The 2004–05 National Division One was the 18th full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Rotherham Titans who were demoted from the 2003–04 Zurich Premiership while Sedgley Park and Nottingham were promoted from the 2003–04 National Division Two. Rotherham almost went into liquidation and dropped out of the leagues following their relegation from the Premiership but were saved by a local consortium which enabled them to continue playing in National One. As well as new teams Coventry had a new ground, moving from Coundon Road to the smaller but more modern Butts Park Arena.
By the end of the season, after two seasons spent in the division, Bristol Shoguns became champions and were promoted back to the Guinness Premiership for season 2005–06. Exeter Chiefs were runners–up, and Orrell (last seasons runners–up) along with Henley were relegated to the 2005–06 National Division Two.
Participating teams
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Stadium
!Capacity
!City/Area
|-
|Bedford Blues
|Goldington Road
|5,000
|Bedford, Bedfordshire
|-
|Bristol Shoguns
|Memorial Stadium
|8,500 (1,200 seats)
|Bristol
|-
|Coventry
|Butts Park Arena
|4,000
|Coventry, West Midlands
|-
|Exeter Chiefs
|County Ground
|5,750 (750 seats)
|Exeter, Devon
|-
|Henley Hawks
|Dry Leas
|4,000
|Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
|-
|London Welsh
|Old Deer Park
|4,500 (1,500 seats)
|Richmond, London
|-
|Nottingham
|Ireland Avenue
|4,990 (590 seats)
|Beeston, Nottinghamshire
|-
|Orrell
|Edge Hall Road
|5,300 (300 seats)
|Orrell, Greater Manchester
|-
|Otley
|Cross Green
|7,000 (852 seats)
|Otley, West Yorkshire
|-
|Penzance & Newlyn
|Mennaye Field
|3,500+
|Penzance, Cornwall
|-
|Pertemps Bees
|Sharmans Cross
|4,000
|Solihull, West Midlands
|-
|Plymouth Albion
|The Brickfields
|6,500
|Plymouth, Devon
|-
|Rotherham Titans
|Clifton Lane
|2,500
|Rotherham, South Yorkshire
|-
|Sedgley Park
|Park Lane
|3,000
|Whitefield, Greater Manchester
|-
|}
Table
Results
Round 1
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 February 2005.
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Round 5
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Round 6
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Round 7
- Despite earlier winning the game 22-15 Coventry were in breach of RFU principal regulation 11.4 and the Titans were awarded the win.
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Round 8
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 March 2005.
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Round 9
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Round 10
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Round 11
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Round 12
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Round 13
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2005.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 February 2005.
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Round 14
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 February 2005.
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 12 February 2005.
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Round 15
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Round 16
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Round 17
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 19 March 2005.
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Round 18
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Round 13 (rescheduled games)
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Round 1 & 14 (rescheduled games)
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Round 19
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Round 20
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Round 8 (rescheduled game)
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Round 21
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Round 17 (rescheduled game)
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Round 22
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Round 23
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Round 24
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Round 25
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Round 26
Total Season Attendances
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!Club
!Home<br>Games
!Total
!Average
!Highest
!Lowest
!% Capacity
