Northumberland is a ceremonial county in North East England, bordering Scotland. It is bordered by the Scottish Borders to the north, the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, and Cumbria to the west. The town of Blyth is the largest settlement.
Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.
Tynedale RFC is a rugby union team based in Corbridge, Northumberland in North East England. The club was relegated from National League 1 in 2015, the third tier of the English rugby union system and have played in National League 2 North since.
The Northumberland Football Association is a governing body in the historic county of Northumberland, England. The association was formed in 1883. It is responsible for the governance and development of football at all levels in the county.
Northern Football Club are a rugby union club that was founded in 1875, and is based in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. Their strip is coloured navy Blue, Red and White. They currently play in Regional 2 North, the sixth tier of the English rugby union system, having been promoted from Durham Northumberland One at the end of the 2021/2022 season. Northern field three senior teams. These are the first team, Northern Wanderers and Northern Panthers. Northern have a very large successful mini and youth rugby set-up.
Gosforth Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team, currently playing in Durham/Northumberland 3 following the club's relegation from Durham/Northumberland 2 at the end of the 2019-20 season. The club was originally established in 1877, however in 1996 the club split in two. One half, Newcastle Gosforth went on to become the first ever professional rugby union club. Newcastle Falcons have been one of the most successful clubs in Northern England with 1 Premiership and 4 domestic cups to their name. The amateur Gosforth club was founded in the split.
Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland, formerly known as Durham/Northumberland 1 is an English amateur rugby union competition. The league consists of twelve clubs, and is the seventh tier of the English rugby union system, as one of the 16 regional leagues, though is the highest level of local rugby in the North East of England. The champions are automatically promoted to North 1 East, a division with a wider geographical area that also encompasses the Yorkshire region. The runners-up participate in a play-off against the runners-up from the equivalent regional league, Counties 1 Yorkshire, for promotion. The bottom two are relegated to Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland.
George Carmichael "Tot" Robinson (1876–1940) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1897 to 1901. After retiring from playing rugby he became a sports administrator and rugby selector, eventually serving as president for the Rugby Football Union.
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 - one affiliated with the Durham County RFU, the other with the Northumberland RFU. Ponteland won their fourth title in 2020 with Sunderland also promoted.
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.
Novocastrians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team that is situated in the North East of England and currently play their rugby in Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland. The club is more generally known as Novos. Novos were formed in September 1899 as Old Novocastrians Rugby Football Club by a group of former pupils of the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne. The club remained for Old Boys or members of staff of the school until 1969 when the 'Old' was dropped and the club became open to all. Novos used to regularly field seven senior sides in the 1980s and 1990s. Currently, the club fields three senior sides, two ladies' sides, a 35+ year old side and also a junior section.
Alnwick RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland in north-east England. The club play in Regional 1 North East, a level five league in the English rugby union system and are the most northerly rugby union club in English league rugby,. Alnwick regularly field three senior sides, all of which play competitive league and cup rugby. The club also has a junior section running teams from under 7's through to under 18's and a girls section.
The Northumberland Senior Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the clubs of the Northumberland RFU which was first played in 1882. It is the senior county cup for the Northumberland Rugby Union, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland. The current holders are Alnwick who defeated Northern 31-8 in the 2024 cup final. Most finals were held at the Northumberland County Ground from 1912 up until 1988; before and after the County Ground's existence Senior Cup Finals have been played at various venues in the county.
Wallsend Rugby Football Club is a rugby union side based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. The club runs senior adult and junior teams for all ages. The 1st XV senior side compete in Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland and the 2nd XV play in the Northumberland Rugby Union River Coquet league. Senior games are played on Saturday afternoons. The junior boys and girls teams train and play on Sunday mornings with ages 4+ catered for.
Northumberland County Ground or the Gosforth Greyhound Stadium was a rugby stadium and greyhound racing stadium in Gosforth, Tyne And Wear.
The Durham County Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the historic county of Durham in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Durham County, it administers and organises rugby union clubs, competitions and Durham county rugby representative teams.
The Cumbria Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Cumbria in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Cumbria, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Cumbria rugby representative teams.
The Northumberland Senior Plate is an annual rugby union competition held between the clubs of the Northumberland RFU which was first played for during the 2001-2002 season. It is the second tier county cup for the Northumberland Rugby Union, which includes Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland.
Morpeth Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Morpeth, Northumberland. The 1st XV team currently plays in Regional 2 North, having previously reached the national levels of the sport for the first time in 2019–20. The club operates 3 Senior Men's sides and Colts regularly playing each weekend, plus 'Morpeth Ranters' Vets, a Senior Ladies team and 3 Girls rugby squads, as well as a full range of Age Grade rugby with teams ranging from U6 > U16.
Durham City Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Durham, County Durham. The first XV currently play in North 1 East, a sixth tier league in the English rugby union system. The club runs several senior teams, a colts side and the full range of junior sides.
Northumberland 
Ruth Scott
