2005 Top League Challenge Series
# 2005 Top League Challenge Series

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:

