Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland
Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland, previously known as 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 Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.
| Current season or competition: 2023–24 Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1987 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Country | England |
| Holders | Houghton (1st title) (2022–23) (promoted to Durham/Northumberland 2) |
| Most titles | Guisborough, South Shields (4 titles) |
| Website | England RFU |
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.