2012–13 Top League Challenge Series
CountriesJapan
Date9 December 2012 – 20 January 2013
ChampionsCoca-Cola West Red Sparks (2nd title)
Runners-upKubota Spears
PromotedCoca-Cola West Red Sparks
Kubota Spears
Matches played9

The 2012–13 Top League Challenge Series was the 2012–13 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 2013–14 season. The competition was contested from 9 December 2012 to 20 January 2013.

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and Kubota Spears won promotion to the 2013–14 Top League, while Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Competition rules and information

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 winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.

The top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2013–14 Top League, while the third and fourth-placed teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.

Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2012 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2012 Top West League were:[1]

2012 Top West League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Toyota Industries Shuttles440020359+1444020
2Honda Heat (R)430123644+1923015
3Chubu Electric Power4202118126−8109
4Osaka Police410368143−75116
5JR West Railers400434279−245000
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.
2012 Top West League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Toyota Industries Shuttles330014236+1063015
2Honda Heat (R)320116455+1092010
3Chubu Electric Power310255189−134105
4Osaka Police300337118−81000
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 2012 Top East League were:[2]

2012 Top East League standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Kubota Spears990057461+5138044
2Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars9801456101+3557040
3Kamaishi Seawaves9603248257−96130
4Tokyo Gas9504319141+1786228
5Kurita Water9504214270−563124
6Yakult Levins (P)9405144252−1082018
7Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars9306217345−1284218
8Akita Northern Bullets9306137240−1032115
9Hino Red Dolphins9207138350−2123011
10IBM Big Blue900995428−333101
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.
(P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2012 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2012 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (R)660066336+6276030
2Mazda Blue Zoomers650132879+2495025
3Chugoku Electric Power6402180201−214020
4JR Kyūshū Thunders6303202194+83015
5Fukuoka Bank611490302−212107
6Nippon Steel Yawata (P)610598377−279105
7Yamagataya (P)601578451−373103
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.
2012 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Coca-Cola West Red Sparks22001300+1302010
2Mazda Blue Zoomers21014664−18105
3Chugoku Electric Power200210122−112000
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 2012–13 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2012–13 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Coca-Cola West Red Sparks3300136102+343015
2Kubota Spears320110384+192111
3Toyota Industries Shuttles3102105121−16116
4Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars30035592−37011
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 2012–13 Top League Challenge 1:[4]

5 January 2013 Kubota Spears 31–37 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks  
5 January 2013 Toyota Industries Shuttles 26–16 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
12 January 2013 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks 26–22 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
12 January 2013 Kubota Spears 32–30 Toyota Industries Shuttles  
20 January 2013 Kubota Spears 40–17 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
20 January 2013 Toyota Industries Shuttles 49–73 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks  

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2012–13 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2012–13 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars22009916+83109
2Honda Heat21014225+17105
3Mazda Blue Zoomers200214114−100000
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 2012–13 Top League Challenge 2:[4]

9 December 2012 Honda Heat 9–18 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars  
16 December 2012 Mazda Blue Zoomers 7–33 Honda Heat  
24 December 2012 Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars 81–7 Mazda Blue Zoomers  

See also

References

  1. "West Regional Top League 2012/13". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. "East Regional Top League 2012/13". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  3. "Kyushu Regional Top League 2012/13". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Top League Challenge 2012/13". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
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