The Top League Championship is Japan's highest-level knockout tournament for rugby union clubs. Held annually, the leading teams from the Top League regular season qualify for the playoffs to decide the Cup title. From 2018 onward, the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship has doubled as the Top League Championship Cup. Previously, teams competed for the Lixil Cup, from 2014 to 2016, and Microsoft Cup (prior to 2009).
The Top League competition is a Japanese industrial league that presently consists of sixteen teams, all owned by major companies.
Initially sponsored by Microsoft Japan, the knockout tournament was first contested by the top eight teams from the Top League in 2004. It was considered a separate competition to the Top League for the first three seasons but was officially integrated for the 2006–07 season. The number of teams was also cut to four to give a format of two semi-finals and a final, and from that time onward until the 2016–17 season the winner of the knockout cup was recognised as the Top League champion.
There were no title-play-offs in 2016–17, and the team on top of the league after the round-robin stage won the Top League title.
Overall Summary totals for all Top League championships up to and including 2025:
Notes:
1The Panasonic Wild Knights summary includes results for the Sanyo Wild Knights from 2003 to 2012. *NEC won the 2004 Microsoft Cup but Kobe Steel was the Top League champion. These were separate competitions prior to 2007. ^The 2004 Kobe Steel and Sanyo (Panasonic) semi-final appearances are included, although that cup was not part of the championship. +Yamaha was 3rd and Suntory 4th in the 2003–04 Top League championship, but these results are not counted as semi-final appearances.
Tournaments Teams listed are those that qualified from the Top League for the title play-offs in each season, or the top four teams where there were no play-offs. Results of the play-offs are written so that the score of the team in each row is mentioned first. Legend Cup winner(knockout play-offs). Pos = Log Position, P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Diff = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, SP = Starting Points for Group Stage, Pts = Log Points, Semi = Semi-final, Refs = References Top League title winner. Suntory Sungoliath 12–8 Panasonic Wild Knights
Top League and All-Japan titles: 2017 onward There were no title-play-offs in 2018, and the team on top of the league after the round-robin stage was crowned the Top League title winner. However, the top three teams progressed to the All-Japan Championship.
The All-Japan Championship doubled as the Top League Champions Cup title from 2018 onward, with university teams excluded.
+ Top League and All-Japan title (2017–present) Year TeamTop League regular seasonPlay-offs20186 Januaryto13 January 1 White Panasonic Wild Knights 63 13 0 0 580 142 +438 11 0 17–118–12 1 Red Suntory Sungoliath 55 12 0 1 450 180 +270 7 0 49–712–8 2 White Yamaha Júbilo 46 9 0 4 440 232 +208 8 2 7–49— 2 Red Toyota Verblitz 46 10 0 3 394 288 +106 4 2 11–17—201721 Januaryto29 January 1 Suntory Sungoliath 71 15 0 0 563 184 +379 11 0 52–2915–10 2 Yamaha Júbilo 67 14 0 1 580 208 +372 11 0 24–36— 3 Panasonic Wild Knights 62 13 0 2 579 268 +311 9 1 36–2410–15 4 Kobelco Steelers48 10 0 5 473 328 +145 7 1 ——
Lixil Cup and Top League title: 2014 to 2016 From the 2013–14 season, the Top League tournament was contested by sixteen teams. The top four teams from the league competition (or the top eight in 2016) advanced to the play-offs to compete for the Lixil Trophy and Top League Championship.
+ Lixil Trophy and Top League Championship play-offs (2014–2016) Year TeamTop League regular seasonCup play-off results20169 Januaryto24 January1APanasonic Wild Knights 31 6 1 0 290 137 153 5 0 – 48–6 42–10 27–261B Yamaha Jubilo 29 6 0 1 226 140 86 5 0 – 27–6 22–34 —2A Toshiba Brave Lupus 26 5 1 1 253 100 153 4 0 – 29–17 34–22 26–272B Kobelco Steelers 27 5 0 2 235 137 98 5 2 – 42–10 10–42 —3A Kintetsu Liners 23 5 0 2 189 193 -4 3 0 – 10–42 — —3B Toyota Verblitz 26 5 0 2 203 125 78 5 1 – 17–29 — —4A NTT Com Shining Arcs 22 4 0 3 190 142 48 4 2 – 6–27 — —4B Canon Eagles 25 5 0 2 196 142 54 4 1 – 6-48 — —201524 Januaryto1 February 1 Kobelco Steelers 29 5 0 2 242 113 +129 4 1 4 — 12–41 — 2 Panasonic Wild Knights 29 5 0 2 218 131 +87 5 0 4 — 50–15 30–12 3 Toshiba Brave Lupus 28 5 0 2 213 147 +66 4 1 3 — 15–50 — 4 Yamaha Júbilo 27 5 0 2 165 134 +31 4 1 2 — 41–12 12–3020141 Februaryto9 February 1 Panasonic Wild Knights 36 7 0 0 224 105 119 4 0 4 — 55–1545–22 2 Suntory Sungoliath 32 6 0 1 261 169 92 4 0 4 — 27–1922–45 3 Kobelco Steelers 24 4 0 3 223 194 29 5 1 2 — 19–27— 4 Toshiba Brave Lupus 23 4 0 3 181 151 30 2 3 2 — 15–55— Competition rules Points breakdown:* 4 points for a win* 2 points for a draw* 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less* 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match* 4, 3, 2, or 1 starting points in the group stage for 1st through 4th respectively in the pool stage (seasons 2014–15 and 2015–16 only) Classification:Teams standings are calculated as follows:* Log points* Difference between points for and against* Total number of points for* Number of matches won * Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Play-offs and Top League title: 2010 to 2013
Microsoft Cup and Top League title: 2007 to 2009 For the 2006–07 season the tournament was expanded to fourteen teams and the Top League and Microsoft Cup competitions were combined. Only the top four teams on the regular season table progressed to title play-offs and the winner of the knockout competition was awarded both the Microsoft Cup and the Top League title.
