Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland English Rugby Union league
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
Ashington , Northumberland
3rd
Barnard Castle
Birch Road
Barnard Castle , County Durham
7th
Blyth
Plessey Road
Blyth, Northumberland
Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
DMP Elizabethans
Northern Echo Arena
Darlington , County Durham
8th
Durham University
Hollow Drift
Durham , County Durham
Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Gateshead
Eastwood Gardens
Gateshead , Tyne and Wear
5th
Hartlepool Rovers
New Friarage
Hartlepool , County Durham
Relegated from DN1 (11th)
Houghton
Dairy Lane
Houghton-le-Spring , Tyne and Wear
6th
North Shields
Preston Playing Fields
Preston , North Shields , Tyne and Wear
9th
Redcar
Mackinlay Park
Redcar , North Yorkshire
4th
Sedgefield
Sedgefield Cricket Club
Sedgefield , County Durham
10th
South Shields Westoe
Grosvenor Road
South Shields , Tyne and Wear
Relegated from DN1 (12th)
Locations of the 2024-25 Durham/Northumberland 2 teams
Participating clubs 2023–24
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Ashington
The Recreation Ground
Ashington , Northumberland
4th
Barnard Castle
Birch Road
Barnard Castle , County Durham
6th
Darlington
Blackwell Meadows
3,000
Darlington , County Durham
Relegated from DN1 (11th)
DMP Elizabethans
Northern Echo Arena
Darlington , County Durham
Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
Gateshead
Eastwood Gardens
Gateshead , Tyne and Wear
3rd
Horden and Peterlee
Eden Lane Park
Peterlee , County Durham
Relegated from DN1 (12th)
Houghton
Dairy Lane
Houghton-le-Spring , Tyne and Wear
Promoted from DN3 (champions)
North Shields
Preston Playing Fields
Preston , North Shields , Tyne and Wear
7th
Redcar
Mackinlay Park
Redcar , North Yorkshire
5th
Seaham
Seaham Leisure Centre
Seaham , County Durham
8th
Sedgefield
Sedgefield Cricket Club
Sedgefield , County Durham
9th
Whitby
Recreation Ground
Whitby , North Yorkshire
10th
Locations of the 2023-24 Durham/Northumberland 2 teams
Participating clubs 2022–23
Team
Ground
Capacity
City/Area
Previous season
Ashington
The Recreation Ground
Ashington , Northumberland
7th
Bishop Auckland
West Mills Playing Fields
Bishop Auckland , County Durham
4th
Barnard Castle
Birch Road
Barnard Castle , County Durham
11th
Gateshead
Eastwood Gardens
Gateshead , Tyne and Wear
5th
North Shields
Preston Playing Fields
Preston , North Shields , Tyne and Wear
10th
Redcar
Mackinlay Park
Redcar , North Yorkshire
9th
Ryton
Main Road
Ryton , Tyne and Wear
6th
Seaham
Seaham Leisure Centre
Seaham , County Durham
8th
Sedgefield
Sedgefield Cricket Club
Sedgefield , County Durham
13th
Wallsend
Battle Hill Playing Field
Wallsend , Tyne and Wear
Promoted from DN3N
Whitby
Recreation Ground
Whitby , North Yorkshire
12th
Winlaton Vulcans
Axwell View
Winlaton , Blaydon-on-Tyne , Tyne and Wear
14th
Locations of the 2022-23 Durham/Northumberland 2 teams
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
Ashington , Northumberland
7th
Bishop Auckland
West Mills Playing Fields
Bishop Auckland , County Durham
9th
Barnard Castle
Birch Road
Barnard Castle , County Durham
Relegated from DN1 (14th)
Darlington
Blackwell Meadows
3,000
Darlington , County Durham
10th
Gateshead
Eastwood Gardens
Gateshead , Tyne and Wear
Relegated from DN1 (12th)
Guisborough
Belmangate
Guisborough , North Yorkshire
3rd
Hartlepool
Mayfield Park
Hartlepool , County Durham
4th
North Shields
Preston Playing Fields
