2009 Top League Challenge Series

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.

2009 Top League Challenge Series
CountriesJapan
Date11 – 25 January 2009
ChampionsRicoh Black Rams (1st title)
Runners-upHonda Heat
PromotedHonda Heat
Ricoh Black Rams
Matches played6
← 2008
2010 →

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.

Competition rules and information

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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.

Qualification

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The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2008 regional leagues.

Top West League

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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
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 Chubu Electric Power 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
1 Honda Heat 2 2 0 0 85 42 +43 1 0 9
2 Toyota Industries Shuttles 2 1 0 1 57 62 −5 2 1 7
3 World Fighting Bull 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.

Top East League

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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
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 Tokyo Gas 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 Suntory Foods 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:


4 January 2009 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 32–28 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  

Top Kyūshū League

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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
1 Mazda Blue Zoomers 5 5 0 0 322 54 +268 5 0 25
2 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 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
1 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 2 0 0 70 14 +56 2 0 10
2 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 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.

Challenge 1

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Standings

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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
1 Ricoh Black Rams 2 2 0 0 135 20 +115 2 0 10
2 Honda Heat 2 1 0 1 80 79 +1 1 0 5
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 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.

Matches

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The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 1:[4]


11 January 2009 Mazda Blue Zoomers 25–60 Honda Heat  


17 January 2009 Ricoh Black Rams 81–0 Mazda Blue Zoomers  


25 January 2009 Honda Heat 20–54 Ricoh Black Rams  

Challenge 2

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Standings

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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
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 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 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.

Matches

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The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 2:[4]


11 January 2009 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 24–120 Toyota Industries Shuttles  


17 January 2009 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 124–0 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries  


25 January 2009 Toyota Industries Shuttles 41–33 NTT Communications Shining Arcs  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "West Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ "East Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Kyushu Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Top League Challenge 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.