| 2009 Top League Challenge Series | |
| Countries: | Japan |
| Date: | 11 – 25 January 2009 |
| Champions: | Ricoh Black Rams |
| Count: | 1 |
| Runnersup: | Honda Heat |
| Promoted: | Honda Heat Ricoh Black Rams |
| Matches: | 6 |
| Prevseason: | 2008 |
| Nextseason: | 2010 |
The 2009 Top League Challenge Series was the 2009 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 2009–10 season. The competition was contested from 11 to 25 January 2009.
Honda Heat and Ricoh Black Rams won promotion to the 2009–10 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.
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 2009–10 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2008 regional leagues.
The final standings for the 2008 Top West League were:[1]
| 2008 Top West League First Phase standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 220 | 58 | +162 | 4 | 0 | 24 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 238 | 89 | +149 | 3 | 0 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | World Fighting Bull | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 192 | 107 | +85 | 3 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 95 | 154 | −59 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 54 | 224 | −170 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Osaka Police | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 67 | 234 | −167 | 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. |
| 2008 Top West League Second Phase standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | --Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 42 | +43 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 62 | −5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 77 | −38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 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. |
The final standings for the 2008 Top East League were:[2]
| 2008 Top East League standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Ricoh Black Rams (R) | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 546 | 139 | +407 | 10 | 0 | 50 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 375 | 170 | +205 | 7 | 1 | 40 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars (R) | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 404 | 229 | +175 | 8 | 0 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 378 | 205 | +173 | 6 | 0 | 34 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Secom Rugguts | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 427 | 177 | +250 | 6 | 2 | 32 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 240 | 221 | +19 | 3 | 0 | 31 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 168 | 415 | −247 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Kurita Water | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 188 | 265 | −77 | 2 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| 9 | JAL Wings | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 230 | 386 | −156 | 3 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Hino Red Dolphins (P) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 129 | 525 | −396 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Akita Northern Bullets | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 118 | 471 | −353 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 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. |
The following match was played:
The final standings for the 2008 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]
| 2008 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | --Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 322 | 54 | +268 | 5 | 0 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 191 | 69 | +122 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Chugoku Electric Power | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 122 | 138 | −16 | 2 | 0 | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 188 | −140 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Toshiba Oita | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 61 | 163 | −102 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Yaskawa (P) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 176 | −132 | 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. |
| 2008 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | --Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 14 | +56 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Chugoku Electric Power | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 73 | −37 | 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. |
The final standings for the 2009 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]
| 2009 Top League Challenge 1 standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 20 | +115 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 79 | +1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 141 | −116 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 1:[4]
The final standings for the 2009 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]
| 2009 Top League Challenge 2 standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts< | --Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 161 | 57 | +104 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 157 | 41 | +116 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 244 | −220 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 2:[4]