National League 1

This article is about the rugby union competition. For the rugby league competition formerly known as National League One, see Championship (rugby league).
National League 1
Current season or competition:
2015–16 National League 1
Sport Rugby union
Instituted 1987 (1987)
Number of teams 16
Country  England
Holders Richmond (2015–16)
Most titles Otley (3 titles)
Website rfu.com

National League 1, (which was known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third level of domestic rugby union competition in England. It was known as Courage League National Division Three when founded in 1987.[1] This is the lowest level of the English rugby union league system which is nationwide. The league consists of sixteen teams with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches each. There is one promotion place and three relegation places. The champions are promoted to the Greene King IPA Championship and the bottom three teams are relegated to either National League 2 North or National League 2 South (formerly National Division Three North and South) depending on the geographical location of the team.

Richmond are the champions and return to the RFU Championship, for the first time since 1996–97 season. Cinderford, Henley Hawks and Wharfedale are relegated.

History

When the rugby union leagues were introduced in 1987 the division was known as Courage League National Division Three. Ten years later, in 1997, the league was restructured and the Premiership was introduced, which consisted of the top two divisions. Therefore, National 3 became the top league outside of the Premiership structure, and was renamed as National 1. In 2000–01 the Premiership was reduced to a single division and National 1 was renamed National 2. Following the formation of the professional RFU Championship in 2009 the league, once again, became known as National League One, and is currently the lowest tier that is nationwide. The league previously consisted of fourteen clubs, but from 2009–10 increased to sixteen. Only one team is now promoted to the RFU Championship and since 2009–10 three teams are relegated to National League 2 North and/or National League 2 South.

Summary of tier three format

Year Name No of teams No of matches
1987–90 Courage National 3 12 11
1990–92 Courage National 3 13 12
1992–93 Courage National 3 12 11
1993–96 Courage National 3 10 18
1996–97 Courage National 3 16 30
1997–2000 Jewson National League 1 14 26
2000–09 National Division 2 14 26
2009– National Division 1 16 30

Original teams

When the league system was formed in 1987, the following teams participated in the league, which was known as National 3. Twenty-eight years on only two teams, Fylde and Plymouth Albion are currently playing at this level. (Updated to 2015–16)

Current season

Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season
Ampthill Dillingham Park Ampthill, Bedfordshire promoted from National League 2 North
Blackheath Rectory Field Blackheath, London 6th
Blaydon Crow Trees Swalwell, Tyne and Wear 8th
Cinderford Dockham Road 2,500 Cinderford, Gloucestershire 13th
Coventry Butts Park Arena 4,000 Coventry, West Midlands 3rd
Darlington Mowden Park Northern Echo Arena 25,000 Darlington, County Durham 9th
Esher Molesey Road 3,000 Hersham, Surrey 10th
Fylde Woodlands Memorial Ground 9,000 Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire 4th
Hartpury College College Stadium 2,000 Hartpury, Gloucestershire 5th
Henley Hawks Dry Leas 4,000 Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire promoted from National League 2 South
Hull Ionians Brantingham Park 300 (seated) Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire promoted from National League 2 North
Loughborough Students Loughborough University Stadium 3,000 Loughborough, Leicestershire 12th
Plymouth Albion The Brickfields 8,500 Plymouth, Devon relegated from RFU Championship
Richmond Athletic Ground, Richmond 4,500 Richmond, London 7th
Rosslyn Park Priory Lane 2,000 Roehampton, London 2nd
Wharfedale Threshfield 2,000 Threshfield, North Yorkshire 11th

