National League 1

Structure

The league consists of fourteen teams, with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis, to make a total of twenty-six matches each. For the 2025–26 season there is one automatic promotion place, with the champions going up to Champ Rugby, while the runners up will play the 13th placed Champ Rugby side in a playoff for a possible second promotion place.

Clubs finishing 12th, 13th and 14th will automatically be relegated to either, National League 2 East, National League 2 North or National League 2 West, depending on the geographical location of the team. The 11th placed side will enter a four team playoff with the runners up of the three tier 4 leagues, with one side going up/remaining in National League 1.

The results of the matches contribute points to the league table as follows:

• 4 points are awarded for a win
• 2 points are awarded for a draw
• 0 points are awarded for a loss, however
• 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
• 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.

Current season

Main article: 2025–26 National League 1

Participating teams and locations

League table

History

When the rugby union leagues were introduced in 1987 the division was known as Courage League National Division Three. Ten years later, in 1997, the league was restructured and the Premiership was introduced, which consisted of the top two divisions. Therefore, National 3 became the top league outside of the Premiership structure, and was renamed as National 1. In 2000–01, the Premiership was reduced to a single division and National 1 was renamed National 2. Following the formation of the professional RFU Championship in 2009 the league, once again, became known as National League 1, and is currently the lowest tier that is nationwide. The league has previously consisted of fourteen clubs, but from 2009 to 2010 increased to sixteen before reducing to fourteen again ahead of the 2022–23 season. Only one team was promoted to the RFU Championship and between 2009–10 and 2019–20 three teams were relegated to either National League 2 North or National League 2 South depending on geographical location. Following reorganisation in 2022, three teams are now relegated to either National League 2 East, National League 2 North or National League 2 West depending on geographical location.

Summary of tier three format

Original teams

When the league system was formed in 1987, the following teams participated in the league, which was known as National 3. Thirty-three years on, only one team Plymouth Albion, are currently playing at this level. (Updated to 2019–20)

• Birmingham — now Birmingham & Solihull, playing in Midlands 4 West (South) (9th tier)
• Exeter — now playing in the Premiership (1st tier)
• Fylde — currently playing in National League 2 North (4th tier)
• Maidstone — now playing in London 3 South East (8th tier)
• Metropolitan Police — now playing in Surrey 3 (11th tier)
• Morley — now playing in North 1 East (6th tier)
• Nuneaton — now playing in Midlands Premier (6th tier)
• Plymouth Albion — currently playing in this division (3rd tier)
• Sheffield — now playing in Midlands Premier (6th tier)
• Vale of Lune — now playing in North 1 West (6th tier)
• Wakefield — no longer participating in league rugby having disbanded in 2004
• West Hartlepool — now playing in North 1 East (6th tier)

League results

National Division Three

|- ! style="width:60px;"|Season ! style="width:50px;"|No of teams ! style="width:50px;"|No of matches ! style="width:175px;"|Champions ! style="width:175px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:350px;"|Relegated team(s) ! style="width:30px;"|Ref |- align=left | 1987–88 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || Wakefield || West Hartlepool || Morley, Birmingham || |- | 1988–89 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Plymouth Albion || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Rugby || Metropolitan Police, Maidstone || |- | 1989–90 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| London Scottish || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Wakefield || London Welsh || |- | 1990–91 || style="text-align: center;"| 13 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| West Hartlepool || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Morley || Metropolitan Police, Vale of Lune || |- | 1991–92 || style="text-align: center;"| 13 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Richmond || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Fylde || Nuneaton, Lydney || |- | 1992–93 || style="text-align: center;"| 12 || style="text-align: center;"| 11 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Otley || Havant || Multiple teams || |- | 1993–94 || style="text-align: center;"| 10 || style="text-align: center;"| 18 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Coventry || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Fylde || Havant, Redruth || |- | 1994–95 || style="text-align: center;"| 10 || style="text-align: center;"| 18 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Bedford || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Blackheath || Clifton, Exeter || |- | 1995–96 || style="text-align: center;"| 10 || style="text-align: center;"| 18 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Coventry || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Richmond || Fylde in last place (no relegation) || |- | 1996–97 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Exeter || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Fylde || Walsall, Havant, Redruth, Clifton || |}

