2018 Top Challenge League
# 2018 Top Challenge League

The 2018 Top Challenge League was the second season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.

It was played from 8 September to 9 December 2018, with eight participating teams. NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won the competition for the third time – having previously won in 2010–11 and 2016–17 and qualified for the promotion play-offs, along with Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, Kintetsu Liners and Kurita Water Gush. Kamaishi Seawaves and Chugoku Red Regulions finished seventh and eighth respectively to qualify for the relegation play-offs.

## Competition rules

In January 2017, the JRFU announced the format of the Top Challenge League competition. The competition was played in two stages. The First Stage was a round-robin format, where all eight teams played each other once.

The top four teams in the First Stage progressed to Group A of the Second Stage, while the bottom four teams progressed to Group B. Each of these groups was another round-robin, with all four teams playing each other once.

The four teams that competed in Group A progressed to promotion play-offs against the bottom four teams in the 2018–19 Top League.

The two team that finished bottom and second-bottom of Group B progressed to the relegation play-offs, along with the winners and the runners-up of the Regional Challenge, held between the champions of the Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League.

## Teams

The following teams took part in the 2018 Top Challenge League competition:

| 2018 Top Challenge League teams |
| - |
| Team name | Based | 2017–18 placing |
| Chugoku Red Regulions | Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 6th |
| Kamaishi Seawaves | Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 7th |
| Kintetsu Liners | Higashiosaka, Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated |
| Kurita Water Gush | Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture | Regional Leagues, Champions |
| Kyuden Voltex | Fukuoka, Kyūshū | Top Challenge League, 4th |
| Mazda Blue Zoomers | Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 5th |
| Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture | Top Challenge League, 3rd |
| NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | Osaka, Kansai | Top League, Relegated |

## First stage

### Standings

The current standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage are:

| 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kintetsu Liners | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 301 | 86 | +215 | 47 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 34 |
| 2 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 345 | 136 | +209 | 54 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 250 | 157 | +93 | 38 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 24 |
| 4 | Kurita Water Gush | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 155 | 180 | −25 | 24 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 176 | 226 | −50 | 24 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 173 | 275 | −102 | 26 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 7 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 159 | 310 | −151 | 23 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Kyuden Voltex | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 90 | 279 | −189 | 14 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Legend: P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. The top four teams qualified for the Second Stage Group A. The bottom four teams qualified for the Second Stage Group B. |

### Matches

The 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage fixtures are:

## Second Stage Group A

### Standings

The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A are:

| 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1B | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 23 | +92 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 71 | −7 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Kintetsu Liners | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 82 | 50 | +32 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | Kurita Water Gush | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 131 | −117 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 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, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |

* Kintetsu Liners, Kurita Water Gush, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes qualified for the promotion play-offs.

## Second Stage Group B

### Standings

The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B are:

| 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B standings |
| - |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | S1B | TB | LB | Pts |
| 5 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 89 | 49 | +40 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 91 | −11 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 7 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 89 | −2 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 74 | −27 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Legend: P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TF = Tries for, TA = Tries against, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |

* Kyuden Voltex and Mazda Blue Zoomers remain in the Top Challenge League for 2019.
* Chugoku Red Regulions and Kamaishi Seawaves qualify for the relegation play-offs.

## Promotion play-offs

* Top League sides Hino Red Dolphins and Munakata Sanix Blues won their matches to remain in the Top League for 2019–20.
* Top League sides Coca-Cola Red Sparks and Toyota Industries Shuttles lost their matches and were relegated to the Top Challenge League for 2019.
* Top Challenge League sides Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won their matches to win promotion to the Top League for 2019–20.
* Top Challenge League sides Kintetsu Liners and Kurita Water Gush lost their matches to remain in the Top Challenge League for 2019.

The matches played were:

## Relegation play-offs

* Top Challenge League side Kamaishi Seawaves won their match to remain in the Top Challenge League for 2019.
* Top Challenge League side Chugoku Red Regulions lost their match and was relegated to the Top Kyūshū League for 2019.
* Top League East side Shimizu Blue Sharks won their match to win promotion to the Top Challenge League for 2019.
* Top League West side Chubu Electric Power lost their match to remain in the Top League West for 2019.

The matches played were:

