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2017 Top Challenge League

Rugby union competition in Japan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The 2017 Top Challenge League was the inaugural season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.[1]

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It was played from 9 September to 23 December 2017, with eight participating teams. Honda Heat won the competition for the second time – having previously won in 2014–15 – and won promotion to the 2018–19 Top League. Hino Red Dolphins, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and Kyuden Voltex finished second, third and fourth respectively to qualify for the promotion play-offs, while Kamaishi Seawaves finished seventh to qualify for the relegation play-offs. Chubu Electric Power finished eighth to be relegated to the third tier regional leagues for 2018.

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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 team that finished top of Group A won automatic promotion to the 2018–19 Top League, while the other three teams in Group A progressed to promotion play-offs against the teams placed 13th, 14th and 15th in the 2017–18 Top League.

The team that finished bottom of Group B were relegated to the regional leagues for 2018. The winners of the Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League competed in a Regional Challenge, with the winner replacing the relegated team in the 2018 Top Challenge League. The second-bottom team in Group B progressed to a promotion / relegation play-off match against the runner-up of the Regional Challenge.[2]

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Teams

The following teams took part in the 2017 Top Challenge League competition:

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First stage

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Standings

The final standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League First Stage were:

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Matches

Round one

9 September 2017 Chugoku Red Regulions 17–52 Hino Red Dolphins  
16:00 Report[3] Attendance: 1,200
9 September 2017 Honda Heat 53–12 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
16:00 Report[4] Attendance: 1,400
9 September 2017 Kyuden Voltex 47–17 Chubu Electric Power  
17:00 Report[5] Attendance: 600
10 September 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 7–19 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
15:00 Report[6] Attendance: 1,811

Round two

16 September 2017 Hino Red Dolphins 55–7 Chubu Electric Power  
15:00 Report[7]
16 September 2017 Kyuden Voltex 59–3 Chugoku Red Regulions  
16:00 Report[8]
17 September 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 3–60 Honda Heat  
12:30 Report[9]
17 September 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 19–5 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
15:00 Report[10]

Round three

24 September 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 20–22 Kyuden Voltex  
12:00 Report[11]
24 September 2017 Mazda Blue Zoomers 19–68 Hino Red Dolphins  
13:00 Report[12]
24 September 2017 Chubu Electric Power 24–68 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
14:30 Report[13]
24 September 2017 Chugoku Red Regulions 0–103 Honda Heat  
15:00 Report[14]

Round four

7 October 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 11–24 Hino Red Dolphins  
11:30 Report[15]
Bye/s: Chubu Electric Power, Chugoku Red Regulions, Honda Heat, Kyuden Voltex, Mazda Blue Zoomers, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars

Round five

14 October 2017 Honda Heat 155–0 Chubu Electric Power  
13:00 Report[16]
14 October 2017 Kyuden Voltex 31–20 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
13:00 Report[17]
15 October 2017 Chugoku Red Regulions 7–48 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
11:30 Report[18]
Bye/s: Hino Red Dolphins, Kamaishi Seawaves

Round six

21 October 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 31–18 Chugoku Red Regulions  
13:00 Report[19]
21 October 2017 Mazda Blue Zoomers 20–7 Chubu Electric Power  
13:00 Report[20]
22 October 2017 Honda Heat 31–7 Kyuden Voltex  
13:00 Report[21]
22 October 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 16–22 Hino Red Dolphins  
14:00 Report[22]

Round seven

11 November 2017 Chugoku Red Regulions 8–69 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
13:00 Report[23]
11 November 2017 Kyuden Voltex 10–45 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
13:00 Report[24]
Bye/s: Chubu Electric Power, Hino Red Dolphins, Honda Heat, Kamaishi Seawaves

Round eight

18 November 2017 Mazda Blue Zoomers 31–31 Kamaishi Seawaves  
13:00 Report[25]
19 November 2017 Hino Red Dolphins 42–33 Kyuden Voltex  
11:30 Report[26]
19 November 2017 Chubu Electric Power 7–35 Chugoku Red Regulions  
14:00 Report[27]
19 November 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 27–50 Honda Heat  
14:00 Report[28]

Round nine

25 November 2017 Chubu Electric Power 14–59 Kamaishi Seawaves  
11:30 Report[29]
25 November 2017 Honda Heat 54–22 Hino Red Dolphins  
14:00 Report[30]
Bye/s: Chugoku Red Regulions, Kyuden Voltex, Mazda Blue Zoomers, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
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Second Stage Group A

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Standings

The standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A are:

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Matches

Round one

10 December 2017 Hino Red Dolphins 27–10 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
11:30 Report[31]
10 December 2017 Honda Heat 92–5 Kyuden Voltex  
14:00 Report[32]

Round two

17 December 2017 Hino Red Dolphins 29–14 Kyuden Voltex  
11:30 Report[33]
17 December 2017 Honda Heat 53–8 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
14:00 Report[34]

Round three

24 December 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 45–12 Kyuden Voltex  
11:30 Report[35]
24 December 2017 Honda Heat 55–10 Hino Red Dolphins  
14:00 Report[36]
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Second Stage Group B

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Standings

The standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B are:

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Matches

Round one

9 December 2017 Mazda Blue Zoomers 29–17 Chugoku Red Regulions  
11:30 Report[37]
9 December 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 76–0 Chubu Electric Power  
14:00 Report[38]

Round two

16 December 2017 Mazda Blue Zoomers 60–5 Chubu Electric Power  
11:30 Report[39]
16 December 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 28–31 Chugoku Red Regulions  
14:00 Report[40]

Round three

23 December 2017 Chugoku Red Regulions 47–10 Chubu Electric Power  
11:30 Report[41]
23 December 2017 Kamaishi Seawaves 22–24 Mazda Blue Zoomers  
14:00 Report[42]
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Promotion and relegation

Relegation play-offs

At the end of the season, the team placed seventh will play against the regional team placed second for a place in the 2018 Top Challenge League.

13 January 2018 Kamaishi Seawaves 55–19 Osaka Police  
12:00 Report[43]
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See also

References

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