page_title: Darlington
section_title: Sport
hierarchical_section_title: Darlington / Sport
caption_attribution_description: English: The Darlington Arena, taken on Monday the 13th of April 2009.
context_page_description: Darlington is a large market town in County Durham, in North East England. With a population of 105,564 in 2011, the town lies on the River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees. The town is administered as part of the Borough of Darlington. The town owes much of its development to the influence of local Quaker families in the Georgian and Victorian era, and who provided much of the finance and vision in creating the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first steam locomotive powered, permanent passenger railway The town is often colloquially referred to as 'Darlo'.
context_section_description: The town is home to the football team Darlington 1883, successor club to Darlington F.C., known as The Quakers because of the contributions made to the town by men such as Edward and Joseph Pease, members of the Religious Society of Friends. The town's football club played at the 25,000 capacity Darlington Arena when it opened on Neasham Road in 2003, after 120 years at Feethams. In 2010 they were relegated from the Football League, 21 years after they suffered a similar fate when they were then promoted back from the Football Conference at the first attempt. In the 2010–11 season Darlington won the FA Trophy but were relegated four divisions to the Northern Football League Division One for the 2012–13 season. Darlington played home games at Heritage Park in Bishop Auckland from the start of the 2012–13 season until moving back to Darlington in late 2016 to commence a new long term groundshare arrangement with Darlington RFC at Blackwell Meadows. Darlington's first home game at Blackwell Meadows (a 3–2 home win against Halifax Town) took place on 26 December 2016.
  Darlington is also home to Darlington Railway Athletic F.C., which plays in the Wearside League Division One and play at Brinkburn Road.
  Darlington's leading athletics club, the Darlington Harriers, was formed in 1891 and has had a number of successful athletes wearing the club colours as well as GB vests. The club celebrated its 125th year in 2016, with anniversary games held at Eastbourne Sports Complex.
  Darlington has two Rugby Union clubs Darlington Mowden RFC and Darlington RFC. Mowden were promoted as champions from National League 3 North in 2011–12 and now own and play at the Darlington Arena, in the fourth tier of the English league system, the National League 2 North. Darlington RFC play at Blackwell Meadows in the seventh tier, North 1 East. The Northern Echo arena also played a role in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, hosting the New Zealand national team known as the "All Blacks".
  Cricket clubs are Darlington Cricket Club and Darlington Railway Athletic Cricket Club. 
  The Darlington 10K road run is held every August, and attracts several thousand competitors.
caption: the Northern Echo Arena, home of Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C..
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