2017–18 National League 1

2017–18 National League 1
Countries  England
Date 2 September 2017 – 28 April 2018
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 was the 31st season since league rugby began in 1987.

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.[1] 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.[2][3][4] National League 1 is the highest level all three of these sides have ever reached.

2017-18 Greater London National League 1 clubs
Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season
Ampthill Dillingham Park 3,000 Ampthill, Bedfordshire 3rd
Birmingham Moseley Billesley Common 5,000 (1,300 seated) Birmingham, West Midlands 5th
Bishop's Stortford Silver Leys 1,600 Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire promoted from National League 2 South (champions)
Blackheath Well Hall 1,550 (550 seats) Eltham, Greenwich, Greater London 7th
Caldy Paton Field 4,000 Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside promoted from National League 2 North (champions)
Cambridge Grantchester Road 1,250 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 14th
Coventry Butts Park Arena 4,000 Coventry, West Midlands 4th
Darlington Mowden Park Northern Echo Arena 25,000 Darlington, County Durham 10th
Esher Molesey Road 3,500 Hersham, Surrey 8th
Fylde Woodlands Memorial Ground 9,000 Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire 12th
Hull Ionians Brantingham Park 1,500 (240 seats) Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire 13th
Loughborough Students Loughborough University Stadium 3,000 Loughborough, Leicestershire 11th
Old Albanian Woollam Playing Fields 1,000 St Albans, Hertfordshire 9th
Old Elthamians College Meadow 1,500 Eltham, Greenwich, London promoted from National League 2 South (play-off)
Plymouth Albion The Brickfields 8,500 Plymouth, Devon 2nd
Rosslyn Park Priory Lane 2,000 Roehampton, London 6th

League table

2017–18 National League 1 Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Ampthill 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Birmingham Moseley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Bishop's Stortford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Blackheath 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Caldy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Cambridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Coventry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Darlington Mowden Park 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Esher 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Fylde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Hull Ionians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Loughborough Students 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Old Albanian 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Old Elthamians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Plymouth Albion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Rosslyn Park 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  • 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
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 4 June 2017
Source: "National League 1". NCA Rugby. 

Fixtures

Round 1

2 September 2017
15:00
Birmingham Moseley – Ampthill
Billesley Common
2 September 2017
15:00
Bishop's Stortford – Caldy
Silver Leys
2 September 2017
15:00
Blackheath – Plymouth Albion
Well Hall
2 September 2017
15:00
Darlington Mowden Park – Loughborough Students
Northern Echo Arena
2 September 2017
15:00
Esher – Old Elthamians
Molesey Road
2 September 2017
15:00
Fylde – Cambridge
Woodlands Memorial Ground
2 September 2017
15:00
Hull Ionians – Coventry
Brantingham Park
2 September 2017
15:00
Old Albanian – Rosslyn Park
Woollam Playing Fields

[5]

Attendances

Club Home
games		 Total Average Highest Lowest % Capacity
Ampthill
Birmingham Moseley
Bishop's Stortford
Blackheath
Caldy
Cambridge
Coventry
Darlington Mowden Park
Esher
Fylde
Hull Ionians
Loughborough Students
Old Albanian
Old Elthamians
Plymouth Albion
Rosslyn Park

Individual statistics

Top points scorers

Rank Player Team Points
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Top try scorers

Rank Player Team Tries
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Season records

Team

Largest home win —
Largest away win —
Most points scored —
Most points scored away from home —
Most conversions in a match —
Most drop goals in a match —

Attendances

Highest —
Lowest —
Highest average attendance —
Lowest average attendance —

Player

Most points in a match —
Most tries in a match —
Most conversions in a match —
Most penalties in a match —
Most drop goals in a match —

See also

References

  1. ↑ "London Welsh: RFU refuses permission for Exiles to stay in Championship". BBC Sport. 24 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "Caldy land title after stunning fightback". The RUGBYPaper (447). Rugby Paper Ltd. 9 April 2017. p. 32.
  3. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club are promoted after Exmouth victory". Hertfordshire Mercury. 22 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "National League 2 play-off". The RUGBYPaper (451). Rugby Paper Ltd. 7 May 2017. p. 28.
  5. ↑ "National League 1". NCA Rugby. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
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