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 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 ...

. The first championship was played in 1963 and won by Doshisha University RFC which beat Kintetsu (now

Kintetsu Liners Hanazono Kintetsu Liners rugby team are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team. Their home is at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Hig ...

) 18–3. Before that the NHK invitation cup was played three times, 1960-2.

Qualifying

2009–2017

The All-Japan Rugby Football Championship was expanded from 8 to 10 teams for 2009 with the addition of two more

sides. For 2010, the top four Top League sides automatically qualify for the Championship, while the six sides that finish fifth to tenth play off to determine the last two Top League sides.

2017–present

With the new

system, the teams in the title playoff will have this playoff double as this competition. No university teams will compete.

NHK Cup Finals

All Japan Rugby Football Championship finals

References