The 2018 Top Challenge League was the second season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.[1]
It was played from 8 September to 9 December 2018, with eight participating teams. NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won the competition for the third time – having previously won in 2010–11 and 2016–17 and qualified for the promotion play-offs, along with Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, Kintetsu Liners and Kurita Water Gush. Kamaishi Seawaves and Chugoku Red Regulions finished seventh and eighth respectively to qualify for the relegation play-offs.
In January 2017, the JRFU announced the format of the Top Challenge League competition. The competition was played in two stages. The First Stage was a round-robin format, where all eight teams played each other once.
The top four teams in the First Stage progressed to Group A of the Second Stage, while the bottom four teams progressed to Group B. Each of these groups was another round-robin, with all four teams playing each other once.
The four teams that competed in Group A progressed to promotion play-offs against the bottom four teams in the 2018–19 Top League.
The two team that finished bottom and second-bottom of Group B progressed to the relegation play-offs, along with the winners and the runners-up of the Regional Challenge, held between the champions of the Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League.
The following teams took part in the 2018 Top Challenge League competition:
| 2018 Top Challenge League teams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team name | Based | 2017–18 placing | |
| Chugoku Red Regulions | Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 6th | |
| Kamaishi Seawaves | Top Challenge League, 7th | ||
| Kintetsu Liners | Higashiosaka, Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated | |
| Kurita Water Gush | Regional Leagues, Champions | ||
| Kyuden Voltex | Fukuoka, Kyūshū | Top Challenge League, 4th | |
| Mazda Blue Zoomers | Top Challenge League, 5th | ||
| Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 3rd | ||
| Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated |
The current standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage are:
| 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | Kintetsu Liners | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 301 | 86 | +215 | 47 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 34 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 345 | 136 | +209 | 54 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 30 | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 250 | 157 | +93 | 38 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 24 | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kurita Water Gush | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 155 | 180 | −25 | 24 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 18 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 176 | 226 | −50 | 24 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 173 | 275 | −102 | 26 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 159 | 310 | −151 | 23 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | Kyuden Voltex | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 90 | 279 | −189 | 14 | 43 | 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, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. The top four teams qualified for the Second Stage Group A. The bottom four teams qualified for the Second Stage Group B. |
The 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage fixtures are:[2]
The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A are:
| 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1B | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1 | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 23 | +92 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 71 | −7 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Kintetsu Liners | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 82 | 50 | +32 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kurita Water Gush | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 131 | −117 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 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, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |
The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B are:
| 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B standings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1B | TB | LB | Pts< | -- Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1 | TB | LB | Pts--> |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 89 | 49 | +40 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 91 | −11 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 89 | −2 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 74 | −27 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| Legend: P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |
The matches played were: