The 2018–19 Top League was the 16th season of Japan's top-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top League.
Competition rules
The sixteen Top League teams were divided into two conferences for the first stage of the competition; each team played the seven other teams in their conferences once.
All sixteen teams then progressed to a play-off stage; the top four teams in each conference advanced to the title play-offs and the bottom four teams in each conference to the 9th-place play-offs, which determined the final positions for the season. The title play-offs doubled up as the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship, which would no longer include university teams. The bottom four teams in the 9th-place play-off all played in relegation play-off matches.
Teams
The following teams took part in the 2018 Top League competition:
Red Conference Team name Region Hino Red Dolphins Hino, Tokyo, Kanto Kobelco Steelers Kobe, Kansai Munakata Sanix Blues Munakata, Fukuoka, Kyushu NEC Green Rockets Abiko, Chiba, Kanto NTT Communications Shining Arcs Chiba, Chiba, Kanto Suntory Sungoliath Fuchu, Tokyo, Kanto Toyota Industries Shuttles Nagoya, Aichi, Chūbu Toyota Verblitz Toyota City, Aichi, Chūbu White Conference Team name Region Canon Eagles Machida, Tokyo, Kanto Coca-Cola Red Sparks Fukuoka, Kyushu Honda Heat Suzuka, Mie, Kansai Kubota Spears Abiko, Chiba, Kanto Panasonic Wild Knights Ota, Gunma, Kanto Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo, Kanto Toshiba Brave Lupus Fuchu, Tokyo, Kanto Yamaha Júbilo Iwata, Shizuoka, Chūbu
Honda Heat won the 2017–18 Top Challenge League to win promotion back to the Top League after a one-season absence. Hino Red Dolphins won their promotion play-off match to win promotion to the Top League for the first time in their history.
First Stage : Red Conference
Standings
The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference are:
2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Kobelco Steelers 7 6 1 0 353 156 +197 4 0 30 2 Suntory Sungoliath 7 6 0 1 239 164 +75 2 0 26 3 Toyota Verblitz 7 5 1 1 237 135 +102 3 1 26 4 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 7 3 0 4 252 192 +60 3 4 19 5 NEC Green Rockets 7 3 0 4 171 191 −20 1 1 14 6 Toyota Industries Shuttles 7 3 0 4 163 233 −70 0 0 12 7 Hino Red Dolphins 7 1 0 6 123 261 −138 1 1 6 8 Munakata Sanix Blues 7 0 0 7 75 281 −206 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. The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. The bottom four teams in each conference qualified to the 9th-place play-offs.
Matches
The 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference fixtures are:
Round 1
Round 2
The match between Kobelco Steelers and Munakata Sanix Blues scheduled for Round 2 was postponed following the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake and was rescheduled for 29 September.
Round 3
Round 4
Round 2 (rescheduled)
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
First Stage : White Conference
Standings
The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference are:
2018 Top League First Stage White Conference standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Yamaha Júbilo 7 6 0 1 216 112 +104 4 0 28 2 Panasonic Wild Knights 7 6 0 1 206 96 +110 3 0 27 3 Kubota Spears 7 5 0 2 172 119 +53 1 2 23 4 Ricoh Black Rams 7 4 0 3 191 165 +26 1 3 20 5 Honda Heat 7 2 1 4 207 221 −14 2 2 14 6 Toshiba Brave Lupus 7 2 0 5 150 186 −36 1 3 12 7 Canon Eagles 7 2 1 4 131 175 −44 1 1 12 8 Coca-Cola Red Sparks 7 0 0 7 116 315 −199 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. The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. The bottom four teams in each conference qualified to the 9th-place play-offs.
Matches
The 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference fixtures are:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Second stage
Standings
The final standings for the 2018 Top League were:
2018–19 Top League standings Pos Team 1 Kobelco Steelers 2 Suntory Sungoliath 3 Yamaha Júbilo 4 Toyota Verblitz 5 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 6 Panasonic Wild Knights 7 Kubota Spears 8 Ricoh Black Rams 9 Honda Heat 10 NEC Green Rockets 11 Toshiba Brave Lupus 12 Canon Eagles 13 Munakata Sanix Blues 14 Hino Red Dolphins 15 Toyota Industries Shuttles 16 Coca-Cola Red Sparks Top League and All-Japan Rugby Football Championship champions. The 13th to 16th-placed teams qualify to the relegation play-offs.
Title play-offs
The four quarter final winners qualified for the semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 5th-place semi-finals.
The two semi-final winners qualified for the final, while the losers qualified for the 3rd-place match. The two 5th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 5th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 7th-place match.
The final matches determined the final standings.
9th-place play-offs
The four 9th-place quarter final winners qualified for the 9th-place semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 13th-place semi-finals and the relegation play-offs.
The two 9th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 9th-place final, while the losers qualified for the 11th-place match. The two 13th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 13th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 15th-place match.
The final matches will determine the final standings.
See also
2018–19 Top League Cup 2018 Top Challenge League
Notes
References