# Counties 1 Yorkshire

Counties 1 Yorkshire is an English rugby union division, the seventh tier of the domestic competition, and the top level for local rugby union in parts of Yorkshire. The champions are automatically promoted to Regional 2 North East (formerly North 1 East), a division with a wider geographical area that also encompasses northeast England. The runners-up participate in a playoff against the 2nd place team from the equivalent regional league, Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland, for promotion to Regional 2 North East. The bottom two clubs are relegated to Counties 2 Yorkshire.
Each season a team from Counties 1 Yorkshire is picked to take part in the RFU Intermediate Cup - a national competition for clubs at level 7.

## 2022-23 season

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Yorkshire 1 with the 9 lowest ranked teams returning (1st to 5th were 'promoted' to Regional 2 North East) and supplemented by top 3 from Yorkshire 2 and so with five departing but only three arriving the league was reduced from 14 teams to 12.

## 2021-22 season

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.

## 2020–21 season

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 1 was not contested.

## 2015–16 season

| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area |
| Bradford & Bingley | Wagon Lane | 4,000 | Bingley, West Yorkshire |
| Bradford Salem | Shay Lane | | Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire |
| Bridlington | Dukes Park | | Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Heath | West Vale | | Greetland, Halifax, West Yorkshire |
| Hullensians | Springhead Lane | | Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Malton & Norton | The Gannock | | Malton, North Yorkshire |
| North Ribblesdale | Grove Park | | Settle, North Yorkshire |
| Old Brodleians | Woodhead | | Hipperholme, West Yorkshire |
| Old Crossleyans | Broomfield Avenue | | Halifax, West Yorkshire |
| Scarborough | Silver Royd | 4500 (322 seats) | Scalby, Scarborough, North Yorkshire |
| Selby | Sandhill Lane | | Selby, North Yorkshire |
| West Park Leeds | The Sycamores | | Leeds, West Yorkshire |
| Yarnbury | Brownberrie Lane | | Horsforth, West Yorkshire |
| York | Clifton Park | | York, North Yorkshire |

## 2014–15 season

* Bridlington
* Doncaster Phoenix
* Heath
* Hullensians (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
* Malton & Norton (relegated from North 1 East)
* Middlesbrough (relegated from North 1 East)
* North Ribblesdale
* Old Brodleians
* Pontefract
* Scarborough
* Selby
* Wath Upon Dearne
* Yarnbury (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
* York

## 2013–14 season

* Acklam
* Bridlington
* Dinnington
* Doncaster Phoenix (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
* Heath
* Ilkley
* Keighley (relegated from North 1 East)
* North Ribblesdale
* Old Brodleians
* Pontefract
* Scarborough
* Selby (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
* Wath Upon Dearne
* York

## 2012–13 season

* Barnsley
* Bridlington
* Dinnington
* Driffield
* Heath
* Huddersfield YMCA
* Ilkley
* Knottingley
* North Ribblesdale
* Old Brodleians
* Pontefract
* Scarborough
* Wath Upon Dearne
* York

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
* Bramley
* Castleford
* Cleckheaton
* Driffield
* Goole
* Hemsworth
* Moortown
* Roundhegians
* Scarborough
* West Park Bramhope
* York Railway Institute

## Yorkshire 1 honours
### Yorkshire 1 (1987–1993)

The original Yorkshire 1 was a tier 9 league with promotion up to North East 2 and relegation down to Yorkshire 2.
Yorkshire 1 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1987–88 | 11 | Roundhegians | Bramley | Scarborough, York Railway Institute |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Bramley | West Park Bramhope | Moortown, Goole |
| 1989–90 | 11 | West Park Bramhope | Driffield | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. |
| 1990–91 | 11 | Bridlington | Driffield | Barnsley |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Driffield | Doncaster | No relegation |
| 1992–93 | 13 | Goole | Bradford Salem | Castleford |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Yorkshire 1 (1993–2000)

