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2018 Top Challenge League

The 2018 Top Challenge League was the second season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.

It was played from 8 September to 9 December 2018, with eight participating teams. NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won the competition for the third time – having previously won in 2010–11 and 2016–17 and qualified for the promotion play-offs, along with Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, Kintetsu Liners and Kurita Water Gush. Kamaishi Seawaves and Chugoku Red Regulions finished seventh and eighth respectively to qualify for the relegation play-offs.

Competition rules

In January 2017, the JRFU announced the format of the Top Challenge League competition. The competition was played in two stages. The First Stage was a round-robin format, where all eight teams played each other once.

The top four teams in the First Stage progressed to Group A of the Second Stage, while the bottom four teams progressed to Group B. Each of these groups was another round-robin, with all four teams playing each other once.

The four teams that competed in Group A progressed to promotion play-offs against the bottom four teams in the 2018–19 Top League.

The two team that finished bottom and second-bottom of Group B progressed to the relegation play-offs, along with the winners and the runners-up of the Regional Challenge, held between the champions of the , and .

Teams

The following teams took part in the 2018 Top Challenge League competition:

First stage

Standings

The current standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage are:

Matches

The 2018 Top Challenge League First Stage fixtures are:

Round one

Round two

Round three

Round four

Round five

Round six

Round seven

Second Stage Group A

Standings

The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A are:

Matches

Round one

Round two

Round three

Second Stage Group B

Standings

The standings for the 2018 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B are:

Matches

Round one

Round two

Round three

Relegation play-offs

  • Top Challenge League side Kamaishi Seawaves won their match to remain in the Top Challenge League for 2019.
  • Top Challenge League side Chugoku Red Regulions lost their match and was relegated to the Top KyÅ«shÅ« League for 2019.
  • Top League East side Shimizu Blue Sharks won their match to win promotion to the Top Challenge League for 2019.
  • Top League West side Chubu Electric Power lost their match to remain in the Top League West for 2019.

The matches played were:

See also

References