| 2013–14 Top League Challenge Series | |
| Countries: | Japan |
| Date: | 7 December 2013 – 26 January 2014 |
| Champions: | Fukuoka Sanix Blues |
| Count: | 2 |
| Runnersup: | Honda Heat |
| Promoted: | Fukuoka Sanix Blues |
| Matches: | 9 |
| Prevseason: | 2012–13 |
| Nextseason: | 2014–15 |
The 2013–14 Top League Challenge Series was the 2013–14 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 2014–15 season. The competition was contested from 7 December 2013 to 26 January 2014.
Fukuoka Sanix Blues won promotion to the 2014–15 Top League, while Honda Heat, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 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 winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.
The top team in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2014–15 Top League, while the other three teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2013 regional leagues.
The final standings for the 2013 Top West League were:[1]
| 2013 Top West 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 | Honda Heat | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 393 | 37 | +356 | 6 | 0 | 30 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 137 | 212 | −75 | 2 | 0 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Osaka Police | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 128 | 120 | +8 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | JR West Railers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 60 | 349 | −289 | 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 2013 Top East League were:[2]
| 2013 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 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 532 | 62 | +470 | 9 | 0 | 45 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 267 | 135 | +132 | 5 | 0 | 37 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 383 | 124 | +259 | 6 | 0 | 34 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Kurita Water | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 239 | 165 | +74 | 4 | 1 | 29 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 305 | 228 | +77 | 6 | 0 | 26 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Yakult Levins | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 247 | 219 | +28 | 5 | 1 | 18 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Hino Red Dolphins | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 166 | 293 | −127 | 3 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Akita Northern Bullets | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 166 | 410 | −244 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 122 | 398 | −276 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Secom Rugguts (P) | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 70 | 463 | −393 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 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. |
The final standings for the 2013 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]
| 2013 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 | Fukuoka Sanix Blues (R) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 520 | 26 | +494 | 6 | 0 | 30 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 242 | 109 | +133 | 4 | 0 | 24 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Chugoku Electric Power | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 197 | 120 | +77 | 3 | 1 | 20 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 203 | 140 | +63 | 3 | 0 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (P) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 159 | 287 | −128 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Nippon Steel Yawata | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 64 | 343 | −279 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Kagoshima Bank (P) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 84 | 444 | −360 | 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. |
| 2013 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 | Fukuoka Sanix Blues | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 6 | +173 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 91 | −63 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 123 | −110 | 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 2013–14 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]
| 2013–14 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 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 177 | 43 | +134 | 1 | 0 | 13 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Honda Heat | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 124 | 57 | +67 | 1 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 102 | 72 | +30 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 4 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2013–14 Top League Challenge 1:[4]
The final standings for the 2013–14 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]
| 2013–14 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 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 63 | +5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 60 | −11 | 1 | 0 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2013–14 Top League Challenge 2:[4]