National League One

|- ! style="width:60px;"|Season ! style="width:50px;"|No of teams ! style="width:50px;"|No of matches ! style="width:175px;"|Champions ! style="width:175px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:350px;"|Relegated team(s) ! style="width:30px;"|Ref |- align=left

| 1997–98 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Worcester || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Leeds Tykes || No relegation || |- | 1998–99 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Henley || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Manchester || Morley, Liverpool St Helens || |- | 1999–00 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Otley || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Birmingham & Solihull || Reading, Blackheath || |- |}

National Division Two

|- ! style="width:60px;"|Season ! style="width:50px;"|No of teams ! style="width:50px;"|No of matches ! style="width:175px;"|Champions ! style="width:175px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:350px;"|Relegated team(s) ! style="width:30px;"|Ref |- align=left | 2000–01 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Bracknell || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Rugby || Camberley, Lydney, West Hartlepool || |- | 2001–02 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Orrell || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Plymouth Albion || Rosslyn Park, Waterloo, Preston Grasshoppers || |- | 2002–03 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Penzance-Newlyn || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Henley || Launceston, Kendal, Fylde || |- | 2003–04 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Sedgley Park || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Nottingham || Rugby, Lydney || |- | 2004–05 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Doncaster || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Newbury || Nuneaton, Bracknell, Rosslyn Park || |- | 2005–06 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Moseley || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Waterloo || Orrell || |- | 2006–07 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Esher || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Launceston || Bradford & Bingley, Barking, Harrogate || |- | 2007–08 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Otley || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Manchester || Nuneaton, Henley Hawks, Halifax || |- | 2008–09 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Birmingham & Solihull || Cambridge || Westcombe Park, Southend, Mounts Bay, Waterloo || |- |}

National League One

|- ! style="width:60px;"|Season ! style="width:50px;"|No of teams ! style="width:50px;"|No of matches ! style="width:175px;"|Champions ! style="width:175px;"|Runners-up ! style="width:350px;"|Relegated team(s) ! style="width:30px;"|Ref |- align=left | 2009–10 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Esher || London Scottish || Newbury, Nuneaton, Manchester || |- | 2010–11 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| London Scottish || Barking || Redruth, Otley, Launceston || |- | 2011–12 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Jersey || Ealing Trailfinders || Birmingham & Solihull, Stourbridge, Barking || |- | 2012–13 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Ealing Trailfinders || Esher || Macclesfield, Sedgley Park, Cambridge || |- | 2013–14 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Doncaster Knights || Rosslyn Park || Henley Hawks, Worthing Raiders, Hull Ionians || |- | 2014–15 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Ealing Trailfinders || Rosslyn Park || Tynedale, Macclesfield, Old Albanian || |- | 2015–16 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Richmond || Hartpury College || Henley Hawks, Cinderford, Wharfedale || |- | 2016–17 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Hartpury College || Plymouth Albion || Macclesfield, Blaydon || |- | 2017–18 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Coventry || Darlington Mowden Park || Fylde, Old Albanian, Hull Ionians || |- | 2018–19 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 30 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Ampthill || Old Elthamians || Loughborough Students, Esher, Caldy || |- | 2019–20 || style="text-align: center;"| 16 || style="text-align: center;"| 25 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Richmond || Rams || Hull Ionians, Canterbury, Rotherham Titans || |- | 2020–21 || colspan="15"; text-align:center;"| Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the season was cancelled. |- | 2021–22 || style="text-align: center;"| 15 || style="text-align: center;"| 28 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Caldy || Sale FC || Blackheath, Tonbridge Juddians || |- | 2022–23 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Cambridge || Rams || Esher, Leeds Tykes, Hull || |- | 2023–24 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Chinnor || Rams || Cinderford, Taunton Titans || |- | 2024–25 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| Richmond || Rosslyn Park || Darlington Mowden Park, Esher || |- | 2025–26 || style="text-align: center;"| 14 || style="text-align: center;"| 26 || style="background:#d8ffeb;"| || || || |- |}

Number of league titles

• To 2024–25 season
• Richmond (4)
• Coventry (3)
• Otley (3)
• Doncaster Knights (2)
• Ealing Trailfinders (2)
• Esher (2)
• London Scottish (2)
• Ampthill (1)
• Bedford (1)
• Birmingham & Solihull (1)
• Bracknell (1)
• Caldy (1)
• Cambridge (1)
• Chinnor (1)
• Exeter (1)
• Hartpury College (1)
• Henley (1)
• Jersey (1)
• Moseley (1)
• Orrell (1)
• Penzance-Newlyn (1)
• Plymouth Albion (1)
• Sedgley Park (1)
• Wakefield (1)
• West Hartlepool (1)
• Worcester (1)

Records

Note that all records are from 1996–97 season onwards as this is widely held as the dawn of professionalism across the English club game. It also offers a better comparison between seasons as the division team numbers are roughly equal (for example when league rugby union first started in 1987–88 the Courage League National Division Three had only 12 teams playing 11 games each, compared to 16 teams in 1996–97 playing 30 games (home & away)). Attendance records are from 2000 onwards unless otherwise specified. All records are up to date up till the end of the 2019–20 season.

