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2016–17 Top League Challenge Series
Countries Japan
Date3 December 2016 – 15 January 2017
Champions NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (2nd title)
Runners-up Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
Promoted NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
Matches played12
←  2015–16
2017 →

The 2016–17 Top League Challenge Series was the 2016–17 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 2017–18 season. The competition was contested from 13 December 2016 to 24 January 2017.

NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won promotion to the 2017–18 Top League, while Hino Red Dolphins, Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars progressed to the promotion play-offs. Chubu Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power, Kamaishi Seawaves and Mazda Blue Zoomers all earned a place in the new 2017 Top Challenge League.

Competition rules and information

The top three 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, the runners-up participated in Challenge 2 and the third-placed teams participated in Challenge 3. The winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.

The top team in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2017–18 Top League, while the other three teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.

Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1, Challenge 2 and Challenge 3 series through the 2016 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2016 Top West League were: [1]

2016 Top West League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (R) 5 5 0 0 463 22 +441 5 0 25
2 Chubu Electric Power 5 3 0 2 125 112 +13 2 1 15
3 Osaka Police 5 3 0 2 104 104 0 2 1 15
4 JR West Railers 5 3 0 2 82 179 −97 0 0 12
5 Osaka Gas (P) 5 1 0 4 70 273 −203 0 0 4
6 Unitika Phoenix 5 0 0 5 78 232 −154 0 3 3
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
(R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.
2016 Top West League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes (R) 2 2 0 0 184 7 +177 2 0 10
2 Chubu Electric Power 2 1 0 1 20 99 −79 0 0 4
3 Osaka Police 2 0 0 2 11 109 −98 0 1 1
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
(R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.

Top East League

The final standings for the 2016 Top East League were: [2]

2016 Top East League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 9 9 0 0 468 80 +388 9 0 45
2 Hino Red Dolphins 9 8 0 1 420 107 +313 5 0 37
3 Kamaishi Seawaves 9 7 0 2 367 179 +188 4 0 32
4 Kurita Water 9 6 0 3 393 214 +179 5 2 31
5 Tokyo Gas 9 4 0 5 304 321 −17 3 1 20
6 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 9 4 0 5 204 353 −149 3 0 19
7 Akita Northern Bullets 9 3 0 6 237 355 −118 3 1 16
8 Yakult Levins 9 3 0 6 242 249 −7 1 1 14
9 Secom Rugguts 9 1 0 8 118 486 −368 0 0 4
10 IBM Big Blue 9 0 0 9 106 515 −409 0 1 1
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2016 Top Kyūshū League were: [3]

2016 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Chugoku Electric Power 6 6 0 0 297 84 +213 5 0 29
2 Kyuden Voltex 6 5 0 1 347 47 +300 4 1 25
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 6 4 0 2 356 86 +270 4 1 21
4 JR Kyūshū Thunders 6 3 0 3 148 139 +9 3 0 15
5 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 6 2 0 4 99 291 −192 0 0 8
6 Fukuoka Bank 6 1 0 5 86 343 −257 0 0 4
7 Nippon Steel Yawata 6 0 0 6 61 404 −343 0 2 2
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.
2016 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Kyuden Voltex 2 2 0 0 52 26 +26 0 0 8
2 Chugoku Electric Power 2 1 0 1 45 31 +14 1 0 5
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 0 0 2 19 59 −40 0 0 0
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Challenge 1

Standings

The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 1 were: [4]

2016–17 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 3 3 0 0 137 38 +99 2 0 14
2 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 3 1 0 2 55 56 −1 1 1 6
3 Hino Red Dolphins 3 1 0 2 50 97 −47 1 0 5
4 Kyuden Voltex 3 1 0 2 31 82 −51 0 0 4
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 1: [4]


3 January 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 12–19 Kyuden Voltex  


3 January 2017 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 68–12 Hino Red Dolphins  


9 January 2017 Kyuden Voltex 12–39 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes  


9 January 2017 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 29–7 Hino Red Dolphins  


15 January 2017 Kyuden Voltex 0–31 Hino Red Dolphins  


15 January 2017 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 30–14 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 2 were: [4]

2016–17 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Hino Red Dolphins 2 2 0 0 107 0 +107 2 0 10
2 Chubu Electric Power 2 1 0 1 38 91 −53 0 0 4
3 Chugoku Electric Power 2 0 0 2 27 81 −54 0 0 0
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 2: [4]


3 December 2016 Hino Red Dolphins 43–0 Chugoku Electric Power  


11 December 2016 Chubu Electric Power 0–64 Hino Red Dolphins  


18 December 2016 Chugoku Electric Power 27–38 Chubu Electric Power  

Challenge 3

Standings

The final standings for the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 3 were: [4]

2016–17 Top League Challenge 3 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Kamaishi Seawaves 2 2 0 0 76 48 +28 1 0 9
2 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 1 0 1 66 43 +23 1 0 5
3 Osaka Police 2 0 0 2 43 94 −51 0 1 1
Legend:
P = Games played, W = Games won, D = Games drawn, L = Games lost, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, PD = Points difference, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2016–17 Top League Challenge 3: [4]


3 December 2016 Kamaishi Seawaves 36–12 Mazda Blue Zoomers  


11 December 2016 Osaka Police 36–40 Kamaishi Seawaves  


18 December 2016 Mazda Blue Zoomers 54–7 Osaka Police  

See also

References

  1. ^ "West Regional Top League 2016/17". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ "East Regional Top League 2016/17". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Kyushu Regional Top League 2016/17". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Top League Challenge 2016/17". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
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