Counties 4 Yorkshire

Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs, meaning that the top two teams are automatically promoted to Yorkshire 3 and the bottom two teams were relegated to Yorkshire 5 until the RFU made changes to the Yorkshire league structure. Each season, a team from Counties 3 Yorkshire or Yorkshire 4 may be picked to take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a national competition for clubs at levels 9-12.

For the 2017-18 season, Yorkshire 4 was broken up into two regional leagues - Yorkshire 4 (North West) and Yorkshire 4 (South East) - while Yorkshire 5 ceased to exist. Teams from both Yorkshire 4 and 5 were transferred into the regional divisions depending on location. After the teams have played each other home and away, in February the clubs are reallocated into a Premier league and a Shield league for one further round of fixtures. The top four teams from each league play in the Premier and the other teams play in the Shield. The top two teams in the Premier league are promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire.

Participating clubs 2026-27

Ahead of the new season, a decision was made to introduce 2XVs into the league(s), to dispense with the North / South designation and to split the clubs out into A and B & C divisions.

A Division

Departing were champions Nestle Rowntree and runners-up York Railway Institute, both promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire A.

Wetherby II were initially placed in the league but were later reallocated to Counties 3 Yorkshire A.

Selby III were initially placed in the league but withdrew before the season began.

B Division

North Ribblesdale II and Yarnbury II were initially placed in the league but instead will compete in Counties 3 Yorkshire A and Counties 3 Yorkshire B respectively.

C Division

Departing were Maltby promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire B

Doncaster Phoenix II were initially placed in the league but withdrew before the season began.

Sheffield Medicals (5th (South)) did not return for the new season.

Participating clubs 2025-26

North division

Departing were Hornsea, promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire as champions.

Thirsk RUFC joined the league after getting relegated from Counties 3 Yorkshire last season.

South division

Departing were Dearne Valley (champions) promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire.

Knottingley (7th in 2024-25) and Withernsea (new entry) both started but subsequently withdrew from the league leaving six clubs to contest the outstanding fixtures.

Participating clubs 2024-25

For the new season the league was once more split into North / South division as it had been most recently in season 2021-22. Three new teams, all from South Yorkshire, were added to the South league to make a total of seven, with eight competing in the North division.

Departing were Old Otliensians and Thornensians, promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire as champions and runners-up respectively

Hornsea won the league on the final day of the season and doing so got promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire for the 25/26 season.

North division

South division

Dearne Valley won the south division and join the Northern division winners Hornsea in Counties 3 Yorkshire for the 25/26 season

Participating clubs 2023-24

Departing were Mosborough (4th in 2022-23) who moved on a level transfer to Counties 3 Midlands East (North). Joining were three sides relegated from Counties 3 Yorkshire together with Richmondshire who re-entered the Yorkshire Rugby leagues having most recently competed in Durham/Northumberland 3 for season 2021-22 during which they withdrew in January 2022.

Participating clubs 2022-23

This was the first season following the RFU Adult Competition Review. The league was substantially similar to Yorkshire 4 albeit consolidated back into one having previously been split NW and SE. Eleven of the teams from season 2021-22 returned with two promoted to Counties 3 Yorkshire and two (Sheffield Oaks and Stanley Rodillians) withdrawing from the leagues. So with four departing but only one arriving the league was reduced from 15 teams to 12.

Participating clubs 2021-22

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.

North West division

York RI and Nestle Rowntree were level transferred from Yorkshire 4 South East for the current season.

South East division

Season 2020–21

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. This resulted in Yorkshire 4 not being contested.