League records

• Most titles: 4 :Richmond (1991–92, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2024–25)
• Most times promoted from division: 5 :Richmond (1991–92, 1995–96, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2024–25)
• Most times relegated from division: 4 :Nuneaton (1991–92, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10)
• Most league points in a season: 148 :Hartpury College (2016–17)
• Least league points in a season: 0 :West Hartlepool (2000–01), Manchester (2009–10)
• Most points scored in a season: 1,455 :Hartpury College (2016–17)
• Least points scored in a season: 114 :Manchester (2009–10)
• Most points conceded in a season: 2,626 :Manchester (2009–10)
• Least points conceded in a season: 299 :Henley Hawks (1998–99)
• Best points difference (For/Against): 1,078 :Esher (2009–10)
• Worst points difference (For/Against): –2,512 :Manchester (2009–10)
• Most games won in a season: 30 :Hartpury College (2016–17)
• Most games lost in a season: 30 :Manchester (2009–10)
• Most games drawn in a season: 4 :Wharfedale (2005–06), Richmond (2012–13), Ampthill (2017–18)
• Most bonus points in a season: 28 :Ealing Trailfinders (2014–15) :Hartpury College (2016–17)

Match records

• Largest home win: :124 – 5 Wharfedale at home to Manchester on 26 September 2009 (2009–10)
• Largest away win: :148 – 0 Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009 (2009–10)
• Most points scored in a match: 148 :Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009 (2009–10)
• Most tries scored in a match: 23 :Blaydon away to Manchester on 19 September 2009 (2009–10)
• Most conversions scored in a match: 19 :Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009 (2009–10)
• Most penalties scored in a match: 8 :Esher at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 1 December 2001 (2001–02) :Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003 (2003–04) :Hartpury College at home to Rosslyn Park on 9 April 2016 (2015–16) :Rotherham Titans at home to Rosslyn Park on 15 September 2018 (2018–19)
• Most drop kicks scored in a match: 3 :Fylde away to Esher on 13 February 2016 (2015–16)

Player records

• **Most times top points scorer: **2 :ENG Neil Hallett for Esher (2005–06, 2006–07)
• **Most times top try scorer: ** 3 :ENG Phil Chesters for Ealing Trailfinders (2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15)
• **Most points in a season: ** 399 :ENG Sam Ulph for Esher (2009–10)
• **Most tries in a season: ** 42 :ENG Phil Chesters for Ealing Trailfinders (2011–12)
• **Most points in a match: ** 51 :ENG Sam Ulph for Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009 (2009–10)
• **Most tries in a match: ** 7 :ENG Hugo Ellis for Rosslyn Park at home to Cambridge on 12 January 2013
• **Most conversions in a match: ** 18 :ENG Sam Ulph for Esher away to Manchester on 5 September 2009 (2009–10)
• **Most penalties in a match: ** 8 :ENG Jonathon Gregory for Esher at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 1 December 2001 (2001–02) :ENG Ben Harvey for Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003 (2003–04) :WAL Gareth Thompson for Hartpury College at home to Rosslyn Park on 9 April 2016 (2015–16) :ENG Alex Dolly for Rotherham Titans at home to Rosslyn Park on 15 September 2018 (2018–19)
• Most drop kicks in a match: 3 :ENG Chris Johnson for Fylde away to Esher on 13 February 2016 (2015–16)

Attendance records

• Highest attendance (league game): 3,758 :Coventry RFC at home to Hull Ionians on 28 April 2018 (2017–18)
• Lowest attendance (league game): 50 :West Hartlepool at home to Camberley on 31 March 2001 (2000–01)
• Highest average attendance (club): 2,206 :Jersey (2011–12)
• Lowest average attendance (club): 180 :Barking (2011–12)
• Highest average attendance (season): 653 (2017–18)
• Lowest average attendance (season): 463 (2004–05)

Top ten point scorers

(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 1)

Top ten try scorers

(Bold denotes players still playing in National League 1)

Notes

References

References

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