Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland


Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland, formerly known as Durham/Northumberland 2, is an English rugby union league at the eighth tier of the domestic competition for teams from North East England. The champions and runner-up are promoted to Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland and the bottom two clubs are relegated to Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland. Each season two teams from Durham/Northumberland 2 are picked to take part in the RFU Senior Vase - one affiliated with the Durham County RFU, the other with the Northumberland RFU. Ponteland won their fourth title in 2020 with Sunderland also promoted.

Participating clubs 2025–26

Departing were Durham University and Gateshead, promoted to Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland as champions and runners-up respectively. DMP Elizabethans would have been relegated to Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland but instead withdrew from league competition.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland5th
Barnard CastleBirch RoadBarnard Castle, County Durham6th
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, Northumberland11th
Hartlepool RoversNew FriarageHartlepool, County Durham4th
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear3rd
JarroviansCommunity CentreHebburn, Tyne and WearPromoted from DN3
North ShieldsPreston Playing FieldsPreston, North Shields, Tyne and Wear7th
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North Yorkshire9th
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham10th
South Shields WestoeGrosvenor RoadSouth Shields, Tyne and Wear8th
Whitley Bay RockcliffLovaine AvenueWhitley Bay, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN1
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County DurhamPromoted from DN3

Participating clubs 2024–25

Departing were Horden and Peterlee and Darlington, promoted to DN1 as champions and runners-up respectively. Whitby and Seaham were relegated to DN3.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland3rd
Barnard CastleBirch RoadBarnard Castle, County Durham7th
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, NorthumberlandPromoted from DN3
DMP ElizabethansNorthern Echo ArenaDarlington, County Durham8th
Durham UniversityHollow DriftDurham, County DurhamPromoted from DN3
GatesheadEastwood GardensGateshead, Tyne and Wear5th
Hartlepool RoversNew FriarageHartlepool, County DurhamRelegated from DN1
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear6th
North ShieldsPreston Playing FieldsPreston, North Shields, Tyne and Wear9th
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North Yorkshire4th
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham10th
South Shields WestoeGrosvenor RoadSouth Shields, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN1

Participating clubs 2023–24

Departing were Ryton and Bishop Auckland, promoted to DN1 as champions and runners-up respectively. Winlaton Vulcans and Wallsend were relegated to DN3.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland4th
Barnard CastleBirch RoadBarnard Castle, County Durham6th
DarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,000Darlington, County DurhamRelegated from DN1
DMP ElizabethansNorthern Echo ArenaDarlington, County DurhamPromoted from DN3
GatesheadEastwood GardensGateshead, Tyne and Wear3rd
Horden and PeterleeEden Lane ParkPeterlee, County DurhamRelegated from DN1
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and WearPromoted from DN3
North ShieldsPreston Playing FieldsPreston, North Shields, Tyne and Wear7th
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North Yorkshire5th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County Durham8th
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham9th
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North Yorkshire10th

Participating clubs 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competetion Review.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland7th
Bishop AucklandWest Mills Playing FieldsBishop Auckland, County Durham4th
Barnard CastleBirch RoadBarnard Castle, County Durham11th
GatesheadEastwood GardensGateshead, Tyne and Wear5th
North ShieldsPreston Playing FieldsPreston, North Shields, Tyne and Wear10th
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North Yorkshire9th
RytonMain RoadRyton, Tyne and Wear6th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County Durham8th
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham13th
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and WearPromoted from DN3N
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North Yorkshire12th
Winlaton VulcansAxwell ViewWinlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear14th

Participating clubs 2021–22

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.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland7th
Bishop AucklandWest Mills Playing FieldsBishop Auckland, County Durham9th
Barnard CastleBirch RoadBarnard Castle, County DurhamRelegated from DN1
DarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,000Darlington, County Durham10th
GatesheadEastwood GardensGateshead, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN1
GuisboroughBelmangateGuisborough, North Yorkshire3rd
HartlepoolMayfield ParkHartlepool, County Durham4th
North ShieldsPreston Playing FieldsPreston, North Shields, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN1
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North YorkshirePromoted from DN3
RytonMain RoadRyton, Tyne and Wear6th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County DurhamPromoted from DN3
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham11th
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North Yorkshire8th
Winlaton VulcansAxwell ViewWinlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear5th

Season 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 DN2 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019-20

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
AshingtonThe Recreation GroundAshington, Northumberland6th
Bishop AucklandWest Mills Playing FieldsBishop Auckland, County Durham8th
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, NorthumberlandPromoted from DN3
DarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,000Darlington, County Durham11th
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear7th
GuisboroughBelmangateGuisborough, North YorkshireRelegated from Yorkshire 1
HartlepoolMayfield ParkHartlepool, County Durham3rd
PontelandPonteland Leisure CentrePonteland, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN1
RytonMain RoadRyton, Tyne and Wear9th
Seaton CarewHornby ParkSeaton Carew, County DurhamPromoted from DN3
SedgefieldSedgefield Cricket ClubSedgefield, County Durham10th
SunderlandAshbrooke Sports ClubAshbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear4th
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North YorkshireRelegated from DN1
Winlaton VulcansAxwell ViewWinlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear5th

Original teams

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

Durham/Northumberland 2 honours

Durham/Northumberland 2 (1987–1993)

The original Durham/Northumberland 2 was a tier 10 league with promotion up to Durham/Northumberland 1 and relegation down to Durham/Northumberland 3.

Durham/Northumberland 2 (1993–2000)

The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Durham/Northumberland 2 dropped to being a tier 11 league. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season saw Durham/Northumberland 2 remain at tier 11.

Durham/Northumberland 2 (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. This meant that Durham/Northumberland 2 became a tier 8 league.

Number of league titles