2008 Top League Challenge Series
The 2008 Top League Challenge Series was the 2008 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 2008–09 season. The competition was contested from 27 January to 10 February 2008. Kintetsu Liners and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars won promotion to the 2008–09 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and World Fighting Bull 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 2008–09 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs. Qualification ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is a part of the Ring of Fire, and spans Japanese archipelago, an archipelago of List of islands of Japan, 6852 islands covering ; the five main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu (the "mainland"), Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa Island, Okinawa. Tokyo is the Capital of Japan, nation's capital and largest city, followed by Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto. Japan is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh most populous country in the world, as well as one of the List of countries and dependencies by population density, most densely populated and Urbanization by country, urbanized. About three-fourths of Geography of Japan, the c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Toyota Industries Shuttles
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi (also called Toyota Jido Shokki as distinct from Toyota, which was renamed Toyota Verblitz) is a Japanese rugby team owned by Toyota Industries. They were promoted to Japan's top-flight league Top League for the first time in the 2010-11 season. Its home base is Kariya City. The team rebranded as Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Name and colours The team name "Shuttles" derives from a part used in the Non-Stop Shuttle Change Toyoda Automatic Loom (for weaving fabrics), invented by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries. The team and plays in a sky blue jersey with white shorts and sky blue socks. History The Toyota Industries rugby team was founded in 1984. In the late 1990s, the team played in the Kansai League and competed in the Companies National Tournament. From 2003–04, Toyota Industries competed in the West Regional League. Toyota Industries ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shimizu Blue Sharks
Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks – nicknamed the Blue Sharks – are a Japanese rugby union team, currently playing in the Japan Rugby League One. The team is the rugby team of architectural, civil engineering and general contracting firm Shimizu, based in Chūō in Tokyo. The team was created in 1976 as the rugby union team for Shimizu Corporation. When rugby union in Japan was restructured in 2003 with the introduction of the Top League, Shimizu Blue Sharks was allocated to the second tier Top East League. They were relegated after the 2007–08 season, and played in lower leagues for a decade. They won promotion back for the 2017–18 season, where they secured a fourth-place finish. The following season, they won the competition, and also won their promotion play-off match against Chugoku Red Regulions to be promoted to the Top Challenge League for 2019. The team rebranded as Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Insurance Meiji Life Yasuda
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss. An entity which provides insurance is known as an insurer, insurance company, insurance carrier, or underwriter. A person or entity who buys insurance is known as a policyholder, while a person or entity covered under the policy is called an insured. The insurance transaction involves the policyholder assuming a guaranteed, known, and relatively small loss in the form of a payment to the insurer (a premium) in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate the insured in the event of a covered loss. The loss may or may not be financial, but it must be reducible to financial terms. Furthermore, it usually involves something in which the insured has an insurable interest established by ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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JAL Wings in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (IATA code: JAL)
{{disambiguation, geo ...
JAL or Jal may refer to: Entertainment * Jal (band), a Pakistani pop/rock band * ''Jal'' (film), a 2014 Hindi film * Jal Fazer, a character in the British TV series ''Skins'' * "Jal", an episode of the British TV series ''Skins'' Places * Jal, New Mexico, a town in New Mexico, U.S. * Jalisco, México * Jal-e Akhund Mahalleh, Iran * Jal-e Chala Sar, Iran * Jal, Oman Other uses * Japan Airlines, ICAO airline designator, and abbreviation: JAL * JAL (compiler), Just Another Language, a compiler for the PIC microcontroller * Cyclone Jal, a storm that hit South India during November 2010 * El Lencero Airport El Lencero Airport is an airport located at Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. It handles national air traffic for the city of Xalapa. The airport is able to handle up to 100,000 passengers per year. Aeromar had for many years been the only commercial o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Akita Northern Bullets
Akita Northern Bullets are a Japanese rugby union team that play in the Top East League. The team is based in Akita, Akita, Japan. In 1958, the Akita City Government created a rugby union team. The new Bullets team was formed in 2004, and allocated to the Top North League. As of 2017, the club is in the Top East Division 1, the third-highest level of rugby competition in the country Notable players and coaches * Joshua Kerevi *Clynton Knox *Manueli Nawalu *Temo Raibevu *Tiuana Takapu * Alaska Taufa *Setareki Tawake Setareki "Seta" Tawake Naivaluwaqa (born 1 March 1969 in Kavala, Kadavu Island, Kadavu) is a retired Fijian rugby union player, who was capped for Fiji national rugby union team, Fiji on 31 occasions. He played as Flanker (rugby union), Openside f ... *Bryce Tevita *Tone Tukufuka *Sio Moceituba *Jacob Mackellar *Connor Wihongi *Mosese Sokiveta Honors and titles Top North League *Champions (2): 2004-05, 2005-06 *Runners-up (3) 2001, 2002, 2003-04 National Sports Fe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kurita Water RFC
