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2015–16 National League 1
Countries	England
Date	5 September 2015 – 30 April 2016
Champions	Richmond (2nd title)
Runners-up	Hartpury College
Relegated	Henley Hawks, Cinderford, Wharfedale
Matches played	240
Attendance	134,861 (average 562 per match)
Highest attendance	1,843 Plymouth Albion v Hartpury College on 23 April 2016
Lowest attendance	80 Blaydon v Fylde on 7 November 2015
Tries scored	1540 (average 6.4 per match)
Top point scorer	Gareth Thompson (Hartpury College) 283
Top try scorer	Jonas Mikalcius (Hartpury College) Jason Smithson (Blaydon) 27
← 2014–152016–17 →

The 2015–16 National League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the SSE National League 1 is the seventh 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 twenty-ninth season since league rugby began in 1987.

Richmond are the current champions and will play in the Green King IPA Championship next season. Henley Hawks, Cinderford and Wharfedale are relegated. Henley and Cinderford to National League 2 South and Wharfedale to National League 2 North. Plymouth Albion went into administration on 8 April 2016 and an interim licence to run the club ended on 6 May 2016. Albion were deducted 30 points by the RFU and dropped from 5th place to 8th. The club have submitted a business case and await a decision by the RFU on 18 May. If the RFU reject the plan Albion could be relegated to the bottom of the league structure i.e. Devon League 2. If that happens Wharfedale will not be relegated and subsequently other teams down through the league structure could be reprieved.

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 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 depending on the geographical location of the team.

Participating teams and locations

Twelve of the sixteen teams participated in last season's competition. The 2014–15 champions Ealing Trailfinders are promoted to the 2015–16 RFU Championship and are replaced by Plymouth Albion who were relegated from the 2014–15 RFU Championship after spending thirteen seasons in the league above. The three teams relegated last season, are Old Albanian, (to the 2015–16 National League 2 South), and Macclesfield and Tynedale, (both to the 2015–16 National League 2 North). The promoted teams are Henley Hawks and Hull Ionians champions of the 2014–15 National League 2 South and 2014–15 National League 2 North respectively, and Ampthill who won the promotion play-off against Bishop's Stortford.

League table

• 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
   (C) Champion; (R) Relegated
   Notes:

1. Plymouth Albion were deducted 30 points for going into administration on 8 April 2016

Fixtures

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

• Postponed due to bad weather and waterlogged pitch. Game rescheduled to 27 February 2016.

• Postponed due to bad weather and waterlogged pitch. Game rescheduled to 27 February 2016.

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

• Game rescheduled to 12 March 2016

• Game rescheduled to 27 February 2016

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Postponed matches (1)

Round 24

Postponed matches (2)

Round 25

Round 26

Round 27

Round 28

Round 29

Round 30

• Blackheath's last ever first team game at the Rectory Field.

Attendances

Individual statistics

• Note if players are tied on tries or points the player with the lowest number of appearances is placed first (if they have the same number of games, then the less minutes played will rank first). Also 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 Gareth Thompson Hartpury College 25 281 2 Freddy Gabbitas Blackheath 28 280 3 Elliot Clements-Hill Ampthill 24 229 4 Chris Johnson Fylde 25 215 5 Matthew Shepherd Plymouth Albion 30 189 6 Robert Kirby Richmond 26 186 7 James Guy Wharfedale 29 184 8 Paul Roberts Esher 23 182 9 Thomas James Esher Loughborough Students 28 165 10 Tom Whiteley Rosslyn Park 18 147

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Jonas Mikalcius Hartpury College 27 27 Jason Smithson Blaydon 29 27 2 Hugo Ellis Rosslyn Park 22 24 3 Oliver Brennand Fylde 30 21 4 Jack Allcock Richmond 27 20 Simon Uzokwe Darlington Mowden Park 28 20 5 Chris Davies Richmond 28 19 6 Spencer Sutherland Esher 22 18 David Allen Blackheath 26 18 7 Charles Broughton Richmond 25 15

Season records

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

1. Walrond, Nigel (8 May 2016). "Albion could face huge drop if RFU rejects business plan". Sunday Independent (Plymouth). p. 60.
2. Marsh, Paddy (19 April 2015). "It's all over for Albion". Cornwall Independent.
3. "Plymouth Albion taken over by David Venables and Bruce Priday". BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
4. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 364. 6 September 2015. pp. 32–33 & 41.
5. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 365. 13 September 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
6. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 366. 20 September 2015. pp. 38–39 & 47.
7. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 367. 27 September 2015. pp. 38–39 & 47.
8. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 368. 4 October 2015. pp. 40–41 & 49.
9. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 369. 11 October 2015. pp. 38–39 & 47.
10. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 370. 18 October 2015. pp. 32–33 & 41.
11. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 371. 25 October 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
12. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 373. 8 November 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
13. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 374. 15 November 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
14. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 375. 22 November 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
15. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 376. 29 November 2015. pp. 30–31 & 41.
16. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 377. 6 December 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
17. "Saturday's match and lunch are cancelled". Henley Hawks. 12 December 2015.
18. ^ "National League 1". NCA Rugby. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
19. "BREAKING NEWS - all Fylde games at the Woodlands are off". Fylde Rugby. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
20. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 378. 13 December 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
21. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 379. 20 December 2015. pp. 30–31 & 39.
22. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 381. 3 January 2016. pp. 28–29 & 37.
23. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 382. 10 January 2016. pp. 26–27 & 35.
24. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 383. 17 January 2016. pp. 30–31 & 39.
25. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 384. 24 January 2016. pp. 30–31 & 39.
26. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 385. 31 January 2016. pp. 18, 31 & 38.
27. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 386. 7 February 2016. pp. 30–31 & 37.
28. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 387. 14 February 2016. pp. 30–31 & 39.
29. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 388. 21 February 2016. pp. 30−31 & 39.
30. "National League 1 & 2N". RugbyPaper. No. 389. 28 February 2016. pp. 32−33 & 39.
31. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 390. 6 March 2016. pp. 30−31 & 39.
32. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 391. 13 March 2016. pp. 32 & 39.
33. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 392. 20 March 2016. pp. 30−31 & 39.
34. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 394. 3 April 2016. pp. 26−27 & 35.
35. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 395. 10 April 2016. pp. 26−27 & 35.
36. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 396. 17 April 2016. pp. 28−29 & 39.
37. "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 397. 24 April 2016. pp. 26−27 & 35.
38. "The Big Match: Blackheath v Blaydon". Blackheath Rugby. 29 April 2016.
39. ^ "National League 1". RugbyPaper. No. 398. 1 May 2016. pp. 28−29 & 37.
40. "National One 15/16 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
41. "National One 15/16 Leading top try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
42. "National One 15/16 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
43. "National One 15/16 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
44. "National One 15/16 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
45. "National One 15/16 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
46. "National One 15/16 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
47. "National One 15/16 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
48. "National One 15/16 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
49. "National One 15/16 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
50. "National One 15/16 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
51. "National One 15/16 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.

External links

• NCA Rugby

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• 2015–16 in English rugby union leagues
• National League 1 seasons