2017–18 National League 1
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The 2017–18 National League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the SSE National League 1 is the ninth season of the third tier of the
English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
, since the professionalised format of the second tier
RFU Championship The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men's English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when Eng ...
was introduced; and is the 31st season since league rugby began in 1987. Following defeat at Blackheath on 10 March, Fylde are the first team to be relegated. A week later Coventry became the league champions with five games to go after beating Caldy away on the 17 March. On 21 April Old Albanian became the second team to go down with a game to go, losing 21–24 away to Plymouth Albion. The third and final relegation spot went to the taken by Hull Ionians who lost 21–38 away to champions Coventry on 28 April 2018 in front of a divisional record attendance of 3,758. As champions, Coventry are promoted into the
2018–19 RFU Championship The 2018–19 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, is the tenth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the Rug ...
, while relegated sides Fylde and Hull Ionians drop to the 2018–19 National League 2 North, and Old Albanian into the 2018–19 National League 2 South. Of further interest were a number of divisional records set or equalled during the course of the season. These included a record crowd (3,758 at Coventry) and record overall league average attendance (653), while Coventry's promotion meant they now had 3 tier titles (equal with
Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...
).
Ampthill Ampthill () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It lies between Bedford, Bedfordshire, Bedford and Luton. At the 2021 census it had a population of 8,825. Histor ...
also equalled a more obscure record of four league draws previously achieved by both
Wharfedale Wharfedale ( ) is one of the Yorkshire Dales. It is situated at source in North Yorkshire and then flows into West Yorkshire and forms the upper valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale (downstream, from west to east) includ ...
and
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
.


Structure

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 with the champions promoted to the Greene King IPA Championship. There are usually three relegation places with the bottom three teams relegated to either
National League 2 North National League 2 North is one of three level four leagues in the English rugby union system and provides semi-professional competition for teams in Northern England. The remainder of England is covered by the two counterpart leagues National L ...
or
National League 2 South National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...
depending on the geographical location of the team.


Participating teams and locations

Twelve of the sixteen teams participated in the preceding season's competition. The 2016–17 champions,
Hartpury College Hartpury University and Hartpury College, formerly Hartpury College, is a provider of further and higher education The university and college is set in a 360-hectare estate located in Hartpury, near Gloucester, in Gloucestershire, England. The ...
, were promoted to the
2017–18 RFU Championship The 2017–18 RFU Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the Greene King IPA Championship, was the ninth season of the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union league system run by the Rug ...
, replacing
London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club () was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, after gaining promotion from ...
who went into liquidation, in the second half of the season, and ceased to exist as a professional team. Due to London Welsh's liquidation only two teams (instead of the usual three) were relegated last season –
Macclesfield Macclesfield () is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is sited on the River Bollin and the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east; the town lies south of Ma ...
and
Blaydon Blaydon is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, and historically in County Durham. Blaydon, and neighbouring Winlaton, which Blaydon is now contiguous with, form the town of Blaydon-on-Tyne. The Blaydon/Winl ...
– both of whom drop to the
2017–18 National League 2 North The 2017–18 National League 2 North is the ninth season (31st overall) of the National League 2 North, fourth tier (north) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the RFU Championship, second divisi ...
. The promoted teams are
Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
and
Caldy Caldy (historically spelt Calday) is a small, affluent village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, south-east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward (country subdivision), Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wi ...
, champions of the
2016–17 National League 2 South The 2016–17 National League 2 South was the eighth season (30th overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. New teams to the div ...
and 2016–17 National League 2 North respectively, and
Old Elthamians Old Elthamians Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Chislehurst in SE London. Due to financial difficulties they withdrew from National League One, the third tier of English club rugby, in August, 2021. Upon returning ...
who won the promotion play-off against Sale FC. National League 1 is the highest level all three of these sides have ever reached.


