RFU reorganisation of the Durham & Northumberland regional league. The experiment lasted just one season and the league was reunited in 2022-23.

Participating clubs 2024-25

Prudhoe & Stocksfield (11th in 2023/24) started the campaign but subsequently withdrew leaving 10 teams to complete the league fixtures.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 4th Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 9th Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 8th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham Relegated from DN2 (12th) Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 10th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 5th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 3rd Whitby Recreation Ground Whitby, North Yorkshire Relegated from DN2 (11th) Winlaton Vulcans Axwell View Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear 6th Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 7th

Gosforth Jarrovians Newton Aycliffe Seaham Seaton Carew Seghill Wallsend Whitby Winlaton Yarm Locations of the 2024-25 Durham/Northumberland 3 teams

Participating clubs 2023-24

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland 6th Durham University Hollow Drift Durham, County Durham New entry Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 3rd Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 8th Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham Re-entry Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 7th Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 4th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 9th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (12th) Winlaton Vulcans Axwell View Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (11th) Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 5th

Blyth Durham Uni Gosforth Jarrovians Newton Aycliffe Prudhoe & Stocksfield Seaton Carew Seghill Wallsend Winlaton Yarm Locations of the 2023-24 Durham/Northumberland 3 teams

Participating clubs 2022–23

Leaving the league were South Shields, Richmondshire and West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. who had withdrawn from the league in 2021-22, together with West End RFC (6th DN3N). Wallsend were promoted to DN2.

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland 3rd DN3N DMP Elizabethans Northern Echo Arena Darlington, County Durham 1st DN3S Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 5th DN3N Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear 3rd DN3S Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 7th DN3N Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 4th DN3N Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 4th DN3S Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 2nd DN3N Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 2nd DN3S

Blyth DMP Gosforth Houghton Jarrovians Prudhoe & Stocksfield Seaton Carew Seghill Yarm Locations of the 2022-23 Durham/Northumberland 3 teams

Participating clubs 2021–22

Jarrovians rejoined the (North) league having withdrawn from DN3 in 2019–20.

Ahead of the new season Newton Aycliffe RUFC (5th in 2019-20) and West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. (9th in 2019-20) withdrew from DN3 (South).

In November 2021 South Shields withdrew, meaning the (North) league was completed with 7 teams in 2021–22.

In January 2022 Richmondshire RUFC (10th in 2019-20) also withdrew, meaning the (South) league was completed with 4 teams in 2021–22.

The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the positions in brackets refer to that season not 2020–21.

North Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland Relegated from DN2 (14th) Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (12th) Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear Re-entry Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 8th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 6th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 3rd West End Tower View Benwell, Tyne and Wear New entry

Blyth Gosforth Jarrovians Prudhoe & Stocksfield Seghill Wallsend West End Locations of the 2021-22 Durham/Northumberland 3 North teams in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

South Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season DMP Elizabethans Northern Echo Arena Darlington, County Durham New entry Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear 4th Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham Relegated from DN2 (13th) Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 7th

DMP Houghton Seaton Carew Yarm Locations of the 2021-22 D/N3 South teams in Tyne & Wear & County Durham

Season 2020–21

On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced ^[1] that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning DN3 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019–20

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (13th) Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 5th Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 9th Redcar Mackinlay Park Redcar, North Yorkshire Relegated from DN2 (12th) Richmondshire Theakston Lane Richmond, North Yorkshire 4th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham 7th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 8th South Shields Grosvenor Road South Shields, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (14th) Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 10th West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. John Howard Park Hartlepool, County Durham 6th Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 3rd

Houghton Newton Aycliffe Prudhoe & Stocksfield Redcar Richmondshire Seaham Seghill South Shields Wallsend W Hartlepool TDSOB Yarm Locations of the 2019-20 Durham/Northumberland 3 teams

Original teams

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

• Billingham
• Chester-le-Street
• Darlington RA
• Guisborough
• Hartlepool TDSOB
• North Shields
• Seaton Carew
• Washington
• Wearside
• Whitby

Durham/Northumberland 3 Honours

Durham/Northumberland 3 (1987–1993)

The original Durham/Northumberland 3 was a tier 11 league with promotion up to Durham/Northumberland 2 and relegation down to Durham/Northumberland 4 until the end of the 1991–92 season when that division was cancelled.

Durham/Northumberland 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88	10	Whitby	Billingham	Washington[a]
1988–89	10	Darlington Railway Athletic	North Shields	No relegation
1989–90	11	Barnard Castle	Seaton Carew	Prudhoe Hospital, Wearside
1990–91	11	Guisborough	West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B.	Civil Service Durham
1991–92	11	Chester-le-Street	Wallsend[b]	No relegation[c]
1992–93	11	Newton Aycliffe	Hartlepool B.B.O.B.	No relegation
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Durham/Northumberland 3 (1993–2000)

The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Durham/Northumberland 3 dropped to being a tier 12 league. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Durham/Northumberland 3 remain at tier 12. The reintroduction of Durham/Northumberland 4, meant that relegation returned for the 1996–97 season.

