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 (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.

Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
Current season or competition:
2022–23 Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987)
Number of teams12
Country England
HoldersGuisborough (2nd title) (2021–22)
(promoted to Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland)
Most titlesPonteland (4 titles)
WebsiteEngland RFU

Participating clubs 2022–23
  • Durham University Rugby Football Club
  • Ashington
  • Barnard Castle
  • Bishop Auckland
  • Gateshead
  • North Shields
  • Redcar
  • Ryton
  • Seaham
  • Sedgefield
  • Wallsend (promoted from Durham / Northumberland 3 North)
  • Whitby
  • Winlaton Vulcans

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.

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

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
Season No of Teams Champions Runners–up Relegated Teams
1987–8811Mowden ParkHartlepoolHoughton
1988–8911WhitbySunderlandHartlepool B.B.O.B.
1989–9011Bishop AucklandDarlington Railway AthleticNorth Shields, Wallsend
1990–9111ConsettHartlepoolBillingham
1991–9211Percy ParkGuisborough[lower-alpha 1]No relegation[lower-alpha 2]
1992–9313North DurhamNorth ShieldsBarnard Castle, Billingham
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
1993–9412PontelandWallsendNewton Aycliffe, Seaton Carew
1994–9513Winlaton VulcansMedicalsSeaton Carew, Seghill
1995–9613HartlepoolGuisboroughMultiple teams[lower-alpha 3]
1996–9710ConsettNorth DurhamWensleydale, Darlington Railway Athletic[lower-alpha 4]
1997–9810BillinghamNovocastriansSeaton Carew
1998–99[2]9HoughtonSeghillGuisborough
1999–00[3]10Gosforth[lower-alpha 5]HartlepoolRichmondshire, Chester-Le-Street, Barnard Castle
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]12GosforthBillinghamNovocastrians
2001–02[5]12AcklamHartlepoolWhitley Bay Rockcliff, Medicals
2002–03[6]12ConsettHoughtonBlyth, Whitby
2003–04[7]12RytonPontelandSunderland, Barnard Castle
2004–05[8]12GatesheadNorth ShieldsRichmondshire, Yarm
2005–06[9]12SunderlandGosforthWhitby, Hartlepool
2006–07[10]12WallsendWest Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B.Seaton Carew, Blyth
2007–08[11]12AshingtonConsettYarm, Guisborough
2008–09[12]12Team NorthumbriaHartlepool[lower-alpha 6]No relegation[lower-alpha 7]
2009–10[13]12PontelandMedicalsHoughton, North Shields
2010–11[14]12GuisboroughAcklamPrudhoe & Stocksfield
2011–12[15]13BlythConsettYarm, Whitby
2012–13[16]13Bishop AucklandNovocastriansWinlaton Vulcans, Seaham
2013–14[17]13RytonSunderlandPrudhoe & Stocksfield, Whitby
2014–15[18]14PontelandAcklamHartlepool B.B.O.B., South Tyneside College
2015–16[19]14Barnard CastleHartlepoolHoughton, Wallsend
2016–17[20]14RedcarPontelandSeaton Carew, South Shields, Blyth[lower-alpha 8]
2017–18[21]14Acklam WhitbyRichmondshire, Newton Aycliffe
2018–19[22]14Whitley Bay RockcliffNorth ShieldsSouth Shields, Houghton
2019–20[23]14PontelandSunderlandBlyth, Seaton Carew, Gosforth
2020–2114
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes
  1. Runners up Guisborough alongside Whitby, Seaham and West Hartlepool TDSOB were promoted due to league restructuring caused by the cancellation of Durham/Northumberland 4 at the end of season.
  2. Due to league restructuring caused by the cancellation of Durham/Northumberland 4 there would be no relegation this season.
  3. Due to restructuring six clubs, including Sedgefield, Seaham, Hartlepool B.B.O.B., Houghton, Richmondshire, Billingham, were relegated to Durham/Northumberland 3. This was done to decrease league sizes and begin home and away fixtures in order to inaugurate North East 3 and the re-introduction of Durham/Northumberland 4 for the following season.
  4. 9th placed Darlington Railway Athletic would be dissolved at the end of the season.
  5. No promotion this season as division set to increase from 10 to 12 teams for 2000-01.
  6. Redcar, Novocastrians were also promoted. The reason for more promotions than usual was because Durham/Northumberland 1 was due to increase from 12 to 14 teams for 2009-10.
  7. Due to the increased number of teams being promoted from the division to Durham/Northumberland 1 there would be no relegation this season.
  8. 3 teams relegated due to relegations from higher leagues.

See also

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. "2016-17 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.
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