Durham/Northumberland 4 was a regional English rugby union league for teams from North East England which was at the tenth tier of national domestic competition when it folded in 2006. On its inception in 1987 it was the twelfth tire of national domestic competition. Promoted teams moved up to Durham/Northumberland 3 and there was no relegation as this was the basement division for the region. Ever decreasing numbers of teams caused the division to be cancelled at the end of the 2005-06 season with the majority of teams being promoted automatically to Durham/Northumberland 3.
Final Season (2005-06)
TeamGroundCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Jarrovians Community Centre Hebburn, Tyne and Wear 4th Seaham Seaham Leisure Centre Seaham, County Durham Relegated from Durham/Northumberland 3 (10th) Shildon Town Sunnydale Leisure Centre Shildon, County Durham 3rd South Shields Grosvenor Road South Shields, Tyne and Wear Relegated from Durham/Northumberland 3 (9th)
Original teams When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
Barnard Castle Civil Service Durham Jarrovians Newton Aycliffe Prudhoe Hospital Richmondshire South Tyneside College Wensleydale
The league's numbers grew and declined throughout the years until the league was cancelled in 2006.
Durham/Northumberland 4 Honours
Durham/Northumberland 4 (1987–1993)
The original Durham/Northumberland 4 was a tier 12 league with promotion up to Durham/Northumberland 3. It ran until the end of the 1991–92 season when it was cancelled.
Durham/Northumberland 4 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1987–88 8 Wensleydale Prudhoe Hospital No relegation 1988–89 10 Barnard Castle South Tyneside College No relegation 1989–90 7 Newton Aycliffe Civil Service Durham No relegation 1990–91 8 Richmondshire Wearside No relegation 1991–92 8 Jarrovians Sedgefield No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Durham/Northumberland 4 (1996–2006)
Durham/Northumberland 4 was reintroduced for the 1996–97 season as a tier 13 league. 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 4 became a tier 10 league until the division was cancelled for the second time at the end of the 2005–06 season.
Durham/Northumberland 4 HonoursSeasonNo of TeamsChampionsRunners–upRelegated Teams 1996–97 7 Gosforth Hartlepool Athletic No relegation 1997–98 7 West Hartlepool Amateurs Wearside No relegation 1998–99 5 Jarrovians Durham Constabulary No relegation 1999–00 5 Newton Aycliffe Yarm No relegation 2000–01 7 Yarm Newton Aycliffe No relegation 2001–02 7 South Tyneside College Richmondshire No relegation 2002–03 7 Seaham Wensleydale No relegation 2003–04 7 Newton Aycliffe Wearside Samurai No relegation 2004–05 5 Hartlepool Athletic Hartlepool B.B.O.B. No relegation 2005–06 5 South Tyneside College Jarrovians No relegation Green backgrounds are promotion places.
Number of league titles
Newton Aycliffe (3) Jarrovians (2) South Tyneside College (2) Barnard Castle (1) Gosforth (1) Hartlepool Athletic (1) Richmondshire (1) Seaham (1) Wensleydale (1) West Hartlepool Amateurs (1) Yarm (1)
Notes
See also Durham RFU Northumberland RFU English rugby union system Rugby union in England
References