Preston , North Shields , Tyne and Wear
Relegated from DN1 (13th)
Redcar
Mackinlay Park
Redcar , North Yorkshire
Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Ryton
Main Road
Ryton , Tyne and Wear
6th
Seaham
Seaham Leisure Centre
Seaham , County Durham
Promoted from DN3 (runners-up)
Sedgefield
Sedgefield Cricket Club
Sedgefield , County Durham
11th
Whitby
Recreation Ground
Whitby , North Yorkshire
8th
Winlaton Vulcans
Axwell View
Winlaton , Blaydon-on-Tyne , Tyne and Wear
5th
Locations of the 2021-22 Durham/Northumberland 2 teams
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
Ashington , Northumberland
6th
Bishop Auckland
West Mills Playing Fields
Bishop Auckland , County Durham
8th
Blyth
Plessey Road
Blyth, Northumberland
Promoted from DN3 (runners up)
Darlington
Blackwell Meadows
3,000
Darlington , County Durham
11th
Gosforth
Broadway West
Newcastle upon Tyne , Tyne and Wear
7th
Guisborough
Belmangate
Guisborough , North Yorkshire
Relegated from Yorkshire 1 (14th) (level transfer)
Hartlepool
Mayfield Park
Hartlepool , County Durham
3rd
Ponteland
Ponteland Leisure Centre
Ponteland , Tyne and Wear
Relegated from DN1 (13th)
Ryton
Main Road
Ryton , Tyne and Wear
9th
Seaton Carew
Hornby Park
Seaton Carew , County Durham
Promoted from DN3 (champions)
Sedgefield
Sedgefield Cricket Club
Sedgefield , County Durham
10th
Sunderland
Ashbrooke Sports Club
Ashbrooke , Sunderland , Tyne and Wear
4th
Whitby
Recreation Ground
Whitby , North Yorkshire
Relegated from DN1 (14th)
Winlaton Vulcans
Axwell View
Winlaton , Blaydon-on-Tyne , Tyne and Wear
5th
Locations of the 2019-20 Durham/Northumberland 2 teams
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 (tiers 7–9). This meant that Durham/Northumberland 2 became a tier 8 league.
Season
No of Teams
Champions
Runners–up
Relegated Teams
2000–01[ 4]
12
Gosforth
Billingham
Novocastrians
2001–02[ 5]
12
Acklam
Hartlepool
Whitley Bay Rockcliff , Medicals
2002–03[ 6]
12
Consett
Houghton
Blyth, Whitby
2003–04[ 7]
12
Ryton
Ponteland
Sunderland , Barnard Castle
2004–05[ 8]
12
Gateshead
North Shields
Richmondshire , Yarm
2005–06[ 9]
12
Sunderland
Gosforth
Whitby , Hartlepool
2006–07[ 10]
12
Wallsend
West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B.
Seaton Carew , Blyth
2007–08[ 11]
12
Ashington
Consett
Yarm , Guisborough
2008–09[ 12]
12
Team Northumbria
Hartlepool [ f]
No relegation[ g]
2009–10[ 13]
12
Ponteland
Medicals
Houghton , North Shields
2010–11[ 14]
12
Guisborough
Acklam
Prudhoe & Stocksfield
2011–12[ 15]
13
Blyth
Consett
Yarm , Whitby
2012–13[ 16]
13
Bishop Auckland
Novocastrians
Winlaton Vulcans , Seaham
2013–14[ 17]
13
Ryton
Sunderland
Prudhoe & Stocksfield, Whitby
2014–15[ 18]
14
Ponteland
Acklam
Hartlepool B.B.O.B. , South Tyneside College
2015–16[ 19]
14
Barnard Castle
Hartlepool
Houghton , Wallsend
2016–17[ 20]
14
Redcar
Ponteland
Seaton Carew , South Shields , Blyth[ h]
2017–18[ 21]
14
Acklam
Whitby
Richmondshire , Newton Aycliffe
2018–19[ 22]
14
Whitley Bay Rockcliff
North Shields
South Shields , Houghton
2019–20[ 23]
14
Ponteland
Sunderland
Blyth, Seaton Carew , Gosforth
2020–21
14
Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Notes
See also
References
Governing body National teams
International competitions
Competition divisions
European competitions National competitions London and South East competitions Midland competitions Northern competitions South West competitions County competitions Discontinued competitions Related articles Other