Top League Champions Cup

Last updated

Top League Champions
Sport Rugby union football
Inaugural season 2004
Country Japan
Holders Suntory Sungoliath (5th title)
(2018)
Most titles Toshiba Brave Lupus &
Suntory Sungoliath (5 titles each)
Website www.top-league.jp
Yoshiaki Fujimori presents the 2016 Lixil Cup trophy to Panasonic captain Shota Horie. Lixil Cup presentation 2016.jpg
Yoshiaki Fujimori presents the 2016 Lixil Cup trophy to Panasonic captain Shota Horie.

The Top League Championship is Japan's highest-level knockout tournament for rugby union clubs. Held annually, the leading teams from the Top League regular season qualify for the playoffs to decide the Cup title. From 2018 onward, the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship has doubled as the Top League Championship Cup. Previously, teams competed for the Lixil Cup, from 2014 to 2016, [1] and Microsoft Cup (prior to 2009).

Contents

The Top League competition is a Japanese industrial league that presently consists of sixteen teams, all owned by major companies.

Initially sponsored by Microsoft Japan, the knockout tournament was first contested by the top eight teams from the Top League in 2004. It was considered a separate competition to the Top League for the first three seasons but was officially integrated for the 2006–07 season. The number of teams was also cut to four to give a format of two semi-finals and a final, and from that time onward until the 2016–17 season the winner of the knockout cup was recognised as the Top League champion.

There were no title-play-offs in 2016–17, and the team on top of the league after the round-robin stage won the Top League title.

Overall

Summary totals for all Top League championships up to and including 2025:

TeamChampionshipsRunners-upSemi-final lossesPremierships
Toshibabravelupus.png Toshiba Brave Lupus 6345
Suntorycolours.png Suntory Sungoliath 53 2+3
PanasonicWildKnights.png Panasonic Wild Knights 165 3^5
Kobesteelers.png Kobelco Steelers  2*0 5^3
Yamahajubilo.png Yamaha Júbilo 03 2+0
Kubotaspears.png Kubota Spears 1110
Toyotaverblitz.png Toyota Verblitz 0060
NECgreenrockets.png NEC Green Rockets  0*020

Notes:

 1 The Panasonic Wild Knights summary includes results for the Sanyo Wild Knights from 2003 to 2012.
 * NEC won the 2004 Microsoft Cup but Kobe Steel was the Top League champion. These were separate competitions prior to 2007.
 ^ The 2004 Kobe Steel and Sanyo (Panasonic) semi-final appearances are included, although that cup was not part of the championship.
 + Yamaha was 3rd and Suntory 4th in the 2003–04 Top League championship, but these results are not counted as semi-final appearances.

Tournaments

Teams listed are those that qualified from the Top League for the title play-offs in each season, or the top four teams where there were no play-offs. Results of the play-offs are written so that the score of the team in each row is mentioned first.

Legend
Cup winner
(knockout play-offs).		Pos = Log Position, P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Diff = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, SP = Starting Points for Group Stage, Pts = Log Points, Semi = Semi-final, Refs = References
†Top League title winner.

Suntory Sungoliath 12–8 Panasonic Wild Knights

Top League and All-Japan titles: 2017 onward

There were no title-play-offs in 2018, and the team on top of the league after the round-robin stage was crowned the Top League title winner. However, the top three teams progressed to the All-Japan Championship.

The All-Japan Championship doubled as the Top League Champions Cup title from 2018 onward, with university teams excluded.

Top League and All-Japan title (2017–present)
YearCup periodPosTeamTop League regular seasonPlay-offsRef
PtsWDLPFPADiffTBLBSemiFinal
2018 6 January
to
13 January 		1 White Panasonic Wild Knights 631300580142+43811017–118–12 [2]
1 Red Suntory Sungoliath †551201450180+2707049–712–8
2 White Yamaha Júbilo 46904440232+208827–49—
2 Red Toyota Verblitz 461003394288+1064211–17—
2017 21 January
to
29 January 		1 Suntory Sungoliath †711500563184+37911052–2915–10 [3]
2 Yamaha Júbilo 671401580208+37211024–36—
3 Panasonic Wild Knights 621302579268+3119136–2410–15
4 Kobelco Steelers 481005473328+14571——
Logo 2014-2016 Lixil Cup logo.png
Logo 2014–2016

Lixil Cup and Top League title: 2014 to 2016

From the 2013–14 season, the Top League tournament was contested by sixteen teams. The top four teams from the league competition (or the top eight in 2016) advanced to the play-offs to compete for the Lixil Trophy and Top League Championship.

Lixil Trophy and Top League Championship play-offs (2014–2016)
YearCup periodPosTeamTop League regular seasonCup play-off resultsRef
PtsWDLPFPADiffTBLBSPQtrSemiFinal
2016 9 January
to
24 January 		1A Panasonic Wild Knights †3161029013715350–48–642–1027–26 [4]
1B Yamaha Jubilo 296012261408650–27–622–34—
2A Toshiba Brave Lupus 2651125310015340–29–1734–2226–27
2B Kobelco Steelers 275022351379852–42–1010–42—
3A Kintetsu Liners 23502189193-430–10–42——
3B Toyota Verblitz 265022031257851–17–29——
4A NTT Com Shining Arcs 224031901424842–6–27——
4B Canon Eagles 255021961425441–6-48——
2015 24 January
to
1 February 		1 Kobelco Steelers 29502242113+129414—12–41— [5]
2 Panasonic Wild Knights †29502218131+87504—50–1530–12
3 Toshiba Brave Lupus 28502213147+66413—15–50—
4 Yamaha Júbilo 27502165134+31412—41–1212–30
2014 1 February
to
9 February 		1 Panasonic Wild Knights †36700224105119404—55–1545–22 [6]
2 Suntory Sungoliath 3260126116992404—27–1922–45
3 Kobelco Steelers 2440322319429512—19–27—
4 Toshiba Brave Lupus 2340318115130232—15–55—

Play-offs and Top League title: 2010 to 2013

Microsoft Cup logo.png
Magnify-clip (sans arrow).svg
Microsoft Cup banner 2005–2009.

