The 2005 Top League Challenge Series was the 2005 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 2005–06 season. The competition was contested from 16 to 29 January 2005.
Fukuoka Sanix Bombs and Secom Rugguts won promotion to the 2005–06 Top League, while Honda Heat and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.
Competition rules and information
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 2005–06 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.
Qualification
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2004 regional leagues.
Top West League
The final standings for the 2004 Top West League were:
2004 Top West League standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Toyota Industries Shuttles 7 6 1 0 486 62 +424 6 0 32 2 Honda Heat 7 6 0 1 438 155 +283 5 0 29 3 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 7 5 0 2 331 150 +181 4 1 25 4 Osaka Police 7 4 1 2 259 126 +133 3 1 22 5 JR West Railers 7 3 0 4 222 333 −111 3 0 15 6 Chubu Electric Power 7 2 0 5 143 265 −122 3 0 11 7 Mitsubishi Red Evolutions 7 1 0 6 128 430 −302 3 1 8 8 Unitika Phoenix (P) 7 0 0 7 94 580 −486 1 0 1 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.
Toyota Industries Shuttles qualified for Challenge 1. Honda Heat qualified for Challenge 2. JR West Railers withdrew after the season.
Top East League
The final standings for the 2004 Top East League were:
2004 Top East League (East) standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Secom Rugguts (R) 9 9 0 0 483 149 +334 9 0 45 2 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 9 8 0 1 420 138 +282 8 0 40 3 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 9 6 0 3 278 192 +86 7 0 31 4 Tokyo Gas 9 5 0 4 294 255 +39 6 2 28 5 Kamaishi Seawaves 9 4 1 4 282 294 −12 6 0 24 6 Kurita Water 9 4 0 5 283 269 +14 5 2 23 7 Shimizu Blue Sharks 9 3 1 5 178 320 −142 2 0 16 8 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 9 2 1 6 180 361 −181 3 0 13 9 JAL Wings 9 2 0 7 158 340 −182 2 0 10 10 Insurance Meiji Life Yasuda 9 0 1 8 151 389 −238 2 1 5 2004 Top East League (North) standings 1 Akita Northern Bullets 6 5 0 1 391 104 +287 5 0 25 2 NTT Burns 6 5 0 1 373 92 +281 5 1 25 3 Funaoka SDF Wild Boars 6 2 0 4 165 185 −20 2 0 10 4 North Force 6 0 0 6 24 572 −548 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. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.
Secom Rugguts qualified for Challenge 1. Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars qualified for Challenge 2 after a play-off series involving them, Akita Northern Bullets and NTT Communications Shining Arcs.
The following matches were played:
Top Kyūshū League
The final standings for the 2004 Top Kyūshū League were:
2004 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Fukuoka Sanix Bombs (R) 7 7 0 0 648 79 +569 7 0 35 2 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 7 6 0 1 423 106 +317 6 1 31 3 Kyuden Voltex 7 5 0 2 467 85 +382 6 1 27 4 Mazda Blue Zoomers 7 4 0 3 325 216 +109 5 0 21 5 Chugoku Electric Power 7 3 0 4 206 378 −172 4 0 16 6 JR Kyūshū Thunders 7 2 0 5 101 487 −386 2 0 10 7 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 7 1 0 6 65 471 −406 0 0 4 8 Mitsubishi Mizushima 7 0 0 7 52 465 −413 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. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.
Coca-Cola West Red Sparks, Fukuoka Sanix Bombs and Kyuden Voltex qualified to the Second Phase.
2004 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Fukuoka Sanix Bombs (R) 2 2 0 0 83 41 +42 2 0 10 2 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 2 1 0 1 61 61 0 2 0 6 3 Kyuden Voltex 2 0 0 2 37 79 −42 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. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.
Fukuoka Sanix Bombs qualified for Challenge 1. Coca-Cola West Red Sparks qualified for Challenge 2.
Challenge 1
Standings
The final standings for the 2005 Top League Challenge 1 were:
2005 Top League Challenge 1 standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Fukuoka Sanix Bombs 2 2 0 0 75 36 +39 2 0 10 2 Secom Rugguts 2 1 0 1 24 51 −27 0 0 4 3 Toyota Industries Shuttles 2 0 0 2 53 65 −12 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.
Fukuoka Sanix Bombs and Secom Rugguts won promotion to the 2005–06 Top League. Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2005 Top League Challenge 1:
Challenge 2
Standings
The final standings for the 2005 Top League Challenge 2 were:
2005 Top League Challenge 2 standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Honda Heat 2 1 0 1 59 69 −10 2 0 6 2 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 2 1 0 1 77 42 +35 1 0 5 3 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 2 1 0 1 68 93 −25 1 0 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.
Honda Heat progressed to the promotion play-offs. Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars remain in the regional leagues.
Matches
The following matches were played in the 2005 Top League Challenge 2:
See also
2004–05 Top League Top League Challenge Series
References