2010 Top League Challenge Series

The 2010 Top League Challenge Series was the 2010 edition of the Top League Challenge Series, a second-tier rugby union competition in Japan, in which teams from regionalised leagues competed for promotion to the Top League for the 2010–11 season. The competition was contested from 11 to 25 January 2010.

2010 Top League Challenge Series
CountriesJapan
Date16 – 30 January 2010
ChampionsNTT Communications Shining Arcs (1st title)
Runners-upToyota Industries Shuttles
PromotedNTT Shining Arcs
Toyota Industries Shuttles
Matches played6

NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Toyota Industries Shuttles won promotion to the 2010–11 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Competition rules and information

The top two teams from the regional Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League qualified to the Top League Challenge Series. The regional league winners participated in Challenge 1, while the runners-up participated in Challenge 2.

The top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2010–11 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.

Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2009 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2009 Top West League were:[1]

2009 Top West League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Toyota Industries Shuttles880067967+6128040
2NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes8602469145+3246030
3Osaka Police8305213273−603116
4Chubu Electric Power8305202353−1513015
5Mitsubishi Red Evolutions (P)800841766−725000
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
(P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

Top East League

The final standings for the 2009 Top East League were:[2]

2009 Top East League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1NTT Communications Shining Arcs111100490117+3739053
2Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars (R)111001454130+3247148
3Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars11803421203+2188040
4Tokyo Gas11713445208+2377037
5Kamaishi Seawaves11614315230+854232
6Kurita Water11515237258−216129
7Suntory Foods11416207219−123425
8Canon Eagles (P)11407219264−451320
9IBM Big Blue (R)11407203291−883120
10JAL Wings11209109437−3281110
11Secom Rugguts11101093357−264059
12Akita Northern Bullets1120982561−479008
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
(R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2009 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2009 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Mazda Blue Zoomers550035848+3105025
2Chugoku Electric Power540131991+2284020
3JR Kyūshū Thunders5302158139+194016
4Kagoshima Bank (P)520372247−175008
5Mitsubishi Heavy Industries510466236−170116
6Mitsubishi Mizushima (P)500555267−212123
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
(P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.
2009 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Mazda Blue Zoomers220010810+982010
2Chugoku Electric Power21016954+15105
3JR Kyūshū Thunders20020113−113000
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Challenge 1

Standings

The final standings for the 2010 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2010 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1NTT Communications Shining Arcs22008135+462010
2Toyota Industries Shuttles21019038+52217
3Mazda Blue Zoomers2002098−98000
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2010 Top League Challenge 1:[4]

16 January 2010 Mazda Blue Zoomers 0–43 NTT Communications Shining Arcs  
23 January 2010 Toyota Industries Shuttles 55–0 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
30 January 2010 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 38–35 Toyota Industries Shuttles  

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2010 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2010 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars220011040+702010
2NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes210116029+131116
3Chugoku Electric Power200217218−201000
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2010 Top League Challenge 2:[4]

16 January 2010 Chugoku Electric Power 17–81 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars  
23 January 2010 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 137–0 Chugoku Electric Power  
30 January 2010 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 29–23 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes  

See also

References

  1. "West Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. "East Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. "Kyushu Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. "Top League Challenge 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
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