2015–16 Top League

The 2015–16 Top League was the 13th season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. It kicked off on 13 November 2015 and was completed on 24 January 2016. The final was won by Panasonic Wild Knights defeating Toshiba Brave Lupus by 27–26.

A short pre-season competition was also played from 3 September to 10 October 2015 to provide each Top League team with five official matches before the regular season.

Teams The only change to the make-up of the league was the Challenge One winner Honda Heat replacing Kyuden Voltex.

TeamRegionCoachCaptainCanon EaglesMachida, Tokyo, Kantō Yoji Nagatomo Coca-Cola Red SparksFukuoka, Kyushu Tomohiro Yamaguchi Kouta YamashitaHonda Heat Suzuka, Mie Tomoaki Fujimoto Kintetsu LinersHigashiosaka, Osaka, Kansai Ryusuke Maeda Daiki ToyotaKobelco SteelersKobe, Kansai Allister Coetzee Daiki HashimotoKubota Spears Abiko, Chiba, Kantō Toutai Kefu Naomichi TatekawaNEC Green RocketsAbiko, Chiba, Kantō Masao Amino Sunao TakizawaNTT DoCoMo Red HurricanesOsaka, Kansai Masahiro Shimoki NTT Com Shining ArcsChiba, Chiba, Kantō Rob Penney Yuya MizoguchiPanasonic Wild KnightsOta, Gunma, Kantō Robbie Deans Shota HorieRicoh Black RamsTokyo, Kantō Damien Hill Masahiro NoguchiSuntory SungoliathFuchū, Tokyo, Kantō Andy Friend Toshiba Brave LupusFuchū, Tokyo, Kantō Jimmy Stonehouse Yoshikazu MoritaToyota Industries ShuttlesAichi, Mizuho Masaya Niu Tsuyoshi MatsuokaToyota Verblitz Toyota, Aichi, Tokai Hiroshi Sugawara Kojiro YoshidaYamaha JúbiloIwata, Shizuoka, Tokai Takanobu Horikawa

Format Owing to the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Japan's entry into the 2016 Super Rugby tournament, the 2015–16 Top League format was altered from the previous year.

Pre-season league A pre-season competition was staged to provide each Top League team with five matches before the regular season. In the first stage, played from 3–19 September, the 16 teams were placed into 4 pools of 4 teams each and a round-robin was played within each pool.

For the second stage, played from 3–10 October, the top teams in each pool were bracketed together to determine the pre-season competition winner. Semifinals and a consolation final and final were played to decide positions 1 to 4. The second-ranked teams in each pool played off for positions 5 to 8, the third-ranked teams played off for positions 9 to 12, and the bottom teams from each pool played off for positions 13 to 16.

Regular season For the Pool stage, the 16 teams were placed into 2 pools of 8 teams each and a round-robin was played within each of the pools. At the conclusion of the pool stage, the top 4 sides in each pool advanced to the title play-offs to determine the Top League champion and the final classification positions 1 to 8. Similarly, the bottom 4 sides in each pool went on to the lower bracket play-offs to determine the final classification positions 9 to 16.

Preseason

Standings Top League - Pre-season pool stagePool AClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Toyota Verblitz 3 3 0 0 91 46 +45 2 0 14 2 Panasonic Wild Knights 3 2 0 1 93 50 +43 2 1 11 3 NEC Green Rockets 3 1 0 2 59 85 −26 1 0 5 4 Honda Heat 3 0 0 3 38 100 −62 0 0 0Updated: 19 September 2016 Source: rugbyarchive.netPool BClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Suntory Sungoliath 3 3 0 0 77 26 +41 1 0 13 2 Kintetsu Liners 3 2 0 1 111 46 +65 2 1 11 3 Yamaha Júbilo 3 1 0 2 62 78 −16 1 0 5 4 Coca-Cola Red Sparks 3 0 0 3 29 119 −90 0 0 0Updated: 19 September 2016 Source: rugbyarchive.netPool CClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Kobelco Steelers 3 3 0 0 71 28 +43 0 0 12 2 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 3 1 0 2 40 44 −4 0 1 5 3 NTT Com Shining Arcs 3 1 0 2 39 46 −7 0 0 4 4 Kubota Spears 3 1 0 2 29 61 −32 0 0 4Updated: 19 September 2016 Source: rugbyarchive.netPool DClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Toshiba Brave Lupus 3 3 0 0 74 53 +21 2 0 14 2 Ricoh Black Rams 3 2 0 1 70 73 −3 1 0 9 3 Canon Eagles 3 0 1 2 40 44 −4 0 2 4 4 Toyota Industries Shuttles 3 0 1 2 69 69 −14 1 1 4Updated: 19 September 2015 Source: rugbyarchive.net

Teams ranked 1 (Green background) qualify to semifinals. Teams ranked 2 (Blue background) qualify for 5th place semifinals. Teams ranked 3 (White background) qualify for 9th place semifinals. Teams ranked 4 (Yellow background) qualify for 13th place semifinals.Source: rugbyarchive.net

Four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2). If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: 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 Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Preseason play-offs

Fourth bracket

Third bracket

Second bracket

Notes: Panasonic forfeited their semifinal. NTT Docomo gained the walk over. Panasonic forfeited the 7th place final. Kintetsu gained the walk over.