Video referee (TMO) decisions were introduced for the 2009 Cup series. The naming rights partnership with Microsoft for the knockout competition ended after the 2009 Cup final. + Top League Championship play-off tournament (2007–2013) Year TeamTop League regular seasonPlay-off results200917 Februaryto24 February1 Toshiba Brave Lupus 59 1201563211+35211026–717–6 2 Sanyo Wild Knights 58 1201584197+38710032–226–17 3 Suntory Sungoliath 51 1003482298+18410122–32—4 Kobelco Steelers 43 904358300+58526–27— 200817 Februaryto24 February1 Sanyo Wild Knights 63 1300593170+42311025–2110–142 Suntory Sungoliath 53 1012453229+22410133–1014–10 3 Toyota Verblitz 50 913452269+1839310–33—4 Toshiba Brave Lupus 47 1012398263+1355221–25— 200728 Januaryto4 February1Toshiba Brave Lupus 60 12 0 1 502 234 268 11 1 38–3514–13 2Suntory Sungoliath 56 11 0 2 545 161 384 10 240–3913–14 3Yamaha Jubilo 48 10 1 2 379 306 73 5 139–40—4Toyota Verblitz 47 9 0 4 448 267 181 8 335–38— Competition rules Points breakdown:* 4 points for a win* 2 points for a draw* 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less* 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match Classification:Teams standings are calculated as follows:* Log points* Difference between points for and against* Total number of points for* Number of matches won * Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Top League, separate Microsoft Cup: 2004 to 2006 For the first three seasons the competition format was a single round-robin tournament contested by twelve teams, with the team finishing top of the table winning the Top League title. The Microsoft Cup was a separate knockout competition for the top eight teams in the league.
+ Microsoft Cup play-off tournament (2004–2006) Year TeamTop League regular seasonPlay-off results200622 Januaryto5 February1Toshiba Brave Lupus 46 9 0 2 406 193 213 10 038–723–1033–18 2Sanyo Wild Knights 42 9 0 2 416 276 140 6 024–40——3NEC Green Rockets 41 9 0 2 270 136 134 4 117–1210–23—4Toyota Verblitz 37 7 0 4 431 263 168 6 312–17——5Kobelco Steelers 33 7 0 4 284 225 59 4 17–38——6Suntory Sungoliath 32 6 0 5 308 241 67 6 235–1744–2518–337Yamaha Jubilo 28 5 0 6 328 211 117 4 417–35——8Kubota Spears 23 4 1 6 324 297 27 5 040–2425–44—20058 Februaryto28 February1 50 10 0 1 463 166 297 9 133–1341–020–62Yamaha Jubilo 45 9 0 2 380 218 162 8 138–336–203NEC Green Rockets 44 9 0 2 407 253 154 7 116–51——4Toyota Verblitz 43 8 0 3 427 224 203 9 242–2133–33—5Kobelco Steelers 34 6 0 5 326 356 -30 8 251–160–41—6Kubota Spears 27 5 0 6 277 334 -57 6 133–38——7Sanyo Wild Knights 24 4 0 7 346 296 50 4 421–41——8Suntory Sungoliath 24 4 0 7 307 282 25 4 413–33——20048 Februaryto22 February1Kobelco Steelers 47 9 0 2 439 286 153 11 035–2710–34—2Toshiba Brave Lupus 44 8 1 2 503 283 220 9 139–1036–3419–243Yamaha Jubilo 42 8 2 1 334 223 111 6 010–39——4Suntory Sungoliath 42 8 0 3 408 265 143 9 15–32——5 32 6 0 5 349 285 64 7 127–35——6NEC Green Rockets 30 5 2 4 411 274 137 6 032–534–1024–197Sanyo Wild Knights 24 4 1 6 319 331 -12 6 039–3234–36—8Kubota Spears 22 4 0 9 262 362 -100 4 232–39—— Competition rules Points breakdown:* 4 points for a win* 2 points for a draw* 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less* 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match Classification:Teams standings are calculated as follows:* Log points* Difference between points for and against* Total number of points for* Number of matches won * Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
Notes: Toshiba Brave Lupus won the Top League and Microsoft Cup double.
The number of tries and goals being equal, the result was decided in favour of Yamaha over Toyota by a lottery at Hanazono after the game.
Reigning Microsoft Cup holders the NEC Green Rockets were knocked out at the quarter-final stage.
In 2003–04, Kobe Steel won the Top League but NEC won the Microsoft Cup. The League and Cup were separate competitions prior to 2007.
See also Top League All-Japan Rugby Football Championship Japan Rugby Football Union Japan national rugby union team
References
External links JRFU Official Site (in English) Top League Official Site (in Japanese)