Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland, formerly known as Durham/Northumberland 1 is an English amateur rugby union competition. The league consists of twelve clubs, and is in the seventh tier of the English rugby union system; one of the sixteen regional leagues and is the highest level of local rugby in North East England. The champions are promoted to Regional 2 North, a division with a wider geographical area that also encompasses the Yorkshire region. The last two clubs are relegated to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.
Each season, two teams from the league are selected to take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup, a national competition for clubs in the seventh tier: one is affiliated with the Durham County RFU, the other is affiliated with the Northumberland RFU.
Clubs
Well known clubs have competed in Durham/Northumberland 1 throughout the league's history. Many of these clubs enjoyed success, mainly during the amateur era of rugby. These include Gosforth RFC who in the '70s enjoyed success, winning the John Player Cup in 1975–76 and 76–77; West Hartlepool who played in the Premiership in the 1990s; Northern who produced many international players; and Medicals, who have the rare distinction of having been the home club of two RFU Presidents. Clubs such as Alnwick RFC, Stockton RFC and Horden RFC have traditionally played in higher leagues and tend to finish towards the top of Durham/Northumberland 1.Format
The champions are promoted to Regional 2 North. Teams are relegated to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland; with the number of teams relegated depending on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above.The season runs from September to April and comprises twenty-two rounds of matches, with each club playing each of its rivals, home and away. The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:
- 4 points are awarded for a win
- 2 points are awarded for a draw
- 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
- 1 losing point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
- 1 additional point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.
2025–26
Participating teams and location
Leaving the league were Sunderland promoted to Regional 2 North while Whitley Bay Rockcliff were relegated to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
| Acklam | Talbot Park | Acklam, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | 9th | |
| Bishop Auckland | West Mills Playing Fields | Bishop Auckland, County Durham | 10th | |
| Darlington | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham | 8th |
| Durham University | Hollow Drift | 3,000 | Durham, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 |
| Gateshead | Eastwood Gardens | Gateshead, Tyne and Wear | Promoted from DN2 | |
| Hartlepool | Mayfield Park | Hartlepool, County Durham | 11th | |
| Horden and Peterlee | Eden Lane Park | Peterlee, County Durham | 3rd | |
| Medicals | Cartington Terrace | 1,000 | Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 4th |
| Novocastrians | Sutherland Park | 1,150 | Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 2nd |
| Ponteland | Ponteland Leisure Centre | Ponteland, Tyne and Wear | 6th | |
| Ryton | Main Road | Ryton, Tyne and Wear | 7th | |
| Stockton | The Grangefield Ground | Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham | 5th |
2024–25
Participating teams and location
Leaving the league were Guisborough promoted to Regional 2 North while South Shields Westoe and Hartlepool Rovers were relegated to DN2. Replacing them were Stockton, Darlington and Horden and Peterlee.| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
| Acklam | Talbot Park | Acklam, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | 6th | |
| Bishop Auckland | West Mills Playing Fields | Bishop Auckland, County Durham | 7th | |
| Darlington | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 |
| Hartlepool | Mayfield Park | Hartlepool, County Durham | 7th | |
| Horden and Peterlee | Eden Lane Park | Peterlee, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 | |
| Medicals | Cartington Terrace | 1,000 | Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 4th |
| Novocastrians | Sutherland Park | 1,150 | Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 3rd |
| Ponteland | Ponteland Leisure Centre | Ponteland, Tyne and Wear | 8th | |
| Ryton | Main Road | Ryton, Tyne and Wear | 5th | |
| Stockton | The Grangefield Ground | Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham | Relegated from Regional 2 North | |
| Sunderland | Ashbrooke Sports Club | Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear | 2nd | |
| Whitley Bay Rockcliff | Lovaine Avenue | Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear | 10th |
2023–24
Participating teams and location
