2015–16 National League 1

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.

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 18

 * Game rescheduled to 12 March 2016


 * Game rescheduled to 27 February 2016

Round 30

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

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).

Team
71 – 12 Hartpury College at home to Blaydon on 23 January 2016 46 - 0 Hartpury College away to Henley Hawks on 17 October 2015 71 – 12 Hartpury College at home to Blaydon on 23 January 2016 Hartpury College at home to Blaydon on 23 January 2016 Hartpury College at home to Hull Ionians on 30 April 2016 Hartpury College at home to Rosslyn Park on 9 April 2016 Fylde away to Esher on 13 February 2016
 * Largest home win — 59 pts
 * Largest away win — 46 pts
 * Most points scored — 71 pts
 * Most tries in a match — 11
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 8
 * Most drop goals in a match — 3

Player
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gareth Thompson for Hartpury College at home to Esher on 26 September 2015 🇱🇹 Jonas Mikalcius for Hartpury College away to Henley Hawks on 17 October 2015 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Spencer Sutherland for Esher at home to Coventry on 7 November 2015 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Peter Homan for Darlington Mowden Park at home to Hull Ionians on 21 November 2015 🇱🇹 Jonas Mikalcius for Hartpury College at home to Blaydon on 23 January 2016 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ben Vellacott for Hartpury College at home to Blaydon on 23 January 2016 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Aquile Smith for Hull Ionians at home to Cinderford on 20 February 2016 🇱🇹 Jonas Mikalcius for Hartpury College at home to Wharfedale on 19 March 2016 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gareth Thompson for Hartpury College at home to Hull Ionians on 30 April 2016 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gareth Thompson for Hartpury College at home to Rosslyn Park on 9 April 2016 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chris Johnson for Fylde away to Esher on 13 February 2016
 * Most points in a match — 30
 * Most tries in a match — 4 (x7)
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 8
 * Most drop goals in a match — 3

Attendances
Plymouth Albion v Hartpury College on 23 April 2016 Blaydon v Fylde on 7 November 2015 Plymouth Albion Blaydon
 * Highest — 1,843
 * Lowest — 80
 * Highest Average Attendance — 1,153
 * Lowest Average Attendance — 243