2020 Top League

Last updated
2020 Top League
CountriesFlag of Japan.svg  Japan
Date12 January 2020 – 23 February 2020
Matches played48
Attendance541,078
(average 11,272 per match)
Highest attendance37,050
Toyota Verblitz v Panasonic Wild Knights
18 January 2020
Lowest attendance2,610
Kubota Spears v Hino Red Dolphins
16 February 2020
Official website
www.top-league.jp
  2018–19
2021  

The 2020 Top League was the 17th season of Japan's top tier domestic rugby union competition. The season was initially suspended after round six and then further cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. [1]

Contents

Teams

ClubRegionPrevious season
Canon Eagles Machida, Tokyo 12th
Hino Red Dolphins Hino, Tokyo 14th
Honda Heat Suzuka, Mie 9th
Kobelco Steelers Kobe 1st
Kubota Spears Abiko, Chiba 7th
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars Sagamihara Promoted from 2018 Top Challenge League
Munakata Sanix Blues Munakata, Fukuoka 13th
NEC Green Rockets Abiko, Chiba 10th
NTT Communications Shining Arcs Chiba Prefecture 5th
NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka Promoted from 2018 Top Challenge League
Panasonic Wild Knights Ōta, Gunma 6th
Ricoh Black Rams Setagaya 8th
Suntory Sungoliath Fuchū, Tokyo 2nd
Toshiba Brave Lupus Fuchū, Tokyo 11th
Toyota Verblitz Toyota City 4th
Yamaha Jubilo Iwata, Shizuoka 3rd


Standings

2020 Top League Standings
PosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTBLBPts
1 Panasonic Wild Knights 660027388+1856030
2 Kobelco Steelers 660031875+2434028
3 Yamaha Jubilo 650129298+1944026
4 Suntory Sungoliath 6402239113+1263219
5 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 6402187111+762119
6 Kubota Spears 6402163114+492119
7 Toshiba Brave Lupus 6402169192−232118
8 Toyota Verblitz 6303202209−72115
9 Canon Eagles 6303140177−371013
10 Honda Heat 6204153156−31211
11 Munakata Sanix Blues 6204110185−751110
12 Ricoh Black Rams 620472170−98008
13 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 6105103244−141014
14 Hino Red Dolphins 6105123273−150004
15 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 610581331−250004
16 NEC Green Rockets 600687176−89022
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 eight teams qualified for the finals.


Fixtures & Results

Round 1

12 January 2020
11:30
Hino Red Dolphins 20–29 NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Report
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 17,072
12 January 2020
11:45
Ricoh Black Rams 5–28 Honda Heat
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 7,318
12 January 2020
13:00
Panasonic Wild Knights 34–11 Kubota Spears
Report
Kumagaya Rugby Ground
Attendance: 17,722
12 January 2020
13:00
Yamaha Jubilo 31–29 Toyota Verblitz
Report
Yamaha Stadium
Attendance: 13,985
12 January 2020
13:00
Kobelco Steelers 50–16 Canon Eagles
Report
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 23,004
12 January 2020
14:00
Toshiba Brave Lupus 26–19 Suntory Sungoliath
Report
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 21,564
12 January 2020
14:00
NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 31–24 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 8,856
12 January 2020
14:00
Munakata Sanix Blues 24–18 NEC Green Rockets
Report
Best Denki Stadium
Attendance: 7,216

Round 2

18 January 2020
11:30
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 15–23 Canon Eagles
Report
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 12,913
18 January 2020
11:45
NEC Green Rockets 17–27 Hino Red Dolphins
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 7,603
18 January 2020
13:00
Yamaha Jubilo 24–36 Kobelco Steelers
Report
Yamaha Stadium
Attendance: 10,163
18 January 2020
13:00
Toyota Verblitz 20–40 Panasonic Wild Knights
Report
Toyota Stadium
Attendance: 37,050
18 January 2020
14:00
Suntory Sungoliath 22–10 NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Report
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 15,826
18 January 2020
14:00
Toshiba Brave Lupus 39–21 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 10,280
19 January 2020
13:00
Honda Heat 21–23 Kubota Spears
Report
Mie Sports Garden
Attendance: 6,778
19 January 2020
14:00
Munakata Sanix Blues 16–18 Ricoh Black Rams
Report
Best Denki Stadium
Attendance: 4,508

