2017–18 National League 1 Explained

2017–18 National League 1
Date:	2 September 2017 – 28 April 2018
Champions:	Coventry
Count:	3
Runnersup:	Darlington Mowden Park
Relegated:	Fylde, Old Albanian, Hull Ionians
Matches:	240
Highest Attendance:	3,758 Coventry v Hull Ionians 28 April 2018
Lowest Attendance:	103 Loughborough Students v Cambridge 23 December 2017
Top Point Scorer:	262 Will Maisey (Coventry)
Top Try Scorer:	21 Sam Baker (Ampthill) James Stokes (Coventry)
Prevseason:	2016–17
Nextseason:	2018–19

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, since the professionalised format of the second tier RFU Championship 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.^{[1] [2]} A week later Coventry became the league champions with five games to go after beating Caldy away on the 17 March.^[3] On 21 April Old Albanian became the second team to go down with a game to go, losing 21–24 away to Plymouth Albion.^[4] 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.^[5] As champions, Coventry are promoted into the 2018–19 RFU Championship, 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). Ampthill also equalled a more obscure record of four league draws previously achieved by both Wharfedale and Richmond.

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 or National League 2 South 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, were promoted to the 2017–18 RFU Championship, replacing London Welsh who went into liquidation, in the second half of the season, and ceased to exist as a professional team.^[6] Due to London Welsh's liquidation only two teams (instead of the usual three) were relegated last season – Macclesfield and Blaydon – both of whom drop to the 2017–18 National League 2 North.

The promoted teams are Bishop's Stortford and Caldy, champions of the 2016–17 National League 2 South and 2016–17 National League 2 North respectively, and Old Elthamians who won the promotion play-off against Sale FC.^{[7] [8] [9]} National League 1 is the highest level all three of these sides have ever reached.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
	Dillingham Park	3,000		3rd
		5,000 (1,300 seated)		5th
	Silver Leys	1,600		Promoted from National League 2 South (champions)
	Well Hall	1,650 (550 seats)		7th
		4,000		Promoted from National League 2 North (champions)
		2,200 (200 seats)		14th
		4,000 (3,000 seats)		4th
		25,500		10th
		3,500 (1,200 seats)		8th
		9,000		12th
	Brantingham Park	1,500 (240 seats)		13th
	Loughborough University Stadium	3,000		11th
	Woollam Playing Fields	1,000		9th
	College Meadow	1,800		Promoted from National League 2 South (play-off)
		8,500		2nd
	The Rock	2,000		6th

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.^[24]

• Postponed due to bad weather (snow), game rescheduled to 24 February 2018.^[25]

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Round 15

• Postponed due to a frozen pitch, game rescheduled for 24 February 2018.^[27]

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Round 16

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Round 17

• Postponed due to waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 17 March 2018.^[30]

• Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Game to be rescheduled for 17 March 2018.^[31]

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Round 18

• Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Match rescheduled for 24 February 2018.^[33]

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Round 19

• Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Game rescheduled for 31 March 2018.^[35]

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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.

^[41] ----

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.

^[42] ----

Round 25

• Fylde are relegated.^[2]

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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.^[3]

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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.^[46]

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Round 27

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Round 28

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Round 29

• Old Albanian are relegated.^[4]

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Round 30

• Hull Ionians are relegated. Coventry's attendance of 3,758 is a divisional record.^[5]

^[51] ----

Round 24 (rescheduled game)

• Game rescheduled from 3 March 2018.

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Round 19 (rescheduled game)

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

^[53]

Attendances

Club	Home games	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Ampthill	15	4,819	321	738	155	11%
Birmingham Moseley	15	12,005	800	2,130	475	16%
Bishop's Stortford	15	9,145	610	1,152	313	38%
Blackheath	15	10,560	704	1,650	293	43%
Caldy	15	6,299	420	784	254	10%
Cambridge	15	6,963	464	912	313	21%
Coventry	15	28,030	1,869	3,758	1,357	47%
Darlington Mowden Park	15	14,428	962	1,879	622	4%
Esher	15	11,364	758	1,203	469	22%
Fylde	15	7,565	504	723	380	6%
Hull Ionians	15	4,037	269	408	127	18%
Loughborough Students	15	3,851	257	512	103	9%
Old Albanian	15	4,963	331	420	270	33%
Old Elthamians	15	6,360	424	1,653	186	24%
Plymouth Albion	15	16,834	1,122	2,898	671	13%
Rosslyn Park	15	9,577	638	862	324	32%

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

Rank	Player	Team	Appearances	Points
1			29	262
2			28	259
3			30	232
4			29	202
5			24	192
6			26	188
7			22	178
8			18	168
			29	168
9			28	161

^[54]

Top try scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Appearances	Tries
1			30	21
			30	21
2			25	19
			29	19
			29	19
3			20	17
			25	17
4			28	16
			28	16
5			24	15

^[55]

Season records

Team

Largest home win — 53  pts68 – 15 Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017

Largest away win — 64  pts64 – 0 Coventry away to Fylde on 14 October 2017

Most points scored — 8181 – 33 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018

Most points scored away from home — 8181 – 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 — 11Loughborough 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 — 7Cambridge 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

^{[56] [57] [58] [59]}

Attendances

Highest — 3,758Coventry at home to Hull Ionians on 28 April 2018

Lowest — 103Loughborough Students at home to Cambridge on 23 December 2017

Highest average attendance — 1,869Coventry

Lowest average attendance — 257Loughborough Students

^[60]

