2010 Top League Challenge Series

2010 Top League Challenge Series
CountriesJapan
Date16 – 30 January 2010
ChampionsNTT Communications Shining Arcs (1st title)
Runners-upToyota Industries Shuttles
PromotedNTT Shining Arcs
Toyota Industries Shuttles
Matches played6
← 2009

The 2010 Top League Challenge Series was the 2010 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 2010–11 season. The competition was contested from 11 to 25 January 2010.

NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Toyota Industries Shuttles won promotion to the 2010–11 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 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 2010–11 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 2009 regional leagues.

Top West League

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The final standings for the 2009 Top West League were:[1]

2009 Top West League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Toyota Industries Shuttles 8 8 0 0 679 67 +612 8 0 40
2 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 8 6 0 2 469 145 +324 6 0 30
3 Osaka Police 8 3 0 5 213 273 −60 3 1 16
4 Chubu Electric Power 8 3 0 5 202 353 −151 3 0 15
5 Mitsubishi Red Evolutions (P) 8 0 0 8 41 766 −725 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.
(P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

Top East League

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The final standings for the 2009 Top East League were:[2]

2009 Top East League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 11 11 0 0 490 117 +373 9 0 53
2 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars (R) 11 10 0 1 454 130 +324 7 1 48
3 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 11 8 0 3 421 203 +218 8 0 40
4 Tokyo Gas 11 7 1 3 445 208 +237 7 0 37
5 Kamaishi Seawaves 11 6 1 4 315 230 +85 4 2 32
6 Kurita Water 11 5 1 5 237 258 −21 6 1 29
7 Suntory Foods 11 4 1 6 207 219 −12 3 4 25
8 Canon Eagles (P) 11 4 0 7 219 264 −45 1 3 20
9 IBM Big Blue (R) 11 4 0 7 203 291 −88 3 1 20
10 JAL Wings 11 2 0 9 109 437 −328 1 1 10
11 Secom Rugguts 11 1 0 10 93 357 −264 0 5 9
12 Akita Northern Bullets 11 2 0 9 82 561 −479 0 0 8
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.

Top Kyūshū League

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The final standings for the 2009 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2009 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 0 358 48 +310 5 0 25
2 Chugoku Electric Power 5 4 0 1 319 91 +228 4 0 20
3 JR Kyūshū Thunders 5 3 0 2 158 139 +19 4 0 16
4 Kagoshima Bank (P) 5 2 0 3 72 247 −175 0 0 8
5 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 5 1 0 4 66 236 −170 1 1 6
6 Mitsubishi Mizushima (P) 5 0 0 5 55 267 −212 1 2 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.
(P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.
2009 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 0 108 10 +98 2 0 10
2 Chugoku Electric Power 2 1 0 1 69 54 +15 1 0 5
3 JR Kyūshū Thunders 2 0 0 2 0 113 −113 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 2010 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2010 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 2 2 0 0 81 35 +46 2 0 10
2 Toyota Industries Shuttles 2 1 0 1 90 38 +52 2 1 7
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 0 0 2 0 98 −98 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 2010 Top League Challenge 1:[4]


16 January 2010 Mazda Blue Zoomers 0–43 NTT Communications Shining Arcs  


23 January 2010 Toyota Industries Shuttles 55–0 Mazda Blue Zoomers  


30 January 2010 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 38–35 Toyota Industries Shuttles  

Challenge 2

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Standings

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The final standings for the 2010 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2010 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 2 2 0 0 110 40 +70 2 0 10
2 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 2 1 0 1 160 29 +131 1 1 6
3 Chugoku Electric Power 2 0 0 2 17 218 −201 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 2010 Top League Challenge 2:[4]


16 January 2010 Chugoku Electric Power 17–81 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars  


23 January 2010 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 137–0 Chugoku Electric Power  


30 January 2010 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 29–23 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "West Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ "East Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Kyushu Regional Top League 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Top League Challenge 2009/10". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.