Round 3

25 January 2020
11:30
Honda Heat 23–32 Toshiba Brave Lupus
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 6,548
25 January 2020
13:00
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 10–62 Panasonic Wild Knights
Report
Sagamihara Gion Stadium
Attendance: 7,724
25 January 2020
13:00
Ricoh Black Rams 0–38 Yamaha Jubilo
Report
Takebishi Stadium Kyoto
Attendance: 4,360
25 January 2020
13:00
Kubota Spears 28–27 NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Report
Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium
Attendance: 4,794
25 January 2020
13:00
Munakata Sanix Blues 49–19 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
Report
Best Denki Stadium
Attendance: 4,231
25 January 2020
14:00
Toyota Verblitz 61–31 Hino Red Dolphins
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 8,888
26 January 2020
13:00
Canon Eagles 38–12 NEC Green Rockets
Report
NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium
Attendance: 10,617
26 January 2020
13:00
Kobelco Steelers 35–29 Suntory Sungoliath
Report
Noevir Stadium Kobe
Attendance: 26,312

Round 4

1 February 2020
11:30
Hino Red Dolphins 19–48 Yamaha Jubilo
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 3,682
1 February 2020
13:00
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 26–45 Toshiba Brave Lupus
Report
NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium
Attendance: 9,948
1 February 2020
13:00
Suntory Sungoliath 40–14 NEC Green Rockets
Report
Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium
Attendance: 6,243
1 February 2020
14:00
Toyota Verblitz 58–29 Honda Heat
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 8,734
2 February 2020
13:00
Canon Eagles 17–51 Panasonic Wild Knights
Report
Machida Stadium
Attendance: 9,120

Round 5

15 February 2020
11:30
Canon Eagles 24–39 Honda Heat
Report
Kumagaya Rugby Ground
Attendance: 20,138
15 February 2020
11:30
NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 7–82 Yamaha Jubilo
Report
Yanmar Stadium Nagai
Attendance: 16,483
15 February 2020
13:00
NTT Communications Shining Arcs 74–11 Munakata Sanix Blues
Report
Yumenoshima Stadium
Attendance: 2,738
15 February 2020
13:00
Kobelco Steelers 43–6 Ricoh Black Rams
Report
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 4,910
15 February 2020
14:00
Panasonic Wild Knights 46–27 Toshiba Brave Lupus
Report
Kumagaya Rugby Ground
Attendance: 22,705
15 February 2020
14:00
Suntory Sungoliath 60–14 Toyota Verblitz
Report
Yanmar Stadium Nagai
Attendance: 19,584
16 February 2020
13:00
Kubota Spears 49–12 Hino Red Dolphins
Report
Yumenoshima Stadium
Attendance: 2,610

Round 6

22 February 2020
11:30
NEC Green Rockets 12–26 Ricoh Black Rams
Report
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 10,687
22 February 2020
11:30
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 7–69 Yamaha Jubilo
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 3,463
22 February 2020
11:45
Canon Eagles 22–10 Munakata Sanix Blues
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 14,625
22 February 2020
13:00
Honda Heat 13–14 NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Report
Mie Sports Garden
Attendance: 3,111
22 February 2020
14:00
Hino Red Dolphins 14–69 Suntory Sungoliath
Report
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 13,856
22 February 2020
14:00
Toyota Verblitz 20–18 Kubota Spears
Report
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 5,343
22 February 2020
14:00
NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 3–40 Panasonic Wild Knights
Report
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 18,056
23 February 2020
13:00
Kobelco Steelers 57–0 Toshiba Brave Lupus
Report
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 23,647

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References

  1. "Japan cancels entire Top League season due to COVID-19". Rugby Pass. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020.