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.
Each season two teams from Durham/Northumberland 3 are picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase - 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 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 2025–26

Departing were Jarrovians and Yarm promoted to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland as champions and runners-up respectively. Seghill, Winlaton Vulcans and Seaton Carew did not return for the new season.
In January 2026 South Shields, who had re-joined the league pyramid for the first time since season 2021-22, withdrew leaving just five clubs to contest the remaining fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear6th
Newton AycliffeNewton Aycliffe Sports ClubNewton Aycliffe, County Durham9th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County Durham5th
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and Wear3rd
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North Yorkshire4th

Participating clubs 2024–25

Departing were Durham University and Blyth promoted to DN2 as champions and runners-up respectively.
Prudhoe & Stocksfield started the campaign but subsequently withdrew leaving 10 teams to complete the league fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear4th
JarroviansCommunity CentreHebburn, Tyne and Wear9th
Newton AycliffeNewton Aycliffe Sports ClubNewton Aycliffe, County Durham8th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County DurhamRelegated from DN2
Seaton CarewHornby ParkSeaton Carew, County Durham10th
SeghillWelfare ParkCramlington, Northumberland5th
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and Wear3rd
WhitbyRecreation GroundWhitby, North YorkshireRelegated from DN2
Winlaton VulcansAxwell ViewWinlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear6th
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County Durham7th

Participating clubs 2023–24

Departing were Houghton and DMP Elizabethans promoted to DN2 as champions and runners-up respectively.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, Northumberland6th
Durham UniversityHollow DriftDurham, County DurhamNew entry
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear3rd
JarroviansCommunity CentreHebburn, Tyne and Wear8th
Newton AycliffeNewton Aycliffe Sports ClubNewton Aycliffe, County DurhamRe-entry
Prudhoe & StocksfieldStocksfield Sports GroundStocksfield, Northumberland7th
Seaton CarewHornby ParkSeaton Carew, County Durham4th
SeghillWelfare ParkCramlington, Northumberland9th
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN2
Winlaton VulcansAxwell ViewWinlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN2
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County Durham5th

Participating clubs 2022–23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review.
Leaving the league were South Shields, Richmondshire and West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. who had all withdrawn from the league before or during the 2021-22 season, together with West End RFC. Wallsend were promoted to DN2.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, Northumberland3rd DN3N
DMP ElizabethansNorthern Echo ArenaDarlington, County Durham1st DN3S
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear5th DN3N
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear3rd DN3S
JarroviansCommunity CentreHebburn, Tyne and Wear7th DN3N
Prudhoe & StocksfieldStocksfield Sports GroundStocksfield, Northumberland4th DN3N
Seaton CarewHornby ParkSeaton Carew, County Durham4th DN3S
SeghillWelfare ParkCramlington, Northumberland2nd DN3N
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County Durham2nd DN3S

Participating clubs 2021–22

Jarrovians rejoined the league having withdrawn from DN3 in 2019–20.
Ahead of the new season Newton Aycliffe and West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. withdrew from DN3.
In November 2021 South Shields withdrew, meaning the league was completed with 7 teams in 2021–22.
In January 2022 Richmondshire RUFC also withdrew, meaning the 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

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
BlythPlessey RoadBlyth, NorthumberlandRelegated from DN2
GosforthBroadway WestNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN2
JarroviansCommunity CentreHebburn, Tyne and WearRe-entry
Prudhoe & StocksfieldStocksfield Sports GroundStocksfield, Northumberland8th
SeghillWelfare ParkCramlington, Northumberland6th
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and Wear3rd
West EndTower ViewBenwell, Tyne and WearNew entry

South

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
DMP ElizabethansNorthern Echo ArenaDarlington, County DurhamNew entry
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear4th
Seaton CarewHornby ParkSeaton Carew, County DurhamRelegated from DN2
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County Durham7th

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 DN3 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019–20

TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season
HoughtonDairy LaneHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN2
Newton AycliffeNewton Aycliffe Sports ClubNewton Aycliffe, County Durham5th
Prudhoe & StocksfieldStocksfield Sports GroundStocksfield, Northumberland9th
RedcarMackinlay ParkRedcar, North YorkshireRelegated from DN2
RichmondshireTheakston LaneRichmond, North Yorkshire4th
SeahamSeaham Leisure CentreSeaham, County Durham7th
SeghillWelfare ParkCramlington, Northumberland8th
South ShieldsGrosvenor RoadSouth Shields, Tyne and WearRelegated from DN2
WallsendBattle Hill Playing FieldWallsend, Tyne and Wear10th
West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B.John Howard ParkHartlepool, County Durham6th
YarmWass WayStockton-on-Tees, County Durham3rd

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 (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 (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 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.

Number of league titles