First bracket

Regular season

Standings

Top League - Pool StagePool AClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Yamaha Júbilo 7 6 0 1 226 140 +86 5 0 29 2 Kobelco Steelers 7 5 0 2 235 137 +98 5 2 27 3 Toyota Verblitz 7 5 0 2 203 125 +78 5 1 26 4 Canon Eagles 7 5 0 2 196 142 +54 4 1 25 5 Toyota Industries Shuttles 7 3 0 4 175 212 -37 1 0 13 6 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 7 2 1 4 141 197 -56 1 1 12 7 NEC Green Rockets 7 1 1 5 100 202 -102 0 1 7 8 Coca-Cola Red Sparks 7 0 0 7 143 264 -121 1 2 3Updated: 27 December 2015 Source: rugbyarchive.net Teams 1 to 4 (Green background) advance to the title play-offs. Teams 5 to 8 (Blue background) go on to the lower bracket play-offs.Pool BClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints 1 Panasonic Wild Knights 7 6 1 0 290 137 +153 5 0 31 2 Toshiba Brave Lupus 7 5 1 1 253 100 +153 4 0 26 3 Kintetsu Liners 7 5 0 2 189 193 -4 3 0 23 4 NTT Com Shining Arcs 7 4 0 3 190 142 +48 4 2 22 5 Suntory Sungoliath 7 4 0 3 227 148 +79 4 1 21 6 Kubota Spears 7 2 0 5 118 240 -122 1 1 10 7 Honda Heat 7 1 0 6 99 253 -154 0 1 5 8 Ricoh Black Rams 7 0 0 7 129 282 -153 1 1 2Updated: 27 December 2015 Source: rugbyarchive.net Teams 1 to 4 (Green background) advance to the title play-offs. Teams 5 to 8 (Blue background) go on to the lower bracket play-offs.Source: rugbyarchive.net

Four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2). If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: 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 Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Pool stage

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Lower bracket play-offs

Lower quarterfinals

Play-offs 9th–12th and 13th–16th

Classification finals

Title play-offs

Quarterfinals

Semifinals and play-offs 5th–8th

Classification finals

Final

Team detailsTeam 1 FB 15 RW 14 OC 13IC 12 LW 11FH 10SH 9 N8 8 OF 7 BF 6 RL 5 LL 4 TP 3 HK 2 (c) LP 1 Replacements:HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 LK 19 FL 20 SH 21 CE 22 FB 23 Coach: Team 2 FB 15 RW 14OC 13 IC 12 LW 11FH 10 SH 9 N8 8 OF 7 BF 6 RL 5 (c)LL 4 TP 3 HK 2 LP 1 Replacements:HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 FL 19 FL 20 SH 21 CE 22 FB 23 Coach: Touch judges:

All-Japan qualification The 2016 All-Japan Rugby Football Championship took place as a one-off final match played between the respective winners of the Japanese Top League competition and the All-Japan University Rugby Championship. The match will be played at the Chichibunomiya Stadium in Tokyo on 31 January 2016.

The abbreviated format was chosen due to the busy schedule for Japanese Rugby which included the 2015 Rugby World Cup as well as Asian qualification for the 2016 Olympics and the introduction of a Japanese Super Rugby team.

Top League Challenge Series

Kyuden Voltex, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, Munakata Sanix Blues and Osaka Police progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Promotion and relegation play-offs

End-of-season awards

Team of the season #WinnerTeam 1 Keita Inagaki Panasonic Wild Knights 2 Shota Horie Panasonic Wild Knights 3 Takuma Asahara Toshiba Brave Lupus 4 Andries Bekker Kobelco Steelers 5 Daniel Heenan Panasonic Wild Knights 6 Michael Leitch Canon Eagles 7 Shokei Kin NTT Com Shining Arcs 8 Amanaki Mafi NTT Com Shining Arcs 9 Fumiaki Tanaka Panasonic Wild Knights 10 Berrick Barnes Panasonic Wild Knights 11 Shota Emi Suntory Sungoliath 12 Richard Kahui Toshiba Brave Lupus 13 JP Pietersen Panasonic Wild Knights 14 Tomoki Kitagawa Panasonic Wild Knights 15 Ayumu Goromaru Yamaha Júbilo

References