2006 Top League Challenge Series
# 2006 Top League Challenge Series

The 2006 Top League Challenge Series was the 2006 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 2006–07 season. The competition was contested from 15 to 28 January 2006.

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and IBM Big Blue won promotion to the 2006–07 Top League, while Honda Heat, Kintetsu Liners, Kyuden Voltex and NTT Communications Shining Arcs 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 2006–07 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the three Challenge 2 teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.

## Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2005 regional leagues.

### Top West League

The final standings for the 2005 Top West League were:

| 2005 Top West League standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kintetsu Liners (R) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 448 | 106 | +342 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | Honda Heat | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 470 | 83 | +387 | 6 | 1 | 31 |
| 3 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 487 | 141 | +346 | 6 | 1 | 27 |
| 4 | Osaka Police | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 286 | 206 | +80 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 5 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 299 | 208 | +91 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| 6 | Chubu Electric Power | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 188 | 309 | −121 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 7 | Mitsubishi Red Evolutions | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 105 | 580 | −475 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Unitika Phoenix | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 66 | 716 | −650 | 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. |

* Kintetsu Liners qualified for Challenge 1.
* Honda Heat qualified for Challenge 2.

### Top East League

The final standings for the 2005 Top East League were:

| 2005 Top East League (East) standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | IBM Big Blue (R) | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 487 | 99 | +388 | 9 | 0 | 45 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 341 | 129 | +212 | 7 | 0 | 39 |
| 3 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 237 | 174 | +63 | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 4 | Kurita Water | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 268 | 211 | +57 | 4 | 1 | 29 |
| 5 | Tokyo Gas | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 280 | 243 | +37 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| 6 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 192 | 254 | −62 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 7 | Shimizu Blue Sharks | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 145 | 303 | −158 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 8 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 161 | 296 | −135 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 9 | JAL Wings | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 144 | 360 | −216 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Insurance Meiji Life Yasuda | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 96 | 282 | −186 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 2005 Top East League (North) standings |
| 1 | Akita Northern Bullets | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 420 | 83 | +337 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Funaoka SDF Wild Boars | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 207 | 148 | +59 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| 3 | North Force | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 116 | 329 | −213 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | NTT Burns | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 130 | 313 | −183 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 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. |

* IBM Big Blue qualified for Challenge 1.
* NTT Communications Shining Arcs qualified for Challenge 2 after a play-off series involving them, Akita Northern Bullets and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars.

The following matches were played:

* The Top East League (East) and Top East League (North) merged for 2006; Akita Northern Bullets joined the merged Top East League, while Funaoka SDF Wild Boars, North Force and NTT Burns joined lower leagues.

### Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2005 Top Kyūshū League were:

| 2005 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kyuden Voltex | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 453 | 56 | +397 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| 2 | Coca-Cola West Red Sparks | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 432 | 74 | +358 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 299 | 112 | +187 | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| 4 | Chugoku Electric Power | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 183 | 253 | −70 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 121 | 347 | −226 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Mizushima | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 76 | 363 | −287 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 66 | 425 | −359 | 0 | 1 | 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. |

* Coca-Cola West Red Sparks, Kyuden Voltex and Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified to the Second Phase.

| 2005 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Coca-Cola West Red Sparks | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 26 | +72 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Kyuden Voltex | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 49 | +5 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 113 | −77 | 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. |

* Fukuoka Sanix Blues qualified for Challenge 1.
* Coca-Cola West Red Sparks qualified for Challenge 2.

## Challenge 1

### Standings

The final standings for the 2006 Top League Challenge 1 were:

| 2006 Top League Challenge 1 standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Coca-Cola West Red Sparks | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 29 | +7 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | IBM Big Blue | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 21 | +35 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Kintetsu Liners | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 54 | −42 | 0 | 1 | 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. |

* Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and IBM Big Blue won promotion to the 2006–07 Top League.
* Kintetsu Liners progressed to the promotion play-offs.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2006 Top League Challenge 1:

## Challenge 2

### Standings

The final standings for the 2006 Top League Challenge 2 were:

| 2006 Top League Challenge 2 standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 57 | +46 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Kyuden Voltex | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 54 | +3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 95 | −49 | 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. |

* Honda Heat, Kyuden Voltex and NTT Communications Shining Arcs progressed to the promotion play-offs.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2006 Top League Challenge 2:

