The 2018–19 Top League was the 16th season of
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 ...
's top-tier domestic
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
competition, the
Top League.
Competition rules
The sixteen Top League teams were divided into two conferences for the
first stage of the competition; each team played the seven other teams in their conferences once.
All sixteen teams then progressed to a play-off stage; the top four teams in each conference advanced to the
title play-offs and the bottom four teams in each conference to the
9th-place play-offs, which determined the final positions for the season. The
title play-offs doubled up as the
All-Japan Rugby Football Championship
The All-Japan Rugby Football Championship (日本ラグビーフットボール選手権大会 ''Nihon Ragubi- Futtobo-ru Senshuken Taikai'') is played at the end of the season and is doubling as the title playoff in the Top League. The first champ ...
, which would no longer include university teams.
The bottom four teams in the 9th-place play-off all played in relegation play-off matches.
Teams
The following teams took part in the 2018 Top League competition:
*
Honda Heat
Mie Honda Heat is a Japanese rugby union team based in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The owner of the club is Honda Motor. (Suzuka is known for the Suzuka Circuit and the presence of car companies.)
They play in the Japan Rugby League One, ...
won the
2017–18 Top Challenge League to win promotion back to the Top League after a one-season absence.
*
Hino Red Dolphins
Hino Motors Red Dolphins are a Japanese rugby union team, currently playing in the county's top tier Japan Rugby League One competition. The team is the rugby team of commercial vehicle manufacturer Hino Motors, based in Hino in the Tokyo Metropol ...
won their
promotion play-off match to win promotion to the Top League for the first time in their history.
First Stage : Red Conference
Standings
The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference are:
Matches
The 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference fixtures are:
Round 1
Round 2
* The match between
Kobelco Steelers
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of ...
and
Munakata Sanix Blues scheduled for Round 2 was postponed following the
Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake and was rescheduled for
29 September
Events Pre-1600
*61 BC – Pompey, Pompey the Great celebrates his third Roman triumph, triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday.
*1011 – Danes Siege of Canterbury, capture Cant ...
.
Round 3
Round 4
Round 2 (rescheduled)
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
First Stage : White Conference
Standings
The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference are:
Matches
The 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference fixtures are:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Second stage
Standings
The final standings for the 2018 Top League were:
Title play-offs
The four quarter final winners qualified for the semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 5th-place semi-finals.
The two semi-final winners qualified for the final, while the losers qualified for the 3rd-place match. The two 5th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 5th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 7th-place match.
The final matches determined the final standings.
9th-place play-offs
The four 9th-place quarter final winners qualified for the 9th-place semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 13th-place semi-finals and the
relegation play-offs
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
.
The two 9th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 9th-place final, while the losers qualified for the 11th-place match. The two 13th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 13th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 15th-place match.
The final matches will determine the final standings.
See also
*
2018–19 Top League Cup
*
2018 Top Challenge League
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Top League, 2018-19
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
2018–19 in Japanese rugby union
2018–19 rugby union tournaments for clubs