Current standings

2015–16 National League 1 Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Richmond (C) 30 23 2 5 854 534 320 16 4 116
2 Hartpury College 30 21 0 9 966 558 408 15 5 104
3 Blackheath 30 21 2 7 794 488 306 9 6 103
4 Ampthill 30 20 2 8 746 620 126 14 5 103
5 Rosslyn Park 30 20 0 10 745 578 167 12 3 95
6 Darlington Mowden Park 30 19 0 11 766 640 126 11 4 91
7 Esher 30 17 0 13 801 603 198 14 6 88
8 Plymouth Albion 30 22 0 8 733 647 86 11 3 72[n 1]
9 Coventry 30 13 2 15 710 653 57 9 6 71
10 Fylde 30 11 1 18 736 804 –68 11 10 67
11 Blaydon 30 10 0 20 565 772 –207 10 7 57
12 Hull Ionians 30 9 0 21 645 872 –227 10 11 57
13 Loughborough Students 30 9 0 21 680 774 –94 10 9 55
14 Wharfedale (R) 30 6 1 23 592 869 –277 10 7 43
15 Cinderford (R) 30 7 1 22 545 969 –424 7 4 41
16 Henley Hawks (R) 30 6 1 23 478 975 -497 5 3 29
  • Points system: 4 points for a win; 2 points for a draw; 1 point if a team loses by seven points or less (losing bonus); 1 point if the team scores four or more tries in a match (try bonus)
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
  1. ↑
    • Plymouth Albion were deducted 30 points for going into administration on 8 April 2016[2]

Green background is the promotion place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 30 April 2016
Source: "National League 1". NCA Rugby. 

National League 1 champions

List of National League 1 Champions
Season No of teams Champions Runners-up Relegated Teams Ref
1987–88 12 Wakefield West Hartlepool Morley and Birmingham [3]
1988–89 12 Plymouth Albion Rugby Metropolitan Police RFC and Maidstone [4]
1989–90 12 London Scottish Wakefield London Welsh [4]
1990–91 13 West Hartlepool Morley Metropolitan Police RFC and Vale of Lune [5]
1991–92 13 Richmond Fylde Nuneaton and Lydney [6]
1992–93 12 Otley Havant Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool St Helens, Clifton, Aspatria, Askeans, Broughton Park and Plymouth Albion [7]
1993–94 10 Coventry Fylde Havant and Redruth [8]
1994–95 10 Bedford Blackheath Clifton and Exeter [9]
1995–96 10 Southport Richmond also promoted: Rugby and Rotherham (no relegation) [10]
1996–97 16 Exeter Fylde Walsall RFC, Havant, Redruth and Clifton [11]
1997–98 14 Worcester Leeds Tykes also promoted: London Welsh and Rugby (no relegation) [12]
1998–99 14 Henley Manchester Morley and Liverpool St Helens [13]
1999–00 14 Otley Birmingham & Solihull Reading and Blackheath [14]
2000–01 14 Bracknell Rugby Camberley, Lydney and West Hartlepool [15]
2001–02 14 Orrell Plymouth Albion Rosslyn Park, Waterloo and Preston Grasshoppers [15]
2002–03 14 Penzance-Newlyn Henley Launceston, Kendal and Fylde [16]
2003–04 14 Sedgley Park Nottingham Rugby and Lydney [17]
2004–05 14 Doncaster Newbury Nuneaton, Bracknell and Rosslyn Park [18]
2005–06 14 Moseley Waterloo Orrell [19]
2006–07 14 Esher Launceston Bradford & Bingley, Barking and Harrogate [20]
2007–08 14 Otley Manchester Nuneaton, Henley Hawks and Halifax [21]
2008–09 14 Birmingham & Solihull Cambridge Westcombe Park, Southend, Mounts Bay RFC and Waterloo [22]
2009–10 16 Esher London Scottish Newbury, Nuneaton and Manchester [23]
2010–11 16 London Scottish Barking Redruth, Otley and Launceston [24]
2011–12 16 Jersey Ealing Trailfinders Birmingham & Solihull, Stourbridge and Barking
2012–13 16 Ealing Trailfinders Esher Macclesfield, Sedgley Park and Cambridge [25]
2013–14 16 Doncaster Knights Rosslyn Park Henley Hawks, Worthing Raiders and Hull Ionians [26]
2014–15 16 Ealing Trailfinders Rosslyn Park Tynedale, Macclesfield and Old Albanian
2015–16 16 Richmond Hartpury College Henley Hawks, Cinderford and Wharfedale
2016–17
Green background are promotion places.

