2014–15 Top League Challenge Series
The 2014–15 Top League Challenge Series was the 2014–15 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 2015–16 season. The competition was contested from 7 December 2014 to 25 January 2015.
| 2014–15 Top League Challenge Series | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Japan |
| Date | 7 December 2014 – 25 January 2015 |
| Champions | Honda Heat (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars |
| Promoted | Honda Heat |
| Matches played | 9 |
Honda Heat won promotion to the 2015–16 Top League, while Kamaishi Seawaves, Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 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 winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.
The top team in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2015–16 Top League, while the other three teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.
Qualification
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2014 regional leagues.
Top West League
The final standings for the 2014 Top West League were:[1]
| 2014 Top West League standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 466 | 53 | +413 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Osaka Police | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 189 | 193 | −4 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 3 | Chubu Electric Power | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 170 | 224 | −54 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 4 | JR West Railers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 398 | −355 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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. |
- Honda Heat qualified for Challenge 1.
- Osaka Police qualified for Challenge 2.
Top East League
The final standings for the 2014 Top East League were:[2]
| 2014 Top East League standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 394 | 127 | +267 | 7 | 0 | 43 |
| 2 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 308 | 168 | +140 | 7 | 1 | 36 |
| 3 | Tokyo Gas | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 322 | 186 | +136 | 5 | 0 | 33 |
| 4 | Hino Red Dolphins | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 301 | 154 | +147 | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 5 | Kurita Water | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 305 | 216 | +89 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| 6 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 232 | 193 | +39 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| 7 | Yakult Levins | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 158 | 291 | −133 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| 8 | IBM Big Blue | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 190 | 330 | −140 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 9 | Akita Northern Bullets | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 224 | 364 | −140 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | Secom Rugguts | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 85 | 482 | −397 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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. |
- Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars qualified for Challenge 1.
- Kamaishi Seawaves qualified for Challenge 2.
Top Kyūshū League
The final standings for the 2014 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]
| 2014 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kyuden Voltex (R) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 481 | 55 | +426 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Chugoku Electric Power | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 264 | 86 | +178 | 4 | 2 | 22 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 277 | 95 | +182 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 4 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 149 | 162 | −13 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 110 | 290 | −180 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | Fukuoka Bank (P) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 96 | 322 | −226 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Kagoshima Bank | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 35 | 402 | −367 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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. |
- Chugoku Electric Power, Kyuden Voltex and Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified to the Second Phase.
- Kagoshima Bank were relegated to lower leagues.
| 2014 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kyuden Voltex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 19 | +85 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Chugoku Electric Power | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 65 | −38 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 80 | −47 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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. |
- Kyuden Voltex qualified for Challenge 1.
- Chugoku Electric Power qualified for Challenge 2.
Challenge 1
Standings
The final standings for the 2014–15 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]
| 2014–15 Top League Challenge 1 standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 177 | 43 | +134 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 124 | 57 | +67 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 102 | 72 | +30 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 256 | −231 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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. |
- Honda Heat won promotion to the 2015–16 Top League.
- Kamaishi Seawaves, Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars progressed to the promotion play-offs.
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2014–15 Top League Challenge 1:[4]
| 12 January 2015 | Honda Heat | 59–0 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 12 January 2015 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 36–23 | Kyuden Voltex | |||
| 18 January 2015 | Honda Heat | 33–16 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | |||
| 18 January 2015 | Kyuden Voltex | 26–17 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 25 January 2015 | Kyuden Voltex | 15–17 | Honda Heat | |||
| 25 January 2015 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 26–27 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
Challenge 2
Standings
The final standings for the 2014–15 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]
| 2014–15 Top League Challenge 2 standings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Chugoku Electric Power | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 51 | −3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Osaka Police | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 43 | −16 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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. |
- Kamaishi Seawaves progressed to Challenge 1.
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2014–15 Top League Challenge 2:[4]
| 7 December 2014 | Chugoku Electric Power | 24–17 | Osaka Police | |||
| 14 December 2014 | Osaka Police | 10–19 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 23 December 2014 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 34–24 | Chugoku Electric Power | |||
References
- "West Regional Top League 2014/15". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- "East Regional Top League 2014/15". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- "Kyushu Regional Top League 2014/15". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- "Top League Challenge 2014/15". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.