Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland Explained

Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
Current Season:	2022–23 Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
Sport:	Rugby union
Teams:	12
Champion:	Guisborough (2nd title)
Season:	2021–22) (promoted to Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
Most Champs:	Ponteland
Count:	4
Website:	England RFU

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 (a national competition for clubs at level 8) - 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 2024–25

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ashington	The Recreation Ground			3rd
Barnard Castle	Birch Road			7th
Blyth	Plessey Road			Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
				8th
	Hollow Drift			Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Gateshead	Eastwood Gardens			5th
	New Friarage			Relegated from DN1 (11th)
Houghton	Dairy Lane			6th
North Shields	Preston Playing Fields			9th
	Mackinlay Park			4th
Sedgefield	Sedgefield Cricket Club			10th
	Grosvenor Road			Relegated from DN1 (12th)

Participating clubs 2023–24

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ashington	The Recreation Ground			4th
Barnard Castle	Birch Road			6th
	Blackwell Meadows	3,000		Relegated from DN1 (11th)
				Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
Gateshead	Eastwood Gardens			3rd
	Eden Lane Park			Relegated from DN1 (12th)
Houghton	Dairy Lane			Promoted from DN3 (champions)
North Shields	Preston Playing Fields			7th
	Mackinlay Park			5th
Seaham	Seaham Leisure Centre			8th
Sedgefield	Sedgefield Cricket Club			9th
Whitby	Recreation Ground			10th

Participating clubs 2022–23

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ashington	The Recreation Ground			7th
Bishop Auckland	West Mills Playing Fields			4th
Barnard Castle	Birch Road			11th
Gateshead	Eastwood Gardens			5th
North Shields	Preston Playing Fields			10th
	Mackinlay Park			9th
Ryton	Main Road			6th
Seaham	Seaham Leisure Centre			8th
Sedgefield	Sedgefield Cricket Club			13th
	Battle Hill Playing Field
Whitby	Recreation Ground			12th
Winlaton Vulcans	Axwell View			14th

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.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ashington	The Recreation Ground			7th
Bishop Auckland	West Mills Playing Fields			9th
Barnard Castle	Birch Road			Relegated from DN1 (14th)
	Blackwell Meadows	3,000		10th
Gateshead	Eastwood Gardens			Relegated from DN1 (12th)
Guisborough	Belmangate			3rd
Hartlepool	Mayfield Park			4th
North Shields	Preston Playing Fields			Relegated from DN1 (13th)
	Mackinlay Park			Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Ryton	Main Road			6th
Seaham	Seaham Leisure Centre			Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
Sedgefield	Sedgefield Cricket Club			11th
Whitby	Recreation Ground			8th
Winlaton Vulcans	Axwell View			5th

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 DN2 was not contested.

Participating clubs 2019-20

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ashington	The Recreation Ground			6th
Bishop Auckland	West Mills Playing Fields			8th
Blyth	Plessey Road			Promoted from DN3 (runners up)
	Blackwell Meadows	3,000		11th
				7th
Guisborough	Belmangate			Relegated from Yorkshire 1 (14th) (level transfer)
Hartlepool	Mayfield Park			3rd
Ponteland	Ponteland Leisure Centre			Relegated from DN1 (13th)
Ryton	Main Road			9th
Seaton Carew	Hornby Park			Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Sedgefield	Sedgefield Cricket Club			10th
Sunderland	Ashbrooke Sports Club			4th
Whitby	Recreation Ground			Relegated from DN1 (14th)
Winlaton Vulcans	Axwell View			5th

Original teams

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

• Bishop Auckland
• Consett
• Hartlepool
• Hartlepool B.B.O.B.
• Houghton
• North Durham
• Medicals
• Mowden Park
• Seaham
• Sunderland
• Wallsend

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
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1987–88	11	Mowden Park		Houghton
1988–89	11	Whitby		Hartlepool B.B.O.B.
1989–90	11	Bishop Auckland		North Shields, Wallsend
1990–91	11	Consett		Billingham
1991–92	11	Percy Park		No relegation
1992–93	13	North Durham	North Shields
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

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
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
1993–94	12	Ponteland
1994–95	13	Winlaton Vulcans
1995–96	13	Hartlepool		Multiple teams
1996–97	10	Consett	North Durham	Wensleydale, Darlington Railway Athletic
1997–98	10	Billingham
1998–99^[2]	9	Houghton
1999–00^[3]	10	Gosforth
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

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 (tiers 7–9). This meant that Durham/Northumberland 2 became a tier 8 league.

<											----> Durham/Northumberland 2
Season	No of Teams	Champions	Runners–up	Relegated Teams
2000–01^[4]	12	Gosforth
2001–02^[5]	12	Acklam		Whitley Bay Rockcliff, Medicals
2002–03^[6]	12	Consett
2003–04^[7]	12	Ryton
2004–05^[8]	12	Gateshead	North Shields
2005–06^[9]	12	Sunderland
2006–07^[10]	12	Wallsend		Seaton Carew, Blyth
2007–08^[11]	12	Ashington
2008–09^[12]	12	Team Northumbria		No relegation
2009–10^[13]	12	Ponteland		Houghton, North Shields
2010–11^[14]	12	Guisborough		Prudhoe & Stocksfield
2011–12^[15]	13	Blyth
2012–13^[16]	13	Bishop Auckland
2013–14^[17]	13	Ryton
2014–15^[18]	14	Ponteland
2015–16^[19]	14	Barnard Castle
2016–17^[20]	14	Redcar		Seaton Carew, South Shields, Blyth
2017–18^[21]	14	Acklam		Richmondshire, Newton Aycliffe
2018–19^[22]	14	Whitley Bay Rockcliff	North Shields
2019–20^[23]	14	Ponteland
2020–21	14
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

• Ponteland (4)
• Consett (3)
• Acklam (2)
• Bishop Auckland (2)
• Gosforth (2)
• Ryton (2)
• Ashington (1)
• Barnard Castle (1)
• Billingham (1)
• Blyth (1)
• Gateshead (1)
• Guisborough (1)
• Hartlepool (1)
• Houghton (1)
• Mowden Park (1)
• North Durham (1)
• Percy Park (1)
• Redcar (1)
• Sunderland (1)
• Team Northumbria (1)
• Wallsend (1)
• Winlaton Vulcans (1)
• Whitley Bay Rockcliff (1)
• Whitby (1)

See also

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: RFU Cancels Adult Competitive Leagues for the 2020/21 Season . RFU . 2020-10-20 . 2020-11-09.
2. Web site: 1998-99 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
3. Web site: 1999-00 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
4. Web site: 2000-01 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
5. Web site: 2001-02 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
6. Web site: 2002-03 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
7. Web site: 2003-04 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
8. Web site: 2004-05 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
9. Web site: 2005-06 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
10. Web site: 2006-07 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
11. Web site: 2007-08 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
12. Web site: 2008-09 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
13. Web site: 2009-10 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
14. Web site: 2010-11 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
15. Web site: 2011-12 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
16. Web site: 2012-13 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
17. Web site: 2013-14 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
18. Web site: 2014-15 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
19. Web site: 2015-16 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
20. Web site: 2016-17 Northern Division. England Rugby. 30 April 2017.
21. Web site: 2017-18 Northern Division. England Rugby. 28 April 2018.
22. Web site: 2018-19 Northern Division. England Rugby. RFU. 13 April 2019.
23. Web site: Men's North Level 8 and below leagues 2019–20. England Rugby. 25 April 2020.