2001–02 National Division One
The 2001–02 National Division One (known as the Jewson National Division One for sponsorship reasons) was the 15th 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 who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2000–01 while Bracknell and Rugby Lions had been promoted from the 2000–01 National Division Two.
| 2001–02 National Division One | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Champions | Rotherham |
| Runners-up | Worcester |
| Relegated | Henley Hawks and Bracknell |
| Attendance | 168,490 (average 931 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 4,800 Worcester at home to Rotherham on 22 September 2001 |
| Lowest attendance | 150 (x2) Bracknell at home to Exeter Chiefs on 2 March 2002 & Moseley at home to Rugby Lions on 23 March 2002 |
| Top point scorer | Simon Binns (Otley) 283 Points |
| Top try scorer | Chris Garrard (Worcester) 25 tries |
For the first time the team finishing first, Rotherham, were denied promotion to the Zurich Premiership for season 2002–03 because their ground was not of the required standard - this was the first time a team had been denied entry to the top flight of English rugby since the leagues started in 1987 due to the introduction of the controversial 'minimum standards' rule for clubs seeking to join the Premiership. Worcester were runners-up for the second consecutive season, and Henley Hawks and Bracknell were relegated to the 2002–03 National Division Two with Bracknell spending just one season in the division.