North East Counties 3 (North)/(South) formerly Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland and before that 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 North East Counties 2 (North)/(South).
Each season two teams from Durham/Northumberland 3 are picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase (a national competition for clubs at levels 9-12) - 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 (North & South) 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. For the 2026-27 season the league was rebranded once more, split into North and South divisions with reserve teams entered into the competition for the first time.
Participating clubs 2026-27
Ahead of the new season the league was rebranded North East Counties 3 and the North and South divisions last used in season 2021-22 were reintroduced as reserve sides joined the league for the first time.
Departing were Wallsend and Gosforth promoted to North East Counties 2 (North) as champions and runners-up respectively. Also departing were Whitby who were reallocated to Counties 4 Yorkshire A.
North
South Shields Westoe II were initially placed in the league but withdrew before the season began and were replaced by Darlington Mowden Park III.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland Relegated from Counties 2 D&N Consett II Amethyst Park Consett, County Durham New entry Darlington Mowden Park III The Darlington Arena 25,500 Darlington, County Durham New entry Durham City II Hollow Drift 3,000 (500 seats) Durham, County Durham New entry Gateshead II Eastwood Gardens Gateshead, Tyne and Wear New entry Houghton II Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear New entry Percy Park II Preston Avenue North Shields, Tyne and Wear New entry Ryton II Main Road Ryton, Tyne and Wear New entry Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham 4th Washington The Big Arch Stadium 40599(standing room only) Washington, Tyne and Wear Re-entry
South
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Billingham III Greenwood Road 1,500 (100 seats) Billingham, County Durham New entry Bishop Auckland II West Mills Playing Fields Bishop Auckland, County Durham New entry Darlington Bulls Blackwell Meadows 3,000 Darlington, County Durham New entry Guisborough II Belmangate Guisborough, North Yorkshire New entry Hartlepool II Mayfield Park Hartlepool, County Durham New entry Hartlepool BBOB Moor Terrace Hartlepool, County Durham Re-entry Middlesbrough III Acklam Park 5,000 (159 seats) Acklam, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire New entry Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 5th Upper Eden II Pennine Park Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria New entry West Hartlepool III Brinkburn 2,000 (76 seats) Hartlepool, County Durham New entry
Participating clubs 2025–26
Departing were Jarrovians and Yarm promoted to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland as champions and runners-up respectively. Seghill (7th), Winlaton Vulcans (8th) and Seaton Carew (10th) 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 Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 6th Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 9th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham 5th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 3rd Whitby Recreation Ground Whitby, North Yorkshire 4th
Participating clubs 2024–25
Departing were Durham University and Blyth promoted to DN2 as champions and runners-up respectively.
Prudhoe & Stocksfield (11th in 2023–24) started the campaign but subsequently withdrew leaving 10 teams to complete the league fixtures.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 4th Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 9th Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 8th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham Relegated from DN2 (12th) Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 10th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 5th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 3rd Whitby Recreation Ground Whitby, North Yorkshire Relegated from DN2 (11th) Winlaton Vulcans Axwell View Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear 6th Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 7th
Participating clubs 2023–24
Departing were Houghton and DMP Elizabethans promoted to DN2 as champions and runners-up respectively.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland 6th Durham University Hollow Drift Durham, County Durham New entry Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 3rd Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 8th Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham Re-entry Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 7th Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 4th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 9th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (12th) Winlaton Vulcans Axwell View Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (11th) Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 5th
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 (6th DN3N). Wallsend were promoted to DN2.
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland 3rd DN3N DMP Elizabethans Northern Echo Arena Darlington, County Durham 1st DN3S Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear 5th DN3N Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear 3rd DN3S Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 7th DN3N Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 4th DN3N Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham 4th DN3S Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 2nd DN3N Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 2nd DN3S
Participating clubs 2021–22
Jarrovians rejoined the (North) league having withdrawn from DN3 in 2019–20.
Ahead of the new season Newton Aycliffe (5th in 2019-20) and West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. (9th in 2019-20) withdrew from DN3 (South).
In November 2021 South Shields withdrew, meaning the (North) league was completed with 7 teams in 2021–22.
In January 2022 Richmondshire RUFC (10th in 2019-20) also withdrew, meaning the (South) 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 Blyth Plessey Road Blyth, Northumberland Relegated from DN2 (14th) Gosforth Broadway West Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (12th) Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear Re-entry Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 8th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 6th Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 3rd West End Tower View Benwell, Tyne and Wear New entry
South
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season DMP Elizabethans Northern Echo Arena Darlington, County Durham New entry Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear 4th Seaton Carew Hornby Park Seaton Carew, County Durham Relegated from DN2 (13th) Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 7th
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 DN3 was not contested.
Participating clubs 2019–20
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Houghton Dairy Lane Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (13th) Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Newton Aycliffe, County Durham 5th Prudhoe & Stocksfield Stocksfield Sports Ground Stocksfield, Northumberland 9th Redcar Mackinlay Park Redcar, North Yorkshire Relegated from DN2 (12th) Richmondshire Theakston Lane Richmond, North Yorkshire 4th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham 7th Seghill Welfare Park Cramlington, Northumberland 8th South Shields Grosvenor Road South Shields, Tyne and Wear Relegated from DN2 (14th) Wallsend Battle Hill Playing Field Wallsend, Tyne and Wear 10th West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. John Howard Park Hartlepool, County Durham 6th Yarm Wass Way Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham 3rd
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 3SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 10 Whitby Billingham Washington 1988–89 10 Darlington Railway Athletic North Shields No relegation 1989–90 11 Barnard Castle Seaton Carew Prudhoe Hospital, Wearside 1990–91 11 Guisborough West Hartlepool T.D.S.O.B. Civil Service Durham 1991–92 11 Chester-le-Street Wallsend No relegation 1992–93 11 Newton Aycliffe Hartlepool B.B.O.B. No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
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 3SeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams1993–94 10 Billingham Richmondshire No relegation1994–95 10 Barnard CastleSedgefield No relegation1995–96 12 South Tyneside College Seaton Carew Multiple teams 1996–97 8 Billingham Seghill Wearside 1997–98 9 Gosforth Houghton No relegation 1998–99 10 Wallsend Richmondshire Hartlepool B.B.O.B. 1999–00 9 Guisborough Seaton Carew Hartlepool Athletic, Seaham Green backgrounds are promotion places.
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 (tiers 7–9). 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.