    League results

    League information Start of season End of season
    Season Name Teams Relegated to league Promoted to league Promoted from league Relegated from league
    2000–01 National Division Two 14
    2001–02 National Division Two 14
    2002–03 National Division Two 14
    2003–04 National Division Two 14
    2004–05 National Division Two 14
    2005–06 National Division Two 14
    2006–07 National Division Two 14 None
    • Bradford & Bingley
    • Harrogate
    2007–08 National Division Two 14
    2008–09 National Division Two 14
    2009–10 National League 1 16
    2010–11 National League 1 16
    2011–12 National League 1 16
    2012–13 National League 1 16
    2013–14 National League 1 16
    2014–15 National League 1 16
    2015–16 National League 1 16

    Records

    Note that all records are from 1996–97 season onwards as this is widely held as the dawn of professionalism across the English club game. It also offers a better comparison between seasons as the division team numbers are roughly equal (for example when league rugby union first started in 1987–88 the Courage League National Division Three had only 12 teams playing 11 games each, compared to 16 teams in 1996–97 playing 30 games (home & away)). Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2015–16 season.

    League records

    Match records

    Player records

    Attendance records

    [a 1]

    1. ↑ Note that due to poor attendance keeping by press and online sources means that the 2000-01 and 2003-04 seasons are excluded from these statistics due to lack of information expect in the case of lowest recorded league game attendance.

    Top ten point scorers

    As of the end of the games of 30 April 2016. Stats taken from 1996–97 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 1 (no cup games). Points scored includes tries, drop kicks, penalties and conversions.[51]
    Rank Nat Name Years Club(s) Points Apps Ratio
    1 England Andrew Baggett 2001-08
    2008-    		Wharfedale
    Blaydon    		1,6423854.3
    2 England Neil Hallett 1999-02
    2002-04
    2004-10
    2011-12    		Rosslyn Park
    Bracknell
    Esher
    Ealing Trailfinders    		1,4401818.0
    3 England Alastair Bressington 2004-05
    2005-10, 2010-12
    2010    		Moseley
    Stourbridge
    Cinderford    		1,2011478.2
    4 England Lee Cholewa 1996-97
    1998-99, 2000-05
    2005-07
    2010-11    		Rotherham
    Harrogate
    London Welsh
    London Scottish    		1,1681468.0
    5 England Mark Bedworth 2005-10Wharfedale1,0241149.0
    6 South Africa Clifford Hodgson 2012-Coventry1,0129310.9
    7 England Chris Johnson 2012-Fylde9901109.0
    8 England Ben Harvey 1996-97
    1999-00
    2000-01
    2001-05    		Richmond
    Worcester Warriors
    Moseley
    Stourbridge    		9871188.4
    9 England Jonathon Gregory 1996-97
    2000-04    		Richmond
    Esher    		9708411.5
    10 England Jonathon Davies 1997-07Wharfedale9461984.8

    (Bold denotes players still playing in National League 1)

    Top ten try scorers

    As of the end of the games of 30 April 2016. Stats taken from 1996–97 season onwards and include regular league games only in National League 1 (no cup games).[52]
    Rank Nat Name Years Club(s) Tries Apps Ratio
    1 England David Allen 2004-Blackheath1472740.5
    2 England Ollie Brennand 2011-Fylde1161460.8
    3 England Phil Chesters 2011-13, 2014-15Ealing Trailfinders105821.3
    4 South Africa Chris Malherbe 1998-99
    2001-02
    2002-11    		Camberley
    Kendal
    Wharfedale    		952220.4
    5 England Andrew Hodgson 1997-99, 2000-04, 2005-13, 2014-Wharfedale952640.4
    6 England Jason Smithson 2007-Blaydon891970.5
    7 England Hugo Ellis 2012-Rosslyn Park84980.9
    8 South Africa Christoff Lombaard 2006-07, 2008-10
    2012-15    		Cambridge
    Old Albanian    		781310.6
    9 England Ed Smithies 1999-07Harrogate771870.4
    10 England Simon Horsfall 2003-2008, 2009-13Wharfedale732100.3