Kurita Water Gush Akishima are a Japanese rugby union team that play in Division Three of Japan Rugby League One. They are owned by Kurita Water Industries, a water treatment chemical manufacturer. The team is based in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The team rebranded as Kurita Water Gush Akishima ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ... in 2022. Squad The Kurita Water Gush Akishima squad for the 2023 season is: References External linksKurita Water Official Site {{Kurita Water Gush Akishima squad Sports teams in Kanagawa Prefecture Rugby in Kantō Japan Rugby League One teams 1962 establishments in Japan Rugby clubs established in 1962 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kamaishi Seawaves
Kamaishi Seawaves is a Rugby union football club in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 2001. At its inception, it was known as Nippon Steel Corporation Kamaishi. Current squad The Kamaishi Seawaves squad for the 2023 season is: Notable players The following former Kamaishi Seawaves players became Japanese internationals: *Masayoshi Ito * Koji Miyata *Osamu Koyabu * Toru Wada * Kazuo Muraguchi * Takeshi Hatakeyama * Akemi Namura * Ichiro Kobayashi * Kiyoshi Segawa * Jiro Ishiyama * Yuji Matsuo * Shigetaka Mori *Hideo Kobayashi was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan. Early life Kobayashi was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo, where his father was a noted engineer who introduced European diamond polishing techno ... * Koji Horaguchi * Yoshihiko Sakuraba * Michihito Chida References External links * {{Kamaishi Seawaves squad Rugby clubs established in 2001 Sports teams in Iwate Pref ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tokyo Gas (rugby Union)
, founded in 1885, is the primary provider of natural gas to the main cities of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, and Nagano. , Tokyo Gas is the largest natural gas utility in Japan. Timeline *October 1, 1885, Tokyo Gas was founded by Shibusawa Eiichi and Asano Sōichirō was a Japanese businessman responsible for founding a number of companies, including what became today's Sapporo Breweries, Toa Construction Corporation, Oki Electric Industry, JFE Group and Taiheiyo Cement (formerly Asano Cement). He came f ... by acquiring business of Tokyo Prefecture Gas Bureau. *1912, Tokyo Gas merged with Chiyoda Gas. *1913, Tokyo Gas merged with Kawasaki Gas. *1944, Tokyo Gas acquired business of Yokohama City Gas Bureau. *May 2016, Tokyo Gas merged with Chiba Gas, Tsukuba Gakuen Gas Corporation, and Miho Gas. External links Tokyo Gas website(Japanese)(English) Japanese companies established in 1885 1912 mergers and acquisitions ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Suntory Foods (rugby Union)
(commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now also makes soft drinks and operates sandwich chains. With its 2014 acquisition of Beam, Inc., it has diversified internationally and become the third largest maker of distilled beverages in the world. Suntory is headquartered in Dojimahama 2-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. , a subsidiary of Suntory, is responsible for development outside Japan. History Suntory was started by , who first opened his store in Osaka on February 1, 1899, to sell imported wines. In 1907, the store began selling a fortified wine called Akadama Port Wine (Akadama literally meaning "red ball," a euphemism for the sun). The store became the Kotobukiya company in 1921 to further expand its busin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Rugby League One competition, currently in Division 2. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone sevenral ''re-brands'' throughout is history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newsly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22, to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards. History and name NTT Communications RFC was founded in 1976. They won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2009–10 season. They made their Top League debut for the 2010–11 season. After their first season, they finished 12th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. They had to play a play-off to keep themselves in the Top League, in which they beat Canon Eagles 31–19. In the 2011–12 season, they finished in n ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Secom Rugguts
Secom Rugguts is a Japanese rugby union team founded in 1985 by SECOM. Its name is a portmanteau of "Rugger" and "Guts". The club was in the Top League for the first season of the league but was demoted at the end of the season. As the top team of the Top East league and by then coming second after Fukuoka Sanix Bombs in the three-way Top League Challenge Series, Secom got back into the Top League for the 2005-6 season but was relegated again in 2006-7. On February 10, 2008 Secom's 3-10 loss to World Fighting Bull in the Top Challenge Two series ended its challenge to return to the Top League for the 2008-9 season. Slogan for 2006 season: "Seize the day" Squad Notable players Japan * Motohiro Akagi * Kensuke Iwabuchi (Former Japan international) * Tomohiro Oinuma (currently playing for Ricoh Black Rams) * Noriyoshi Ohara (currently Iwate Morioka High School RFC coach) * Kota Kawashima (currently playing for Kintetsu Liners) * Takashi Kamio * Yoshiyuki Koike * Taka ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |