Counties 3 Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire 3, is an English rugby union league at the ninth tier of the domestic competition. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire and the bottom two teams are relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire. Each season a team from Counties 3 Yorkshire or Counties 4 Yorkshire may be picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a national competition for clubs at levels 9–12.
Participating clubs 2026-27
Ahead of the new season a decision was taken to introduce 2XVs into the league(s) and to split the clubs out into A (North & East) and B (South & West) divisions.
A Division
Departing were Leeds Corinthians and Wheatley Hills, both promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire B, while Thornensians were relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire C.
Wensleydale II were initially placed in the league but were reallocated to Counties 4 Yorkshire A before the season started.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Burley Abbey Lane Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire 8th Hornsea Hollis Recreation Ground Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire 9th Morley II Scatcherd Lane 6,000 (1,000 seats) Morley, West Yorkshire New entry Nestle Rowntree Mille Crux York, North Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (North) (champions) North Ribblesdale II Grove Park Settle, North Yorkshire New entry Pocklington II Percy Road Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire Scarborough II Silver Royd 4500 (425 seats) Scalby, Scarborough, North Yorkshire New entry Selby II Sandhill Lane Selby, North Yorkshire New entry Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 8th West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire 4th Wetherby II Grange Park Wetherby, West Yorkshire New entry York Railway Institute New Lane York, North Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (North) (runners-up)
B Division
Cleckheaton II were initially placed in the league but before the season began were reallocated to Counties 4 Yorkshire B.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barnsley Shaw Lane Barnsley, South Yorkshire 7th Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 10th Halifax Ovenden Park Halifax, West Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire 4th Huddersfield II Lockwood Park 1,500 (500 seats) Huddersfield, South Yorkshire New entry Maltby Muglet Lane Maltby, South Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (South) (champions) Moortown II Moss Valley Alwoodley, Leeds, West Yorkshire New entry Old Brodleians II Woodhead Hipperholme, Halifax, West Yorkshire New entry Ossett Queens Terrace Ossett, Wakefield, West Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 YorkshirePontefract II Moor Lane Pontefract, West Yorkshire New entry Rotherham Phoenix Rotherham Rugby Club Rotherham, South Yorkshire 5th Yarnbury II Brownberrie Lane Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire New entry
Participating clubs 2025–26
Departing were Old Otliensians and Halifax, both promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire while Thirsk were relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire (North).
In February 2026 Dearne Valley, promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (South) as champions, withdrew from the league, leaving eleven sides to contest the remaining fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barnsley Shaw Lane Barnsley, South Yorkshire 10th Burley Abbey Lane Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire 7th Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 9th Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire (12th) Hornsea Hollis Recreation Ground Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (North) (champions) Leeds Corinthians Nutty Slack Middleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire 5th Rotherham Phoenix Rotherham Rugby Club Rotherham, South Yorkshire 6th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 8th Thornensians Coulman Road Thorne, South Yorkshire 11th West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire 4th Wheatley Hills Brunel Road Doncaster, South Yorkshire 3rd
Participating clubs 2024–25
Departing were Northallerton and Halifax Vandals, both promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire while Sheffield Medicals were relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barnsley Shaw Lane Barnsley, South Yorkshire 9th Burley Abbey Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire 11th Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 6th Halifax Ovenden Park Halifax, West Yorkshire 3rd Leeds Corinthians Nutty Slack Middleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire (12th) Old Otliensians Chaffers Field Otley, West Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (champions) Rotherham Phoenix Rotherham Rugby Club Rotherham, South Yorkshire 5th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 10th Thirsk Newsham Road Thirsk, North Yorkshire 4th Thornensians Coulman Road Thorne, South Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (runners up) West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire 8th Wheatley Hills Brunel Road Doncaster, South Yorkshire 7th
Participating clubs 2023–24
Departing were Hemsworth and Ossett, both promoted to Counties 2 Yorkshire. Thornensians (10th), Knottingley (11th) and Leeds Medics & Dentists (12th) were relegated to Counties 4 Yorkshire.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barnsley Shaw Lane Barnsley, South Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire (12th) Burley Abbey Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire 3rd Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 9th Halifax Ovenden Park Halifax, West Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (runners up) Halifax Vandals Warley Town Lane Halifax, West Yorkshire 6th Northallerton Brompton Lodge Northallerton, North Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire (10th) Rotherham Phoenix Rotherham Rugby Club Rotherham, South Yorkshire Promoted from Counties 4 Yorkshire (champions) Sheffield Medicals Norton Playing Fields Norton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 8th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 5th Thirsk Newsham Road Thirsk, North Yorkshire 4th West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire 7th Wheatley Hills Brunel Road Doncaster, South Yorkshire Relegated from Counties 2 Yorkshire (11th)
Participating clubs 2022–23
This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Yorkshire 3 with teams ranked 4th to 12th returning (1st to 3rd were 'promoted' to Counties 2 Yorkshire and the bottom two 'relegated' to Counties 4 Yorkshire) and supplemented by top 2 from Yorkshire 4 and one coming down from Yorkshire 2 so with five departing but only three arriving the league was reduced from 14 teams to 12.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Burley Abbey Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire 8th Yorkshire 3 Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 4th Yorkshire 3 Halifax Vandals Warley Town Lane Halifax, West Yorkshire 6th Yorkshire 3 Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, West Yorkshire 12th Yorkshire 3 Knottingley Howard's Field Knottingley, West Yorkshire 10th Yorkshire 3 Leeds Medics & Dentists Weetwood Playing Fields Weetwood, Leeds, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 Ossett Queens Terrace, Ossett CC Ossett, West Yorkshire 5th Yorkshire 3 Sheffield Medicals Norton Playing Fields Norton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 9th Yorkshire 3 Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 7th Yorkshire 3 Thirsk Thirsk Athletic Club Thirsk, North Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 Thornensians Coulman Road Thorne, South Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (14th) West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire 11th Yorkshire 3
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 Barnsley Shaw Lane Barnsley, South Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (13th) Bramley Phoenix Grosmont Terrace Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (champions) Burley Abbey Hawksworth, Leeds, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (runners-up) Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 8th Harrogate Pythons Station View Harrogate, North Yorkshire 4th Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, West Yorkshire 11th Knottingley Howard's Field Knottingley, West Yorkshire 3rd Old Otliensians Chaffers Field Otley, West Yorkshire 5th Ossett Ossett Cricket and Athletic Club Ossett, West Yorkshire 7th Sheffield Medicals Norton Playing Fields Norton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 10th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 12th West Park Leeds The Sycamores Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (14th) Wibsey Northfield Road Wibsey, Bradford, West Yorkshire 6th
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 (National League 1 and below) for the 2020/21 season meaning Yorkshire 3 was not contested.
Participating clubs 2019–20
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Aireborough Nunroyd Park Yeadon, West Yorkshire 13th (not relegated) Baildon Jenny Lane Baildon, West Yorkshire 11th Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 5th Halifax Vandals RUFC Warley Town Lane Halifax, West Yorkshire 9th Harrogate Pythons Station View Harrogate, North Yorkshire 3rd Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, West Yorkshire 8th Knottingley Howard's Field Knottingley, West Yorkshire 6th Leeds Corinthians Nutty Slack Middleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire 4th Old Otliensians Chaffers Field Otley, West Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (14th) Ossett Ossett Cricket and Athletic Club Ossett, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (runners up) Rotherham Phoenix Herringthorpe Playing Fields Clifton, Rotherham, South Yorkshire 7th Sheffield Medicals Norton Playing Fields Norton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 12th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 10th Wibsey Northfield Road Wibsey, Bradford, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (champions)
Participating clubs 2018–19
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Aireborough Nunroyd Park Yeadon, West Yorkshire 6th Baildon Jenny Lane Baildon, West Yorkshire 12th Castleford Methley Pitch Castleford, West Yorkshire 5th Halifax Vandals Warley Town Lane Halifax, West Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (14th) Harrogate Pythons Station View Harrogate, North Yorkshire 10th Hemsworth Moxon Fields Hemsworth, West Yorkshire 7th Knottingley Howard's Field Knottingley, West Yorkshire 8th Leeds Corinthians Nutty Slack Middleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (runners up) Leeds Modernians Cookridge Lane Cookridge, Leeds, West Yorkshire 4th Rotherham Phoenix Herringthorpe Playing Fields Clifton, Rotherham, South Yorkshire Promoted from Yorkshire 4 (champions) Sheffield Medicals Norton Playing Fields Norton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 9th Skipton Sandylands Skipton, North Yorkshire 11th Thornensians Coulman Road Thorne, South Yorkshire Relegated from Yorkshire 2 (13th) Wensleydale Cawkill Park Leyburn, North Yorkshire 3rd
Participating clubs 2017–18