    (Bold denotes players still playing in National League 1)

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ Stephen Jones, ed. (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89. London: Rothmans Publications Ltd.
    2. ↑ "Plymouth Albion taken over by David Venables and Bruce Priday". BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
    3. ↑ Stephen Jones, ed. (1988). Courage Leagues 1988–89. London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0356158845.
    4. 1 2 Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Clubs Championship. Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Horsham: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 1873057024.
    5. ↑ Stephen Jones, ed. (1991). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991–92. London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0356202496.
    6. ↑ "Courage Club Championship 1991/92". Moseley Rugby club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    7. ↑ "Courage Clubs Championship-1992/93". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    8. ↑ "Courage Clubs Championship 1993/94". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    9. ↑ "Courage Club Championships 1994/95". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    10. ↑ Mick Cleary, ed. (1996). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1996–97. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0747277710.
    11. ↑ Mick Cleary, ed. (1987). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline Book Publishers. ISBN 074727732X.
    12. ↑ "1997/98: Jewson National Division (formerly Courage League National Division 3)". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    13. ↑ Mick Cleary and John Griffiths, ed. (1999). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1999–2000. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0747275319.
    14. ↑ Stephen McCormack, ed. (2000). The Official RFU Club Directory 2000–2001. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1852916273.
    15. 1 2 Stephen McCormack, ed. (2001). The Official RFU Club Directory 2001–2002. Harpender: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1852916400.
    16. ↑ Stephen McCormack (2002). The Official RFU Club Directory 2002–2003. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1852916451.
    17. ↑ "National Division 1 2003/04". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    18. ↑ "2004/05: National League 2.". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
    19. ↑ "2005/06: National League 2.". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
    20. ↑ "2006/07: National League 2". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
    21. ↑ "2007/08: National League 2". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
    22. ↑ "2008/09: National League 2". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
    23. ↑ "2009/10: National League 1". Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
    24. ↑ "Final League Tables 2010 – 2011". Trelawneys Army. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
    25. ↑ "English National League One Table". BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
    26. ↑ "SSE National League 1". NCA. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
    27. ↑ "Jewson National League 1 1998/99". rugbyarchive.net. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
    28. ↑ "Maka’afi stars in Greens' 20-try romp". Telegraph and Argus. 27 September 2009.
    29. ↑ "Esher begin with record victory". BBC News. 7 September 2009.
    30. ↑ "National One 09/10 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 15 May 2010.
    31. ↑ "National One 09/10 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 15 May 2010.
    32. ↑ "National Two 01/02 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2002.
    33. ↑ "National Two 03/04 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 24 April 2004.
    34. ↑ "National One 15/16 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
    35. ↑ "National Two 05/06 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2007.
    36. ↑ "National Two 06/07 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2007.
    37. 1 2 "National One 11/12 Leading Try Scorers". Statbunker. 28 April 2012.
    38. ↑ "National One 12/13 Leading Try Scorers". Statbunker. 11 May 2013.
    39. ↑ "National League 1". The RUGBYPaper (344). 26 April 2015. pp. 32–33 & 41.
    40. ↑ "National One 09/10 Leading top scorers". Statbunker. 8 May 2010.
    41. ↑ "National One 09/10 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 15 May 2010.
    42. ↑ "National One 12/13 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 11 May 2013.
    43. ↑ "National One 09/10 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 15 May 2010.
    44. ↑ "National Two 01/02 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 20 April 2002.
    45. ↑ "National Two 03/04 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 24 April 2004.
    46. ↑ "National One 15/16 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
    47. 1 2 3 "National One 11/12 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2012.
    48. ↑ "National Two 00/01 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2001.
    49. ↑ "National One 13/14 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 3 May 2014.
    50. ↑ "National Two 04/05 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2005.
    51. ↑ "National One All time leading scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
    52. ↑ "National One All time try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.

    External links

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