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

^{[61] [62] [63] [64] [65]}

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

External links

• NCA Rugby

Notes and References

1. News: Cox. Graham. Fylde defeat ends season of struggle. The RUGBYPaper. 496. 11 March 2018. 31.
2. Web site: Fylde relegated whilst Coventry take a step closer to glory. NCA Rugby. 12 March 2018.
3. Web site: Coventry defeat Caldy to claim National League one title and secure Championship rugby next season. Coventry Telegraph. 17 March 2018.
4. Web site: Brave Old Albanian lose battle with National One drop after Plymouth Albion loss. Herts Advertiser. 26 April 2018.
5. Web site: Coventry 38 Hull Ionians 21. Coventry RFC. 28 April 2018.
6. Web site: London Welsh: RFU refuses permission for Exiles to stay in Championship. BBC Sport. 24 January 2017.
7. News: Caldy land title after stunning fightback. The RUGBYPaper. 447. Rugby Paper Ltd. 9 April 2017. 32.
8. Web site: Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club are promoted after Exmouth victory . Hertfordshire Mercury . 22 April 2017 .
9. News: National League 2 play-off. The RUGBYPaper. 451. Rugby Paper Ltd. 7 May 2017. 28.
10. Web site: National League 1. NCA Rugby. 27 June 2017.
11. News: National League 1. The RugbyPaper. 468. 3 September 2017. 32–33 & 41.
12. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 469. 10 September 2017. 30–31 & 39.
13. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 470. 17 September 2017. 28–29 & 39.
14. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 471. 24 September 2017. 30–31 & 39.
15. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 472. 1 October 2017. 30–31 & 39.
16. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 473. 8 October 2017. 30–31 & 39.
17. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 474. 15 October 2017. 32–33 & 41.
18. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 475. 22 October 2017. 30–31 & 39.
19. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 476. 29 October 2017. 30–31 & 39.
20. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 477. 5 November 2017. 30–31 & 39.
21. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 478. 12 November 2017. 30–31 & 39.
22. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 480. 26 November 2017. 30–31 & 39.
23. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 481. 3 December 2017. 30–31 & 39.
24. Web site: Ionians v Rosslyn Park. Hull Ionians RUFC (Pitchero). 11 December 2017. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171216034507/http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/hullionians/news/ionians-v-rosslyn-park-2109769.html. 16 December 2017. dead.
25. Web site: Unfortunately tomorrow’s game against @AlbionRFC has been postponed due to the weather. Birmingham Moseley Rugby (Twitter). 9 December 2017.
26. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 482. 10 December 2017. 30–31 & 39.
27. Web site: Mowden Park v Coventry Postponed. Darlington Mowden Park RFC (Pitchero). 15 December 2017.
28. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 483. 17 December 2017. 30–31 & 39.
29. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 484. 24 December 2017. 26–27 & 35.
30. Web site: Rugby Postponed this Weekend. Cambridge RUFC (Pitchero). 5 January 2018.
31. Web site: Match Called Off: Plymouth Albion v Bishop’s Stortford. Plymouth Albion RFC. 5 January 2018. 7 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175059/http://www.plymouthalbion.com/match-called-off-plymouth-albion-v-bishops-stortford/. 7 January 2018. dead. dmy-all.
32. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 486. 7 January 2018. 26–27 & 35.
33. Web site: Rugby postponed this weekend. Cambridge RUFC (Pitchero). 12 January 2018.
34. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 487. 14 January 2018. 30–31 & 39.
35. Web site: Game Postponed: Plymouth Albion v Loughborough Students. Plymouth Albion RFC. 20 January 2018. 20 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071433/http://www.plymouthalbion.com/game-postponed-plymouth-albion-v-loughborough-students/. 21 January 2018. dead. dmy-all.
36. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 488. 21 January 2018. 30–31 & 39.
37. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 489. 28 January 2018. 14–15 & 39.
38. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 490. 4 February 2018. 30–31 & 39.
39. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 491. 11 February 2018. 32–33 & 41.
40. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 492. 18 February 2018. 30–31 & 39.
41. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 493. 25 February 2018. 36–37 & 41.
42. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 494. 4 March 2018. 32–34.
43. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 495. 11 March 2018. 30–31 & 39.
44. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 496. 18 March 2018. 30 & 39.
45. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 497. 25 March 2018. 30–31 & 39.
46. Web site: Plymouth Albion v Loughborough Students – Match Postponed. Plymouth Albion RFC. 29 March 2018. 1 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213142/http://www.plymouthalbion.com/plymouth-albion-v-loughborough-students-match-postponed/. 1 April 2018. dead. dmy-all.
47. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 498. 1 April 2018. 28–29 & 33.
48. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 499. 8 April 2018. 30–31 & 39.
49. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 500. 15 April 2018. 30–31 & 39.
50. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 501. 22 April 2018. 26–27 & 35.
51. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 502. 29 April 2018. 32–33 & 39.
52. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 503. 6 May 2018. 26 & 30.
53. News: National League 1. The RUGBYPaper. 504. 13 May 2018. 24 & 30.
54. Web site: National One 17/18 Leading top scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2018.
55. Web site: National One 17/18 Leading try scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2018.
56. Web site: National One 17/18 Most tries in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
57. Web site: National One 17/18 Most conversions in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
58. Web site: National One 17/18 Most penalties in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
59. Web site: National One 17/18 Most drop goals in a match (Team) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
60. Web site: National One 17/18 Home attendance . Rugby Statbunker . 12 May 2018 .
61. Web site: National One 17/18 Most points in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
62. Web site: National One 17/18 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
63. Web site: National One 17/18 Most conversions in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
64. Web site: National One 17/18 Most penalties in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .
65. Web site: National One 17/18 Most drop goals in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 5 May 2018 .