2006 Top League Challenge Series

2006 Top League Challenge Series
CountriesJapan
Date15 – 28 January 2006
ChampionsCoca-Cola West Red Sparks (1st title)
Runners-upIBM Big Blue
PromotedCoca-Cola West Red Sparks
IBM Big Blue
Matches played6
← 2005
2007 →

The 2006 Top League Challenge Series was the 2006 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 2006–07 season. The competition was contested from 15 to 28 January 2006.

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and IBM Big Blue won promotion to the 2006–07 Top League, while Honda Heat, Kintetsu Liners, Kyuden Voltex and NTT Communications Shining Arcs progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Competition rules and information

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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 2006–07 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the three Challenge 2 teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.

Qualification

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The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2005 regional leagues.

Top West League

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The final standings for the 2005 Top West League were:[1]

2005 Top West League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Kintetsu Liners (R) 7 7 0 0 448 106 +342 7 0 35
2 Honda Heat 7 6 0 1 470 83 +387 6 1 31
3 Toyota Industries Shuttles 7 5 0 2 487 141 +346 6 1 27
4 Osaka Police 7 4 0 3 286 206 +80 3 1 20
5 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 7 3 0 4 299 208 +91 3 1 16
6 Chubu Electric Power 7 2 0 5 188 309 −121 3 0 11
7 Mitsubishi Red Evolutions 7 1 0 6 105 580 −475 0 0 4
8 Unitika Phoenix 7 0 0 7 66 716 −650 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.
(R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League.

Top East League

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The final standings for the 2005 Top East League were:[2]

2005 Top East League (East) standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 IBM Big Blue (R) 9 9 0 0 487 99 +388 9 0 45
2 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 9 8 0 1 341 129 +212 7 0 39
3 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 9 6 0 3 237 174 +63 5 1 30
4 Kurita Water 9 6 0 3 268 211 +57 4 1 29
5 Tokyo Gas 9 6 0 3 280 243 +37 5 0 29
6 Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 9 3 0 6 192 254 −62 4 1 17
7 Shimizu Blue Sharks 9 2 1 6 145 303 −158 2 2 14
8 Kamaishi Seawaves 9 2 1 6 161 296 −135 1 0 11
9 JAL Wings 9 1 0 8 144 360 −216 2 1 7
10 Insurance Meiji Life Yasuda 9 1 0 8 96 282 −186 2 1 7
2005 Top East League (North) standings
1 Akita Northern Bullets 6 6 0 0 420 83 +337 6 0 30
2 Funaoka SDF Wild Boars 6 3 0 3 207 148 +59 4 0 16
3 North Force 6 2 0 4 116 329 −213 2 0 10
4 NTT Burns 6 1 0 5 130 313 −183 2 1 7
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.

The following matches were played:


Round 1 30 December 2005 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 55–0 Akita Northern Bullets  


Round 2 7 January 2006 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 10–28 NTT Communications Shining Arcs  

Top Kyūshū League

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The final standings for the 2005 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2005 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Kyuden Voltex 6 6 0 0 453 56 +397 5 0 29
2 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 6 5 0 1 432 74 +358 5 0 25
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 6 4 0 2 299 112 +187 5 1 22
4 Chugoku Electric Power 6 3 0 3 183 253 −70 3 0 15
5 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 6 2 0 4 121 347 −226 2 0 10
6 Mitsubishi Mizushima 6 1 0 5 76 363 −287 2 1 7
7 JR Kyūshū Thunders 6 0 0 6 66 425 −359 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.
2005 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 2 2 0 0 98 26 +72 1 0 9
2 Kyuden Voltex 2 1 0 1 54 49 +5 1 1 6
3 Mazda Blue Zoomers 2 0 0 2 36 113 −77 1 0 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.

Challenge 1

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Standings

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The final standings for the 2006 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2006 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 2 2 0 0 36 29 +7 0 0 8
2 IBM Big Blue 2 1 0 1 56 21 +35 1 1 6
3 Kintetsu Liners 2 0 0 2 12 54 −42 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

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The following matches were played in the 2006 Top League Challenge 1:[4]


15 January 2006 IBM Big Blue 39–0 Kintetsu Liners  


21 January 2006 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 21–17 IBM Big Blue  


28 January 2006 Kintetsu Liners 12–15 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks  

Challenge 2

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Standings

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The final standings for the 2006 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2006 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 Honda Heat 2 2 0 0 103 57 +46 2 0 10
2 Kyuden Voltex 2 1 0 1 57 54 +3 2 0 6
3 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 2 0 0 2 46 95 −49 1 0 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

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The following matches were played in the 2006 Top League Challenge 2:[4]


15 January 2006 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 31–64 Honda Heat  


22 January 2006 Kyuden Voltex 31–15 NTT Communications Shining Arcs  


28 January 2006 Honda Heat 39–26 Kyuden Voltex  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "West Regional Top League 2005/06". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ "East Regional Top League 2005/06". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Kyushu Regional Top League 2005/06". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Top League Challenge 2005/06". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.