Participating clubs 2019-20

North West division

South East division

Premier and Shield divisions

Premier participants

• Bramley Phoenix
• Burley
• Halifax
• Leeds Modernians
• Mosborough
• Stanley Rodillians
• Stocksbridge
• York Railway Institute

Shield participants

• Hessle
• Knaresborough
• Leeds Medics & Dentists
• Nestle Rowntree
• Sheffield Oaks
• Thirsk

Participating clubs 2018-19

North West division

South East division

Premier and Shield divisions

Premier participants

• Bramley Phoenix
• Hessle
• Knaresborough
• Leeds Medics & Dentisists
• Mosborough
• Ossett
• Wibsey
• York Railway Institute

Shield participants

• Burley
• Halifax
• Nestle Rowntree
• Sheffield Oaks
• Stanley Rodilians
• Stocksbridge
• Thirsk

Participating clubs 2017-18

North West division

South East division

Premier and Shield divisions

In February, after the teams have played each other home and away, the clubs in both Yorkshire 4 leagues are reallocated into a Premier league and a Shield league for one further round of fixtures. The top four teams from each league play in the Premier and the other teams play in the Shield.

Premier participants

• Burley
• Knaresborough
• Leeds Corinthians
• Mosborough
• Ossett
• Rotherham Phoenix
• Stanley Rodillians
• Wibsey

Shield participants

• Bramley Phoenix
• Halifax
• Hessle
• Sheffield Oaks
• Thirsk
• York RI

Rossington Hornets did not participate in the Shield competition.

Participating clubs 2016-17

• Bramley Phoenix (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Burley
• Hemsworth
• Hessle
• Hornsea (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Leeds Corinthians
• Ossett
• Rotherham Clifton
• Rotherham Phoenix (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Skipton
• Stanley Rodillians (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• York Railway Institute

Participating clubs 2015-16

• Burley (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Halifax Vandals
• Hemsworth (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Hessle (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Leeds Corinthians
• Mosborough
• Ossett
• Rotherham Clifton (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Sheffield Oaks
• Skipton
• Wensleydale
• York Railway Institute

Participating clubs 2014-15

• Halifax
• Halifax Vandals
• Hornsea
• Knaresborough (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Leeds Corinthians
• Mosborough
• Ossett
• Sheffield Oaks
• Skipton (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Wensleydale (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Wetherby
• York Railway Institute

Participating clubs 2013-14

• Halifax
• Halifax Vandals
• Hessle (relegated from Yorkshire 3)
• Hornsea
• Leeds Corinthians
• Mosborough
• Old Otliensians
• Ossett
• Sheffield Oaks (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Stocksbridge (promoted from Yorkshire 5)
• Wetherby
• York Railway Institute (relegated from Yorkshire 3)

Participating clubs 2012–13

• Halifax
• Halifax Vandals
• Harrogate Pythons
• Hornsea
• Knaresborough
• Leeds Corinthians
• Marist
• Mosborough
• Old Grovians
• Old Otliensians
• Ossett
• Wetherby

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

• Burley
• Dinnington
• Hessle
• Hullensians
• Leeds YMCA
• Old Modernians
• Skipton
• West Leeds
• Wetherby
• Wibsey
• Yorkshire CW

Yorkshire 4

Yorkshire 4 (1987–1993)

The original Yorkshire 4 was a tier 12 league with promotion up to Yorkshire 3 and relegation down to Yorkshire 5.

Yorkshire 4 (1993–2000)

The creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Yorkshire 4 dropped to become a tier 13 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 4 remain at tier 13.

Yorkshire 4 (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 4 became a tier 10 league.

Number of league titles

• Hessle (2)
• Hullensians (2)
• Old Rishworthians (2)
• Rotherham Phoenix (2)
• Stocksbridge (2)
• Wibsey (2)
• Aireborough (1)
• Barnsley (1)
• Bradford Salem (1)
• Bramley Phoenix (1)
• Halifax Vandals (1)
• Heath (1)
• Hemsworth (1)
• Knottingley (1)
• Leeds Medics & Dentists (1)
• Mosborough (1)
• Northallerton (1)
• Old Grovians (1)
• Old Modernians (1)
• Old Otliensians (1)
• Ossett (1)
• Phoenix Park (1)
• Roundhegians (1)
• Sheffield Medicals (1)
• Wath Upon Dearne (1)
• Wetherby (1)
• York Railway Institute (1)
• Hornsea RUFC (1)
• Dearne Valley (1)

Notes

See also

• Yorkshire RFU
• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England