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 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 North 1 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.

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.

2016–17 season

 * Acklam (transferred from Durham/Northumberland 1)
 * Beverley (relegated from North 1 East)
 * Bradford Salem
 * Bridlington
 * Heath
 * Hullensians
 * Keighley (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
 * North Ribblesdale
 * Old Brodleians
 * Scarborough
 * Selby
 * West Leeds (promoted from Yorkshire 2)
 * Yarnbury
 * York

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 (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 (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 (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).

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.

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)