2024–25 National League 1
| 2024–25 National League 1 | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Date | 7 September 2024 – 26 April 2025 |
| Champions | Richmond (4th title) |
| Runners-up | Rosslyn Park |
| Relegated | Darlington Mowden Park, Esher |
| Matches played | 182 |
| Attendance | 126,272 (average 694 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 2,410 – Plymouth v Rosslyn Park, 22 March 2025 |
| Lowest attendance | 140 – Leicester Lions v Richmond, 15 February 2025 |
| Tries scored | 1472 (average 8.1 per match) |
| Top point scorer | 297 – Richard Hayes (Rotherham) |
| Top try scorer | 20 – Rhys Henderson (Sedgley Park) |
The 2024–25 National League 1 was the 37th season of the third tier of the English domestic rugby union competitions.
Richmond were crowned as champions on 5 April, a win against Rams on the Friday, combined with title challengers Rotherham Titans losing on the Saturday, enough to give them the title with two games still to play and securing promotion to the 2025–26 RFU Championship. It would be Richmond's fourth league title and fifth promotion from tier 3 (both divisional records). Despite the league title fight being very competitive, with five teams looking possible for promotion at one point, in the end it was fairly comfortable for Richmond who finished 11th points clear of runners up Rosslyn Park.
Darlington Mowden Park were the first side to be relegated on 15 March, losing at home to Bishop's Stortford to go down with four games to go in what was a terrible season for Mowden Park both on and off the pitch. The second relegation spot would go down to the final game, with both Leicester Lions five point victory enough to keep them up 4 points clear of 13th placed Esher. Normally Leicester Lions would also have been relegated but the reorganisation of the 2025–26 RFU Championship from 12 to 14 teams meant that the 12th placed National League 1 side would be exempt from relegation. Darlington Mowden Park would drop down to the 2025–26 National League 2 North, ending a stay of eleven consecutive years at tier 3, while newly promoted Esher would make an instant return to the 2025–26 National League 2 East.