2014–15 Top League Challenge Series | |
Countries: | Japan |
Date: | 7 December 2014 – 25 January 2015 |
Champions: | Honda Heat |
Count: | 1 |
Runnersup: | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars |
Promoted: | Honda Heat |
Matches: | 9 |
Prevseason: | 2013–14 |
Nextseason: | 2015–16 |
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.
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.
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.
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2014 regional leagues.
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< | -- 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 | 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. |
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< | -- 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 | 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 | 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. |
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< | --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 | 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. |
2014 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 | Kyuden Voltex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 19 | +85 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
2 | 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. |
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< | --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 | 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 2014–15 Top League Challenge 1:[4]
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< | --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 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2014–15 Top League Challenge 2:[4]