2017–18 National League 1

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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).

Team
68 – 15 Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017 64 – 0 Coventry away to Fylde on 14 October 2017 81 – 33 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 81 – 33 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 Bishop's Stortford at home to Fylde on 7 April 2018 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 Loughborough Students away to Fylde on 21 April 2018 Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017 Coventry at home to Ampthill on 9 December 2017 Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 Cambridge away to Loughborough Students on 23 December 2017 Cambridge away to Fylde on 2 September 2017 Hull Ionians at home to Cambridge on 4 November 2017 Old Albanian at home to Ampthill on 23 December 2017 Hull Ionians at home to Rosslyn Park on 24 February 2018
 * Largest home win — 53 pts
 * Largest away win — 64 pts
 * Most points scored — 81
 * Most points scored away from home — 81
 * Most tries in a match — 11 (2)
 * Most tries in an away match — 11
 * Most conversions in a match — 9 (3)
 * Most penalties in a match — 7
 * Most drop goals in a match — 1 (4)

Attendances
Coventry at home to Hull Ionians on 28 April 2018 Loughborough Students at home to Cambridge on 23 December 2017 Coventry Loughborough Students
 * Highest — 3,758
 * Lowest — 103
 * Highest average attendance — 1,869
 * Lowest average attendance — 257

Player
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gavin Roberts for Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ryan Hutler for Bishop's Stortford at home to Fylde on 7 April 2018 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Mark Harrison for Birmingham Moseley away to Esher on 14 October 2017 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dan Mugford for Plymouth Albion at home to Fylde on 23 September 2017 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Gavin Roberts for Caldy at home to Loughborough Students on 6 January 2018 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Isaac Green for Hull Ionians away to Rosslyn Park on 14 April 2018 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jack Green for Cambridge away to Fylde on 2 September 2017 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chris Bell for Hull Ionians at home to Cambridge on 4 November 2017 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tom Bednall for Old Albanian at home to Ampthill on 23 December 2017 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Greg Lound for Hull Ionians at home to Rosslyn Park on 24 February 2018
 * Most points in a match — 26
 * Most tries in a match — 5
 * Most tries in an away match — 4
 * Most conversions in a match — 9
 * Most penalties in a match — 6
 * Most drop goals in a match — 1 (4)