Microsoft Cup and Top League title: 2007 to 2009

For the 2006–07 season the tournament was expanded to fourteen teams and the Top League and Microsoft Cup competitions were combined. Only the top four teams on the regular season table progressed to title play-offs and the winner of the knockout competition was awarded both the Microsoft Cup and the Top League title.

Video referee (TMO) decisions were introduced for the 2009 Cup series. The naming rights partnership with Microsoft for the knockout competition ended after the 2009 Cup final.

Top League Championship play-off tournament (2007–2013)
YearCup periodPosTeamTop League regular seasonPlay-off resultsRef
PtsWDLPFPADiffTBLBSemiFinal
2009 17 February
to
24 February 		1 Toshiba Brave Lupus †591201563211+35211026–717–6 [7]
2 Sanyo Wild Knights 581201584197+38710032–226–17
3 Suntory Sungoliath 511003482298+18410122–32—
4 Kobelco Steelers 43904358300+58526–27—
2008 17 February
to
24 February 		1 Sanyo Wild Knights 631300593170+42311025–2110–14 [8]
2 Suntory Sungoliath †531012453229+22410133–1014–10
3 Toyota Verblitz 50913452269+1839310–33—
4 Toshiba Brave Lupus 471012398263+1355221–25—
2007 28 January
to
4 February 		1 Toshiba Brave Lupus †60120150223426811138–3514–13 [9]
2 Suntory Sungoliath 56110254516138410240–3913–14
3 Yamaha Jubilo 481012379306735139–40—
4 Toyota Verblitz 479044482671818335–38—

Top League, separate Microsoft Cup: 2004 to 2006

For the first three seasons the competition format was a single round-robin tournament contested by twelve teams, with the team finishing top of the table winning the Top League title. The Microsoft Cup was a separate knockout competition for the top eight teams in the league.

Microsoft Cup play-off tournament (2004–2006)
YearCup periodPosTeamTop League regular seasonPlay-off resultsRef
PtsWDLPFPADiffTBLBQtrSemiFinal
2006 22 January
to
5 February 		1 Toshiba Brave Lupus †4690240619321310038–723–1033–18 [10]
2 Sanyo Wild Knights 429024162761406024–40——
3 NEC Green Rockets 419022701361344117–1210–23—
4 Toyota Verblitz 377044312631686312–17——
5 Kobelco Steelers 3370428422559417–38——
6 Suntory Sungoliath 32605308241676235–1744–2518–33
7 Yamaha Jubilo 285063282111174417–35——
8 Kubota Spears 23416324297275040–2425–44—
2005 8 February
to
28 February 		1 Toshiba Brave Lupus†5010014631662979133–1341–0 20–6 α [11]
2 Yamaha Jubilo 459023802181628138–33 33–33 β  6–20 α
3 NEC Green Rockets 4490240725315471 16–51 γ ——
4 Toyota Verblitz 438034272242039242–21 33–33 β —
5 Kobelco Steelers 34605326356-3082 51–16 γ 0–41—
6 Kubota Spears 27506277334-576133–38——
7 Sanyo Wild Knights 24407346296504421–41——
8 Suntory Sungoliath 24407307282254413–33——
2004 8 February
to
22 February 		1 Kobelco Steelers δ †4790243928615311035–2710–34— [12]
2 Toshiba Brave Lupus 448125032832209139–1036–3419–24
3 Yamaha Jubilo 428213342231116010–39——
4 Suntory Sungoliath 42803408265143915–32——
5 World Fighting Bull 32605349285647127–35——
6 NEC Green Rockets δ 305244112741376032–534–1024–19
7 Sanyo Wild Knights 24416319331-126039–3234–36—
8 Kubota Spears 22409262362-1004232–39——

Notes:

^α Toshiba Brave Lupus won the Top League and Microsoft Cup double. [13]

^β The number of tries and goals being equal, the result was decided in favour of Yamaha over Toyota by a lottery at Hanazono after the game.

^γ Reigning Microsoft Cup holders the NEC Green Rockets were knocked out at the quarter-final stage. [14] [15]

^δ In 2003–04, Kobe Steel won the Top League but NEC won the Microsoft Cup. The League and Cup were separate competitions prior to 2007.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Top League to introduce new officiating system this season". The Japan Times. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "2017/18 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  3. ↑ "2016/17 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  4. ↑ "2015/16 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  5. ↑ "2014/15 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  6. ↑ "2013/14 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  7. ↑ "2008/09 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  8. ↑ "2007/08 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  9. ↑ "2006/07 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  10. ↑ "2005/06 Top League". The Rugby Archive.
  11. ↑ "2004/05 Top League". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "2003/04 Top League". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015.
  13. ↑ "Steelers upset Green Rockets in Microsoft Cup quarter final". The Japan Times. 24 January 2004. Archived from the original on 1 March 2005.
  14. ↑ "Brave Lupus add name to rugby Cup". The Japan Times. 7 February 2005. Archived from the original on 1 March 2005.
  15. ↑ "Official report of the 2005 final". JRFU. Archived from the original on 5 April 2005.
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