The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Yorkshire 1 dropped to become a tier 10 league. A further restructure at the end of the 1995–96 season, which included the cancellation of National 5 North and the addition of North East 3 at tier 9, saw Yorkshire 1 remain at tier 10 with promotion to the new North 3 East league.
Yorkshire 1 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 1993–94 | 13 | North Ribblesdale | Wheatley Hills | York Railway Institute |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Wheatley Hills | Wath upon Dearne | Hemsworth |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Pocklington | Old Otliensians | Sheffield Oaks, Halifax Vandals, Barnsley, Castleford |
| 1996–97 | 10 | Yarnbury | Ilkley | Wibsey |
| 1997–98 | 10 | Bradford Salem | Northallerton | Moortown |
| 1998–99 | 10 | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. | Castleford | Old Otliensians, Malton & Norton, Bramley Phoenix |
| 1999–00 | 10 | West Leeds | Leodiensian | Thornensians, Hemsworth, Ilkley |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Yorkshire 1 (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 Yorkshire 1 became a tier 7 league, with promotion to North 2 East (currently North 1 East).
Yorkshire 1 :
| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| 2000–01 | 12 | Cleckheaton | Wheatley Hills | Ripon, Keighley, Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. |
| 2001–02 | 12 | Hull | Scarborough | Pocklington, West Park Leeds, Beverley |
| 2002–03 | 12 | Bridlington Mariners | York | Sheffield Tigers, North Ribblesdale, Wheatley Hills |
| 2003–04 | 12 | Malton & Norton | Pontefract | Scarborough, Old Brodleians |
| 2004–05 | 12 | Beverley | Wheatley Hills | Yarnbury, Dinnington |
| 2005–06 | 12 | Sheffield Tigers | Old Crossleyans | Goole, Selby |
| 2006–07 | 12 | Pontefract | York | Wheatley Hills, Old Brodleians |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Sandal | Ilkley | Redcar, Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. |
| 2008–09 | 12 | Old Brodleians | Bridlington | Glossop |
| 2009–10 | 14 | Wheatley Hills | Sheffield | Skipton, Yarnbury |
| 2010–11 | 14 | Malton & Norton | Sheffield | Bradford Salem, Selby |
| 2011–12 | 14 | Pocklington | Keighley | Castleford |
| 2012–13 | 14 | Driffield | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. | Knottingley, Barnsley |
| 2013–14 | 14 | Ilkley | Dinnington | Acklam, Keighley |
| 2014–15 | 14 | Doncaster Phoenix | Malton & Norton | Wath Upon Dearne, Pontefract |
| 2015–16 | 14 | Bradford & Bingley | Malton & Norton | West Park Leeds, Old Crossleyans |
| 2016–17 | 14 | Bridlington | West Leeds | Acklam, Yarnbury |
| 2017–18 | 14 | York | Scarborough | Wheatley Hills, North Ribblesdale |
| 2018–19 | 14 | Moortown | Heath | Guisborough, Old Rishworthians |
| 2019–20 | 14 | Brodleians | Heath | Hullensians, Keighley |
| 2020–21 | 14 | |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of Durham/Northumberland 1 and Yorkshire 1 for the third and final promotion place to North 1 East. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2019–20 season Yorkshire 1 teams have been the most successful with thirteen wins to the Durham/Northumberland 1 teams six; and the home side have won ten times to the away sides nine.
Durham/Northumberland 1 v Yorkshire 1 promotion play-off results :
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance |
| 2000–01 | Wheatley Hills (Y) | 21-19 | Percy Park (DN) | Brunel Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire | |
| 2001–02 | Ashington (DN) | 17-23 | Scarborough (Y) | Recreation Ground, Ashington, Northumberland | |
| 2002–03 | York (Y) | 29-15 | Hartlepool Rovers (DN) | Clifton Park, York, North Yorkshire | |
| 2003–04 | Alnwick (DN) | 25-18 | Pontefract (Y) | Greensfield, Alnwick, Northumberland | |
| 2004–05 | Durham City (DN) | 26-13 | Wheatley Hills (Y) | Hollow Drift, Durham, County Durham | |
| 2005–06 | Malton & Norton (DN) | 19-39 | Old Crossleyans (Y) | The Gannock, Malton, North Yorkshire | |
| 2006–07 | Sunderland (DN) | 16-18 | York (Y) | Ashbrooke Sports Club, Ashbrooke, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2007–08 | Northern (DN) | 24-28 | Ilkley (Y) | McCracken Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2008–09 | Percy Park (DN) | 36-3 | Bridlington (Y) | Preston Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2009–10 | Team Northumbria (DN) | 34-13 | Sheffield (Y) | Coach Lane Sports Ground, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2010–11 | Darlington (DN) | 17-18 | Sheffield (Y) | Blackwell Meadows, Darlington, County Durham | |
| 2011–12 | Alnwick (DN) | 16-18 | Keighley (Y) | Greensfield, Alnwick, Northumberland | |
| 2012–13 | Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. (Y) | 33-12 | Guisborough (DN) | Laund Hill, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |
| 2013–14 | Dinnington (Y) | 34-20 (aet) | Guisborough (DN) | Lodge Lane, Dinnington, South Yorkshire | |
| 2014–15 | Morpeth (DN) | 14-11 | Malton & Norton (Y) | Mitford Road, Morpeth, Northumberland | |
| 2015–16 | Middlesbrough (DN) | 17-25 | Malton & Norton (Y) | Acklam Park, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire | |
| 2016–17 | South Shields Westoe (DN) | 14-19 | West Leeds (Y) | Wood Terrace, South Shields, Tyne and Wear | |
| 2017–18 | Durham City (DN) | AWO | Scarborough (Y) | Hollow Drift, Durham, County Durham | |
| 2018–19 | West Hartlepool (DN) | 24-23 | Heath (Y) | Brinkburn, Hartlepool, County Durham | |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Heath (Y) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Heath (Y) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Heath (Y) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Heath (Y) - promoted instead. | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Best ranked runner up - Heath (Y) - promoted instead. |
| 2020–21 | |
| Green background is the promoted team. DN = Durham/Northumberland 1 and Y = Yorkshire 1 ||||||

## Number of league titles

* Bridlington (2)
* Driffield (2)
* Malton & Norton (2)
* Old Brodleians (2)
* Pocklington (2)
* Wheatley Hills (2)
* Beverley (1)
* Bradford & Bingley (1)
* Bradford Salem (1)
* Bramley (1)
* Bridlington Mariners (1)
* Cleckheaton (1)
* Doncaster Phoenix (1)
* Goole (1)
* Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. (1)
* Hull (1)
* Ilkley (1)
* Moortown (1)
* North Ribblesdale (1)
* Pocklington (1)
* Pontefract (1)
* Roundhegians (1)
* Sandal (1)
* Sheffield Tigers (1)
* West Leeds (1)
* West Park Bramhope (1)
* Yarnbury (1)
* York (1)