Leaving the league were West Hartlepool promoted to Regional 2 North while Darlington and Horden and Peterlee were relegated to DN2. Replacing them were South Shields Westoe, Bishop Auckland and Ryton.| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
| Acklam | Talbot Park | Acklam, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | 8th | |
| Bishop Auckland | West Mills Playing Fields | Bishop Auckland, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 | |
| Guisborough | Belmangate | Guisborough, North Yorkshire | 5th | |
| Hartlepool | Mayfield Park | Hartlepool, County Durham | 7th | |
| Hartlepool Rovers | New Friarage | Hartlepool, County Durham | 9th | |
| Medicals | Cartington Terrace | 1,000 | Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 3rd |
| Novocastrians | Sutherland Park | 1,150 | Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 10th |
| Ponteland | Ponteland Leisure Centre | Ponteland, Tyne and Wear | 4th | |
| Ryton | Main Road | Ryton, Tyne and Wear | Promoted from DN2 | |
| South Shields Westoe | Grosvenor Road | South Shields, Tyne and Wear | Relegated from Regional 2 North | |
| Sunderland | Ashbrooke Sports Club | Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear | 2nd | |
| Whitley Bay Rockcliff | Lovaine Avenue | Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear | 6th |
2022–23
Participating teams and location
Leaving the league were Percy Park, Northern, South Shields Westoe, Stockton and Aspatria who were all promoted to Regional 2 North. There was no relegation.| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
| Acklam | Talbot Park | Acklam, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | 13th | |
| Darlington | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 |
| Guisborough | Belmangate | Guisborough, North Yorkshire | Promoted from DN2 | |
| Hartlepool | Mayfield Park | Hartlepool, County Durham | Promoted from DN2 | |
| Hartlepool Rovers | New Friarage | Hartlepool, County Durham | 9th | |
| Horden & Peterlee | Eden Lane Park | Peterlee, County Durham | 14th | |
| Medicals | Cartington Terrace | 1,000 | Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 7th |
| Novocastrians | Sutherland Park | 1,150 | Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 10th |
| Ponteland | Ponteland Leisure Centre | Ponteland, Tyne and Wear | 11th | |
| Sunderland | Ashbrooke Sports Club | Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear | 8th | |
| West Hartlepool | Brinkburn | 2,000 | Hartlepool, County Durham | 6th |
| Whitley Bay Rockcliff | Lovaine Avenue | Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear | 12th |
2021–22
Participating teams and location
Middlesbrough finished runners-up in DN1 in 2019–20 but were level transferred to Yorkshire 1 for the current season, the space was taken by Aspatria RUFC who were level transferred from North 2 West.The teams competing in 2021–22 achieved their places in the league based on performances in 2019–20, the 'previous season' column in the table below refers to that season, not 2020–21.
2020–21
On 30 October 2020 the RFU announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic a decision had been taken to cancel Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020–21 season meaning DN1 was not contested.2019–20
Participating teams and location
Original teams
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:- Acklam
- Ashington
- Blyth
- Darlington
- Horden
- Percy Park
- Ponteland
- Redcar
- Rockcliff
- Seghill
- Winlanton Vulcans
Durham/Northumberland 1 honours
Durham/Northumberland 1 (1987–1993)
The original Durham/Northumberland 1 was a tier 9 league with promotion to North East 2 and relegation to Durham/Northumberland 2.Durham/Northumberland 1 (1993–2000)
The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Durham/Northumberland 1 dropped to tier 10. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season, which included the cancellation of National 5 North and the addition of North East 3 at tier 9, saw Durham/Northumberland 1 remain at tier 10 with promotion to the new North 3 East league.Durham/Northumberland 1 (2000–2022)
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. This meant that Durham/Northumberland 1 became a tier 7 league, with promotion to North 2 East.Promotion play-offs
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Durham/Northumberland 1 and Yorkshire 1 for the third and final promotion place to North 1 East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season Yorkshire 1 teams have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the Durham/Northumberland 1 teams six; and the home side have won ten times to the away sides nine.Number of league titles
- Horden
- Consett
- Northern
- Percy Park
- Darlington
- Durham City
- Gateshead
- Guisborough
- Hartlepool Rovers
- Alnwick
- Ashington
- Billingham
- Blyth
- Medicals
- Mowden Park
- Redcar
- Ryton
- Sunderland
- Whitby
- Rockcliff
- West Hartlepool
- West Hartlepool TDSOB
- Westoe