Durham/Northumberland 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1993–94	10	Billingham	Richmondshire	No relegation
1994–95	10	Barnard Castle	Sedgefield	No relegation
1995–96	12	South Tyneside College	Seaton Carew	Multiple teams[d]
1996–97	8	Billingham	Seghill	Wearside
1997–98	9	Gosforth	Houghton	No relegation
1998–99[2]	10	Wallsend	Richmondshire	Hartlepool B.B.O.B.
1999–00[3]	9	Guisborough[e]	Seaton Carew	Hartlepool Athletic, Seaham
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Durham/Northumberland 3 (2000–present)

Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–2000 season saw the cancellation of North East 1, North East 2 and North East 3 (tiers 7–9). This meant that Durham/Northumberland 3 became a tier 9 league. Relegation continued to Durham/Northumberland 4 until that division was abolished at the end of the 2005–06 season.

Durham/Northumberland 3
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2000–01[4]	12	Guisborough	Barnard Castle	Durham Constabulary
2001–02[5]	12	Novocastrians	Seaton Carew	Newton Aycliffe, Wensleydale
2002–03[6]	12	Ponteland	Yarm	Wearside Samurai, Jarrovians
2003–04[7]	12	Richmondshire	Whitby	West Hartlepool Amateurs, Hartlepool Athletic
2004–05[8]	10	Sunderland	Whitley Bay Rockcliff	Seaham, South Tyneside College
2005–06[9]	10	Blyth	Yarm	No relegation[f]
2006–07[10]	13	Medicals	Barnard Castle	No relegation
2007–08[11]	11	Hartlepool	Team Northumbria	No relegation
2008–09[12]	11	Seaton Carew	Bishop Auckland	No relegation
2009–10[13]	12	Guisborough	Prudhoe & Stocksfield	No relegation
2010–11[14]	11	North Shields	Whitby	No relegation
2011–12[15]	11	Prudhoe & Stocksfield	Seaham	No relegation
2012–13[16]	12	Hartlepool B.B.O.B.	Whitby	No relegation
2013–14[17]	12	South Tyneside College	Winlaton Vulcans	No relegation
2014–15[18]	12	Whitby	Houghton	No relegation
2015–16[19]	13	South Shields	Sedgefield	No relegation
2016–17[20]	12	Newton Aycliffe	Richmondshire	No relegation
2017–18[21]	12	South Shields	Houghton	No relegation
2018–19[22]	10[g]	Seaton Carew	Blyth	No relegation
2019–20[23]	11	Redcar	Seaham	No relegation
2020–21	11
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Guisborough (4)
• South Shields^[h] (4)
• Barnard Castle (2)
• Billingham (2)
• Newton Aycliffe (2)
• Seaton Carew (2)
• Whitby (2)
• Blyth (1)
• Chester-le-Street (1)
• Darlington Railway Athletic (1)
• Gosforth (1)
• Hartlepool (1)
• Hartlepool B.B.O.B. (1)
• Medicals (1)
• North Shields (1)
• Novocastrians (1)
• Ponteland (1)
• Prudhoe & Stocksfield (1)
• Redcar (1)
• Richmondshire (1)
• Sunderland (1)
• Wallsend (1)

See also

• Durham RFU
• Northumberland RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

Notes

1. Relegated side Washington would drop out of the Durham/Northumberland leagues at the end of the season, re-entering Durham/Northumberland 4 for the 1990–91 season.
2. Due to restructuring caused by the cancellation of Durham/Northumberland 4, runners up Wallsend were promoted to Durham/Northumberland 2, along with North Shields, Houghton, Billingham, South Tyneside College and Wensleydale.
3. Due to restructuring caused by the cancellation of Durham/Northumberland 4, no clubs were relegated. The remaining eight clubs in Durham/Northumberland 4 were promoted into Durham/Northumberland 3 for the following season.
4. Due to restructuring of the leagues, seven clubs including Prudhoe Hospital, Durham Constabulary, Washington, Hartlepool Athletic, Newton Aycliffe, Jarrovians were relegated to the reintroduced Durham/Northumberland 4 (Alston Moor folded at the end of the season). This was also done to decrease league sizes and begin home and away fixtures in order to inaugurate North East 3 the following season.
5. Guisborough were not promoted despite being champions as the division was to increase from 9 to 12 teams for the following season.
6. No relegation as Durham/Northumberland 4 to be abolished for the following season.
7. Division reduced from 12 to 10 teams after Jarrovians and Chester-le-Street pull out.
8. South Tyneside College changed their name to South Shields in 2015.

References

1. "RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season". RFU. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
2. "1998-99 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
3. "1999-00 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
4. "2000-01 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
5. "2001-02 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
6. "2002-03 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
7. "2003-04 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
8. "2004-05 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
9. "2005-06 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
10. "2006-07 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
11. "2007-08 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
12. "2008-09 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
13. "2009-10 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
14. "2010-11 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
15. "2011-12 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
16. "2012-13 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
17. "2013-14 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
18. "2014-15 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
19. "2015-16 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
20. "2015-16 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
21. "2017-18 Northern Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
22. "2018-19 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
23. "Men's North Level 8 and below leagues 2019–20" (PDF). England Rugby. Retrieved 25 April 2020.