2008 Top League Challenge Series Explained

2008 Top League Challenge Series
Countries:Japan
Date:27 January – 10 February 2008
Champions:Kintetsu Liners
Count:1
Runnersup:Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars
Promoted:Kintetsu Liners
Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars
Matches:6
Prevseason:2007
Nextseason:2009

The 2008 Top League Challenge Series was the 2008 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 2008–09 season. The competition was contested from 27 January to 10 February 2008.

Kintetsu Liners and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars won promotion to the 2008–09 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and World Fighting Bull 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 2008–09 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 2007 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2007 Top West League were:[1]

2007 Top West League First Phase standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<-- Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 World Fighting Bull (R) 6 6 0 0 251 82 +169 5 0 29
2 Honda Heat 6 4 1 1 323 93 +230 5 1 24
3 Kintetsu Liners 6 4 0 2 219 170 +112 3 1 20
4 Toyota Industries Shuttles 6 3 1 2 222 118 +104 3 0 17
5 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 6 2 0 4 145 217 −72 2 0 10
6 Osaka Police 6 1 0 5 67 288 −221 1 0 5
7 6 0 0 6 67 389 −322 1 0 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.
(R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.
2007 Top West League Second Phase standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<--Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 2 2 0 0 65 32 +33 1 0 9
2 World Fighting Bull (R) 2 1 0 1 44 37 +7 1 1 6
3 Honda Heat 2 0 0 2 26 66 −40 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.

Top East League

The final standings for the 2007 Top East League were:[2]

2007 Top East League standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<-- Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 10 10 0 0 466 85 +381 9 0 49
2 Secom Rugguts (R) 10 9 0 1 458 112 +346 7 0 43
3 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 10 8 0 2 444 113 +331 8 1 41
4 10 7 0 3 254 199 +55 7 0 35
5 10 5 0 5 272 259 +13 5 0 25
6 Kamaishi Seawaves 10 4 0 6 250 229 +21 5 1 22
7 Kurita Water 10 4 0 6 233 328 −95 4 1 21
8 Akita Northern Bullets 10 3 0 7 159 437 −278 1 1 14
9 JAL Wings 10 2 0 8 123 291 −168 1 3 12
10 Insurance Meiji Life Yasuda 10 1 1 8 121 415 −294 1 0 7
11 Shimizu Blue Sharks 10 1 1 8 118 430 −312 0 0 6
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.

The following match was played:

Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2007 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2007 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<--Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 Mazda Blue Zoomers 5 5 0 0 268 29 +239 5 0 25
2 Chugoku Electric Power 5 3 0 2 145 118 +27 3 1 16
3 5 3 0 2 142 98 +44 2 1 15
4 JR Kyūshū Thunders 5 2 0 3 97 183 −86 0 1 9
5 Toshiba Oita (P) 5 1 0 4 78 151 −73 1 2 7
6 Mitsubishi Mizushima 5 1 0 4 69 220 −151 0 1 5
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.
2007 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<--Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 2 0 0 62 22 +40 2 0 10
2 Chugoku Electric Power 2 1 0 1 49 46 +3 1 0 5
3 2 0 0 2 25 68 −43 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.

Challenge 1

Standings

The final standings for the 2008 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2008 Top League Challenge 1 standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<-- Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 Kintetsu Liners 2 2 0 0 77 25 +52 1 0 9
2 2 1 0 1 62 23 +39 1 0 5
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 0 0 2 13 104 −91 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.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2008 Top League Challenge 1:[4]

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2008 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2008 Top League Challenge 2 standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts<--Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts-->
1 World Fighting Bull 2 2 0 0 122 3 +119 1 0 9
2 Secom Rugguts 2 1 0 1 83 15 +68 1 1 6
3 2 0 0 2 5 192 −187 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.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2008 Top League Challenge 2:[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: West Regional Top League 2007/08 . The Rugby Archive . 23 January 2017.
  2. Web site: East Regional Top League 2007/08 . The Rugby Archive . 23 January 2017.
  3. Web site: Kyushu Regional Top League 2007/08 . The Rugby Archive . 23 January 2017.
  4. Web site: Top League Challenge 2007/08 . The Rugby Archive . 23 January 2017.