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2025–26 National League 1

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2025–26 National League 1
Countries England
DateSeptember 2025 – April 2026

The 2025–26 National League 1 is the 38th season of the third tier of the English domestic rugby union competitions.

Structure

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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. There is one automatic promotion place, with the champions promoted to Champ Rugby, and one play-off place. The 12th and 13th placed teams in Champ Rugby will play against each other (in a one-off game) with the loser meeting the runner-up of National League 1 for the final place in Champ Rugby.[1] There are typically three relegation places to either, National League 2 East, National League 2 North or National League 2 West, depending on the geographical location of the team.[2]

Participating teams and locations

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2025–26 National 1 teams in England
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2025–26 Greater London National League 1 clubs
Team Ground Capacity City/Area Previous season
Birmingham Moseley Billesley Common[3] 5,000 (1,300 seats) Birmingham, West Midlands 7th
Bishop's Stortford Silver Leys[4] 1,600 Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire 9th
Blackheath Well Hall 1,650 (550 seats) Eltham, London 6th
Clifton Station Road [5] 2,500 (400 seats) Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol Promoted from National League 2 West (champions)[6]
Dings Crusaders Shaftesbury Park [7] 2,250 (250 seats) Frenchay, Bristol 10th
Leeds Tykes The Sycamores 1,500 Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire Promoted from National League 2 North (champions)[8]
Leicester Lions Westleigh Park 2,000 Blaby, Leicestershire 12th[a]
Plymouth Albion The Brickfields[10] 8,500 Plymouth, Devon 4th
Rams Old Bath Road[11] 2,000 (300 seats)[12] Sonning, Reading, Berkshire 5th
Rosslyn Park The Rock 2,000 Roehampton, London 2nd
Rotherham Titans Clifton Lane[13] 2,500 Rotherham, South Yorkshire 3rd
Sale FC Heywood Road[14] 3,387 Sale, Greater Manchester 8th
Sedgley Park Park Lane[15] 3,000 Whitefield, Bury, Greater Manchester 11th
Tonbridge Juddians The Slade 1,500 Tonbridge, Kent Promoted from National League 2 East (champions)[16]

League table

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2025–26 National League 1 table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Birmingham Moseley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion place
2 Blackheath 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion Play-off
3 Bishop's Stortford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Clifton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Dings Crusaders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Leeds Tykes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Leicester Lions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Plymouth Albion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Rams 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Rosslyn Park 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Rotherham Titans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Sale FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation place
13 Sedgley Park 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Tonbridge Juddians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: September 2025. Source: National League Rugby [17]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of matches drawn
  3. Difference between points for and against
  4. Total number of points for
  5. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  6. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Notes

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  1. ^ Typically the 12th placed team would be relegated but Leicester Lions avoided relegation from the 2024–25 National League 1 due to the RFU Championship expanding from 12 to 14 teams ahead of the 2025–26 season.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Extra drama added at both ends as RFU unveil new-look Champ Rugby". www.rugbypass.com. 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
  2. ^ "RFU Council confirm three teams will be relegated from National One". National League Rugby. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Contact us". Moseley Rugby. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Silver Leys". Bishop Stortford RFC. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Station Road". Clifton Rugby Club. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Clifton Crowned National Two West Champions!". Clifton RFC. 28 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Shaftsbury Park". Dings Crusaders RFC. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Leeds Tykes prove to be made of 'the right stuff' as tougher tests await in National One". Yorkshire Evening Post. 11 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Promotion/Relegation 2024-25". London & SE Division Rugby Football Union. 2 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Contact Us". Plymouth Albion RFC. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Rams Rugby Club". Rams Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Rams would be happy to play in RFU's new Tier 2". The RugbyPaper. No. 802. 28 January 2024. p. 1-2.
  13. ^ "Clifton Lane: The Perfect Function Room Venue". Titans Rugby. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Contact Us". SaleFC. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Park Lane - Sedgley Park RUFC". UK Events. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Round 25 Takeaways: Leicester Lions roar, Hull + Billingham boost hopes, TJs are the champs and Clifton + Camborne survive scares". NCA Rugby. 13 April 2025.
  17. ^ "National League 1". NCA Rugby.
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