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2017–18 National League 1
Countries	England
Date	2 September 2017 – 28 April 2018
Champions	Coventry (3rd title)
Runners-up	Darlington Mowden Park
Relegated	Fylde, Old Albanian, Hull Ionians
Matches played	240
Attendance	156,700 (average 653 per match)
Highest attendance	3,758 Coventry v Hull Ionians 28 April 2018
Lowest attendance	103 Loughborough Students v Cambridge 23 December 2017
Tries scored	1651 (average 6.9 per match)
Top point scorer	262 Will Maisey (Coventry)
Top try scorer	21 Sam Baker (Ampthill) James Stokes (Coventry)
← 2016–172018–19 →

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. 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, 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. 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. National League 1 is the highest level all three of these sides have ever reached.

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

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 (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

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

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

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

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

Round 28

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 Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Will Maisey Coventry 29 262 2 George Cullen Bishop's Stortford 28 259 3 Joe Tarrant Blackheath 30 232 4 James Pritchard Ampthill 29 202 5 Owen Waters Loughborough Students 24 192 6 Harry Leonard Rosslyn Park 26 188 7 Warren Seals Darlington Mowden Park 22 178 8 Dan Mugford Plymouth Albion 18 168 Ben Jones Caldy 29 168 9 Joe Carlisle Old Elthamians 28 161

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Sam Baker Ampthill 30 21 James Stokes Coventry 30 21 2 Dominic Lespierre Old Elthamians 25 19 Nick Royle Caldy 29 19 Scott Tolmie Coventry 29 19 3 Max Trimble Coventry 20 17 Robert Knox Coventry 25 17 4 Callum Mackenzie Darlington Mowden Park 28 16 Sam Wilson Hull Ionians 28 16 5 Ciaran Moore Birmingham Moseley 24 15

Season records

Notes

1. The Rugby Paper reported an attendance of 1,653 while the NCA and Rugby Statbunker had an attendance of 1,453 for the game between Old Elthamians and Blackheath on 16 December 2017. From discussion with Old Elthamians chairman he says the Rugby Paper's version is accurate.
2. The Rugby Paper reported an attendance of 380 while the NCA and Rugby Statbunker had an attendance of 711 for the game between Esher and Ampthill on 13 January 2018. Given that the NCA is using an official figure from the club, and the Rugby Paper source tends to underestimate Esher's attendances quite drastically, The 711 figure seems more accurate.

See also

• English rugby union system
• Rugby union in England

References

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59. "National One 17/18 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2018.
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61. "National One 17/18 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2018.
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65. "National One 17/18 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2018.
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External links

• NCA Rugby Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine

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• 2017–18 in English rugby union leagues
• National League 1 seasons