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2015–16 National League 1

2015–16 National League 1
England
5 September 2015 – 30 April 2016
Richmond (2nd title)
Hartpury College
Henley Hawks, Cinderford, Wharfedale
240
134,861 (average 562 per match)
1,843 Plymouth Albion v Hartpury College on 23 April 2016
80 Blaydon v Fylde on 7 November 2015
1540 (average 6.4 per match)
Gareth Thompson (Hartpury College) 283
Jonas Mikalcius (Hartpury College) Jason Smithson (Blaydon) 27

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 Greene 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.

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.

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.

Team	Ground	Capacity	City/Area	Previous season
Ampthill	Dillingham Park	3,000	Ampthill, Bedfordshire	Promoted from the 2014–15 National League 2 North (playoffs)
Blackheath	Rectory Field	3,500 (500 seats)	Blackheath, London	6th
Blaydon	Crow Trees	2,000 (400 seats)	Swalwell, Tyne and Wear	8th
Cinderford	Dockham Road	2,500	Cinderford, Gloucestershire	13th
Coventry	Butts Park Arena	4,000 (3,000 seats)	Coventry, West Midlands	3rd
Darlington Mowden Park	Northern Echo Arena	25,000	Darlington, County Durham	9th
Esher	Molesey Road	3,000 (1,200 seats)	Hersham, Surrey	10th
Fylde	Woodlands Memorial Ground	7,500 (500 seats)	Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire	4th
Hartpury College	College Stadium	2,000	Hartpury, Gloucestershire	5th
Henley Hawks	Dry Leas	4,000	Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire	Promoted from the 2014–15 National League 2 South (champions)
Hull Ionians	Brantingham Park	1,500 (240 seats)	Brantingham, East Riding of Yorkshire	Promoted from the 2014–15 National League 2 North (champions)
Loughborough Students	Loughborough University Stadium	3,000	Loughborough, Leicestershire	12th
Plymouth Albion	The Brickfields	8,500	Plymouth, Devon	Relegated from the 2014–15 RFU Championship
Richmond	Athletic Ground, Richmond	4,500 (1,000 seats)	Richmond, London	7th
Rosslyn Park	The Rock	2,000 (630 seats)	Roehampton, London	2nd
Wharfedale	The Avenue	2,000	Threshfield, North Yorkshire	11th

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.
Game rescheduled to 12 March 2016
Game rescheduled to 27 February 2016
Blackheath's last ever first team game at the Rectory Field.

Club	HomeGames	Total	Average	Highest	Lowest	% Capacity
Ampthill	15	5,124	342	627	185	11%
Blackheath	15	10,422	695	1,263	383	20%
Blaydon	15	3,647	243	710	80	12%
Cinderford	15	4,276	285	450	187	11%
Coventry	15	17,277	1,152	1,435	851	29%
Darlington Mowden Park	15	15,302	1,020	1,348	682	4%
Esher	15	6,687	446	715	285	15%
Fylde	15	8,960	597	855	438	8%
Hartpury College	15	5,391	359	576	200	18%
Henley Hawks	15	5,544	370	485	265	9%
Hull Ionians	15	4,160	277	512	174	18%
Loughborough Students	15	4,982	332	664	156	11%
Plymouth Albion	15	17,299	1,153	1,843	754	14%
Richmond	15	10,388	693	1,247	279	15%
Rosslyn Park	15	8,270	551	1,604	275	28%
Wharfedale	15	7,167	478	581	325	24%

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).
English rugby union system
Rugby union in England
NCA Rugby

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