| 2016–17 Top League Challenge Series | |
| Countries: | Japan |
| Date: | 3 December 2016 – 15 January 2017 |
| Champions: | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes |
| Count: | 2 |
| Runnersup: | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars |
| Promoted: | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Prevseason: | 2015–16 |
| Nextseason: | 2017 |
The 2016–17 Top League Challenge Series was the 2016–17 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 2017–18 season. The competition was contested from 13 December 2016 to 24 January 2017.
NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won promotion to the 2017–18 Top League, while Hino Red Dolphins, Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars progressed to the promotion play-offs. Chubu Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power, Kamaishi Seawaves and Mazda Blue Zoomers all earned a place in the new 2017 Top Challenge League.
The top three 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, the runners-up participated in Challenge 2 and the third-placed teams participated in Challenge 3. The winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.
The top team in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2017–18 Top League, while the other three teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1, Challenge 2 and Challenge 3 series through the 2016 regional leagues.
The final standings for the 2016 Top West League were:[1]
| 2016 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 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (R) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 463 | 22 | +441 | 5 | 0 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 125 | 112 | +13 | 2 | 1 | 15 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Osaka Police | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 104 | 104 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | JR West Railers | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 82 | 179 | −97 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Osaka Gas (P) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 70 | 273 | −203 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Unitika Phoenix | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 78 | 232 | −154 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 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. |
| 2016 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 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (R) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 184 | 7 | +177 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 99 | −79 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Osaka Police | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 109 | −98 | 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. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League. |
The final standings for the 2016 Top East League were:[2]
| 2016 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 | 468 | 80 | +388 | 9 | 0 | 45 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Hino Red Dolphins | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 420 | 107 | +313 | 5 | 0 | 37 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 367 | 179 | +188 | 4 | 0 | 32 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Kurita Water | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 393 | 214 | +179 | 5 | 2 | 31 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 304 | 321 | −17 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 204 | 353 | −149 | 3 | 0 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Akita Northern Bullets | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 237 | 355 | −118 | 3 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Yakult Levins | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 242 | 249 | −7 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Secom Rugguts | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 118 | 486 | −368 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 106 | 515 | −409 | 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 2016 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]
| 2016 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 | Chugoku Electric Power | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 297 | 84 | +213 | 5 | 0 | 29 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Kyuden Voltex | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 347 | 47 | +300 | 4 | 1 | 25 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 356 | 86 | +270 | 4 | 1 | 21 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 148 | 139 | +9 | 3 | 0 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 99 | 291 | −192 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Fukuoka Bank | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 86 | 343 | −257 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Nippon Steel Yawata | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 61 | 404 | −343 | 0 | 2 | 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. |
| 2016 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 | 52 | 26 | +26 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 31 | +14 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 59 | −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. |
The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]
| 2016–17 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 | 137 | 38 | +99 | 2 | 0 | 14 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 56 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 97 | −47 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 82 | −51 | 0 | 0 | 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. |
The following matches were played in the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 1:[4]
The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]
| 2016–17 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 | Hino Red Dolphins | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 0 | +107 | 2 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 91 | −53 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 81 | −54 | 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 2016–17 Top League Challenge 2:[4]
The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 3 were:[4]
| 2016–17 Top League Challenge 3 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 | 76 | 48 | +28 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 43 | +23 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 94 | −51 | 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 2016–17 Top League Challenge 3:[4]