League table


Fixtures


Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 11

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

*Postponed due to bad weather (snow), game rescheduled to 24 February 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow), game rescheduled to 24 February 2018. ----


Round 15

*Postponed due to a frozen pitch, game rescheduled for 24 February 2018. ----


Round 16

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Round 17

* Postponed due to waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 17 March 2018. * Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 17 March 2018. ----


Round 18

* Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Match rescheduled for 24 February 2018. ----


Round 19

* Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Game rescheduled for 31 March 2018. ----


Round 20

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Round 21

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Round 22

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Round 23

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Rounds 14, 15 & 18 (rescheduled matches)

*Game rescheduled from 13 January 2018. *Game rescheduled from 16 December 2017. *Game rescheduled from 9 December 2017. *Game rescheduled from 9 December 2017. ----


Round 24

*Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 31 March 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 30 March 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 30 March 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 17 March 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 31 March 2018. *Postponed due to bad weather (snow). Game rescheduled for 5 May 2018. ----


Round 25

*Fylde are relegated. ----


Rounds 17 & 24 (rescheduled matches)

*Game rescheduled from 6 January 2018. *Game rescheduled from 6 January 2018. *Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. Coventry win league title. ----


Round 26

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Rounds 19 & 24 (rescheduled matches)

*Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. *Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. *Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. *Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. *Game rescheduled from 20 January 2018 but postponed again due to a waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 12 May 2018. ----


Round 27

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Round 28

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Round 29

*Old Albanian are relegated. ----


Round 30

*Hull Ionians are relegated. Coventry's attendance of 3,758 is a divisional record. ----


Round 24 (rescheduled game)

*Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018. ----


Round 19 (rescheduled game)

*Game originally rescheduled from 20 January 2018 and then from 31 March 2018.


Attendances


Individual statistics

* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included).


Top points scorers


Top try scorers


Season records


Team

;Largest home win — 53  pts 68 – 15 Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017 ;Largest away win — 64  pts 64 – 0 Coventry away to Fylde on 14 October 2017 ;Most points scored — 81 81 – 33 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 ;Most points scored away from home — 81 81 – 33 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 ;Most tries in a match — 11 (2) Bishop's Stortford at home to Fylde on 7 April 2018
Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 ;Most tries in an away match — 11 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 ;Most conversions in a match — 9 (3) Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017
Coventry at home to Ampthill on 9 December 2017
Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 ;Most penalties in a match — 7 Cambridge away to Loughborough Students on 23 December 2017 ;Most drop goals in a match — 1 (4) Cambridge away to Fylde on 2 September 2017
Hull Ionians at home to Cambridge on 4 November 2017
Old Albanian at home to Ampthill on 23 December 2017
Hull Ionians at home to Rosslyn Park on 24 February 2018


Attendances

;Highest — 3,758 Coventry at home to Hull Ionians on 28 April 2018 ;Lowest — 103 Loughborough Students at home to Cambridge on 23 December 2017 ;Highest average attendance — 1,869 Coventry ;Lowest average attendance — 257 Loughborough Students


Player

;Most points in a match — 26 Gavin Roberts for Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 ;Most tries in a match — 5 Ryan Hutler for Bishop's Stortford at home to Fylde on 7 April 2018 ;Most tries in an away match — 4 Mark Harrison for Birmingham Moseley away to Esher on 14 October 2017 ;Most conversions in a match — 9 Dan Mugford for Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017
Gavin Roberts for Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 ;Most penalties in a match — 6 Isaac Green for Hull Ionians away to Rosslyn Park on 14 April 2018 ;Most drop goals in a match — 1 (4) Jack Green for Cambridge away to Fylde on 2 September 2017
Chris Bell for Hull Ionians at home to Cambridge on 4 November 2017
Tom Bednall for Old Albanian at home to Ampthill on 23 December 2017
Greg Lound for Hull Ionians at home to Rosslyn Park on 24 February 2018


Notes


See also

*
English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
*
Rugby union in England Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which invol ...


References


External links


NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:2017-18 National League 1 3 National League 1 seasons