2018 Top Challenge League
| 2018 Top Challenge League | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Japan |
The 2018 Top Challenge League is the second season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.[1]
It is played from September to December 2018, with eight participating teams.
Competition rules
In January 2017, the JRFU announced the format of the Top Challenge League competition. The competition is played in two stages. The First Stage is a round-robin format, where all eight teams played each other once.
The top four teams in the First Stage progress to Group A of the Second Stage, while the bottom four teams progress to Group B. Each of these groups is another round-robin, with all four teams playing each other once.
The four teams that compete in Group A will progress to promotion play-offs against the bottom four teams in the 2018–19 Top League.
The team that finish bottom of Group B will be relegated to the regional leagues for 2018. The winners of the Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League will compete in a Regional Challenge, with the winner replacing the relegated team in the 2019 Top Challenge League.
Teams
Location of teams in the 2018 Top Challenge League
The following teams are taking 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 | Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 7th |
| Kintetsu Liners | Higashiosaka, Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated |
| Kurita Water Gush | Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture | Regional Leagues, Champions |
| Kyuden Voltex | Fukuoka, Kyūshū | Top Challenge League, 4th |
| Mazda Blue Zoomers | Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 5th |
| Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 3rd |
| NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated |
First Stage
Standings
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 |
| 1 | Kintetsu Liners | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 38 | +99 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 48 | +88 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 122 | 65 | +57 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 81 | −6 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Kurita Water Gush | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 64 | 106 | −42 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 81 | −32 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 141 | −79 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 130 | −85 | 6 | 19 | 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, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points. The top four teams will qualify for the Second Stage Group A. The bottom four teams will qualify for the Second Stage Group B. |
Matches
The 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage fixtures are:[2]
Round One
| 8 September 2018 | Kintetsu Liners | 61–14 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | |||
| 14:00 | Scoreboard[3] | Attendance: 750 |
| 8 September 2018 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 13–22 | Kyuden Voltex | |||
| 16:00 | Scoreboard[4] | Attendance: 800 |
| 9 September 2018 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 42–17 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 12:30 | Scoreboard[5] | Attendance: 2,783 |
| 9 September 2018 | Kurita Water Gush | 17–53 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | |||
| 15:00 | Scoreboard[6] | Attendance: 5,880 |
Round Two
| 16 September 2018 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 15–40 | Kurita Water Gush | |||
| 12:30 | Scoreboard[7] | Attendance: 670 |
| 16 September 2018 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 28–29 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | |||
| 14:00 | Scoreboard[8] | Attendance: 775 |
| 16 September 2018 | Kyuden Voltex | 17–38 | Kintetsu Liners | |||
| 15:00 | Scoreboard[9] | Attendance: 1,363 |
| 16 September 2018 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 31–12 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | |||
| 17:00 | Scoreboard[10] | Attendance: 2,342 |
Round Three
| 29 September 2018 | Kintetsu Liners | 38–7 | Kurita Water Gush | |||
| 13:00 | Scoreboard[11] | Attendance: 740 |
| 29 September 2018 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 19–52 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | |||
| 13:00 | Scoreboard[12] | Attendance: 1,030 |
| 29 September 2018 | Kyuden Voltex | 10–30 | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 12:00 | Scoreboard[13] | Attendance: 300 |
| 30 September 2018 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 68–17 | Chugoku Red Regulions | |||
| 12:00 | Scoreboard[14] | Attendance: 700 |
Round Four
| 6 October 2018 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | – | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | |||
| 13:00 |
| 6 October 2018 | Kyuden Voltex | – | Kurita Water Gush | |||
| 12:00 |
| 7 October 2018 | Kamaishi Seawaves | – | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | |||
| 14:00 |
| 7 October 2018 | Kintetsu Liners | – | Chugoku Red Regulions | |||
| 13:00 |
Round Five
| 20 October 2018 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | – | Kyuden Voltex | |||
| 11:30 |
| 20 October 2018 | Chugoku Red Regulions | – | Kamaishi Seawaves | |||
| 11:30 |
| 21 October 2018 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | – | Kintetsu Liners | |||
| 14:00 |
| 21 October 2018 | Kurita Water Gush | – | Mazda Blue Zoomers | |||
| 13:00 |
Round Six
| 26 October 2018 | Kurita Water Gush | – | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | |||
| 19:15 |
| 27 October 2018 | Kamaishi Seawaves | – | Kintetsu Liners | |||
| 14:00 |
| 27 October 2018 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | – | Kyuden Voltex | |||
| 14:00 |
| 28 October 2018 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | – | Chugoku Red Regulions | |||
| 14:00 |
Round Seven
| 3 November 2018 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | – | Kyuden Voltex | |||
| 13:15 |
| 4 November 2018 | Kamaishi Seawaves | – | Kurita Water Gush | |||
| 14:00 |
| 4 November 2018 | Kintetsu Liners | – | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | |||
| 14:00 |
| 4 November 2018 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | – | Chugoku Red Regulions | |||
| 13:00 |
Second Stage Group A
Matches
Round One
| 25 November 2018 | 2nd-placed team | – | 3rd-placed team | |||
| 11:30 |
| 25 November 2018 | 1st-placed team | – | 4th-placed team | |||
| 14:00 |
Round Two
| 1 December 2018 | 2nd-placed team | – | 4th-placed team | |||
| 11:30 |
| 1 December 2018 | 1st-placed team | – | 3rd-placed team | |||
| 14:00 |
Round Three
| 9 December 2018 | 3rd-placed team | – | 4th-placed team | |||
| 11:30 |
| 9 December 2018 | 1st-placed team | – | 2nd-placed team | |||
| 14:00 |
Second Stage Group B
Matches
Round One
| 25 November 2018 | 6th-placed team | – | 7th-placed team | |||
| 11:30 |
| 25 November 2018 | 5th-placed team | – | 8th-placed team | |||
| 14:00 |
Round Two
| 1 December 2018 | 6th-placed team | – | 8th-placed team | |||
| 11:30 |
| 1 December 2018 | 5th-placed team | – | 7th-placed team | |||
| 14:00 |
Round Three
| 9 December 2018 | 7th-placed team | – | 8th-placed team | |||
| 13:00 |
| 9 December 2018 | 5th-placed team | – | 6th-placed team | |||
| 15:00 |
See also
References
- ↑ "Japan to add second-tier rugby league in 2017". Japan Times. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ↑ "2018ジャパンラグビー トップチャレンジリーグ日程" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Kanto Rugby Football Association. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第1週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 8 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第1週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 8 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第1週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 9 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第1週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 9 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第2週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 16 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第2週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 16 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第2週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 16 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第2週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 16 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第3週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第3週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第3週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ↑ "ジャパンラグビートップチャレンジリーグ2018 1stステージ 第3週". Japan Rugby Football Union (in Japanese). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
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