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Bedford Blues || 13 || 26,733 || 2,056 || 3,949 || 1,224 || 41%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Bristol Shoguns || 13 || 68,040 || 5,234 || 10,349 || 3,853 || 43%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Coventry || 7 || 12,400 || 1,771 || 2,700 || 950 || 44%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Exeter Chiefs || 13 || 25,462 || 1,959 || 4,380 || 1,032 || 34%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Henley Hawks || 11 || 7,822 || 711 || 1,358 || 410 || 18%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|London Welsh || 13 || 14,020 || 1,078 || 1,900 || 350 || 24%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Nottingham || 12 || 11,232 || 936 || 2,122 || 560 || 19%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Orrell || 12 || 4,321 || 360 || 650 || 237 || 7%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Otley || 5 || 3,641 || 728 || 811 || 620 || 10%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Penzance & Newlyn || 12 || 24,018 || 2,002 || 5,000 || 1,436 || 54%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Pertemps Bees || 9 || 4,345 || 483 || 650 || 300 || 12%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Plymouth Albion || 13 || 41,754 || 3,212 || 5,354 || 1,949 || 49%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Rotherham Titans || 12 || 16,051 || 1,338 || 2,000 || 950 || 54%
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Sedgley Park || 13 || 6,749 || 519 || 743 || 320 || 17%
|-
|}
Individual statistics
- Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers
{|class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Player !! Team !! Appearances !! Points
|-
| 1 || Leigh Hinton || Bedford Blues || 25 || 347
|-
| 2 || Jason Strange || Bristol Shoguns || 22 || 287
|-
| 3 || Tony Yapp || Exeter Chiefs || 24 || 285
|-
| 4 || James Pritchard || Plymouth Albion || 24 || 256
|-
| 5 || Blair Feeney || Sedgley Park || 26 || 253
|-
| 6 || Simon Binns || Otley || 26 || 241
|-
| 7 || Lee Jarvis || Penzance & Newlyn || 24 || 235
|-
| 8 || Tim Walsh || Pertemps Bees || 25 || 192
|-
| 9 || Neil Stenhouse || Nottingham || 25 || 147
|-
| 10 || Dylan Pugh || London Welsh || 20 || 139
|-
|}
Top try scorers
{|class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Player !! Team !! Appearances !! Tries
|-
| 1 || Sean Marsden || Bristol Shoguns || 24 || 21
|-
| 2 || David Strettle || Rotherham Titans || 22 || 18
|-
| rowspan=2| 3 || Bernardo Stortoni || Rotherham Titans / <br>Bristol Shoguns || 21 || 15
|-
| Nick Baxter || Pertemps Bees || 22 || 15
|-
| rowspan=3| 4 || James Pritchard || Plymouth Albion || 24 || 13
|-
| Richard Baxter || Exeter Chiefs || 26 || 13
|-
| Jon Feeley || Sedgley Park || 26 || 13
|-
| rowspan=3| 5 || Dan Ward-Smith || Plymouth Albion || 24 || 12
|-
| Richard Lloyd || Nottingham || 25 || 12
|-
| Wes Davies || Penzance & Newlyn || 26 || 12
|-
|}
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 53 pts (x2)
62 - 9 Bristol Shoguns at home to Sedgley Park on 16 January 2005<br>
68 - 15 Bristol Shoguns at home to Exeter Chiefs on 27 March 2005
;Largest away win — 48 pts
53 - 5 Bristol Shoguns away to Orrell on 9 April 2005
;Most points scored — 68 pts
68 - 15 Bristol Shoguns at home to Exeter Chiefs on 27 March 2005
;Most tries in a match — 10
Bristol Shoguns away to Nottingham on 2 October 2005
;Most conversions in a match — 8 (x2)
Rotherham Titans at home to Orrell on 18 September 2004<br>
Bristol Shoguns at home to Sedgley Park on 16 January 2005
;Most penalties in a match — 9
Coventry at home to Otley on 13 November 2004
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Bristol Shoguns at home to London Welsh on 12 September 2004
Player
;Most points in a match — 27 (x2)
Ramiro Pez for Rotherham Titans at home to Orrell on 18 September 2004<br>
Matthew Leek for Coventry at home to Otley on 13 November 2004
;Most tries in a match — 4 (x2)
Dan Ward-Smith for Plymouth Albion at home to Coventry on 9 October 2004<br>
Sean Marsden for Bristol Shoguns away to Orrell on 9 April 2005
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Ramiro Pez for Rotherham Titans at home to Orrell on 18 September 2004
;Most penalties in a match — 9
Matthew Leek for Coventry at home to Otley on 13 November 2004
;Most drop goals in a match — 1
N/A - multiple players
Attendances
;Highest — 10,349
Bristol Shoguns at home to Exeter Chiefs on 27 March 2005
;Lowest — 237
Orrell at home to Plymouth Albion on 12 March 2005
;Highest Average Attendance — 5,234
Bristol Shoguns
;Lowest Average Attendance — 360
Orrell
See also
- English rugby union system