2008–09 Top League

Flickr - tpower1978 - Microsoft Cup (1).jpg 300px Toshiba playing Sanyo for the 2009 Microsoft Cup. Japan Japan 5 September 2008 - 18 January 2009 Toshiba Brave Lupus (4th title) Sanyo Wild Knights 2007–08 2009–10 The 2008–09 Top League was the sixth season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. The Toshiba Brave Lupus defeated Sanyo Wild Knights by 17–6 in the final of the Microsoft Cup to claim the 2008–09 Top League championship. The Top League is a semi-professional competition which is at the top of the national league system in Japan, with promotion and relegation between the next level down. 3 Preseason Kintetsu Liners returned to the league, and Yokogawa Denki were promoted for the first time (and renamed Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars in the off season). They replaced Ricoh Black Rams and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars. Teams TeamRegionCoca-Cola West Red SparksFukuoka, KyushuFukuoka Sanix BluesFukuoka, KyushuIBM Big BlueChiba, KantoKintetsu LinersOsaka, KansaiKobelco SteelersHyogo, KansaiKubota SpearsChiba, KantoKyuden VoltexFukuoka, KyushuNEC Green RocketsChiba, KantoSanyo Wild KnightsGunma, KantoSuntory SungoliathTokyo, KantoToshiba Brave LupusTokyo, KantoToyota VerblitzAichi, TokaiYamaha JubiloShizuoka, TokaiYokogawa Musashino AtlastarsTokyo, Kanto Regular season Final standings Top League TableClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DifferenceTry BonusLosing BonusPoints118px Toshiba Brave Lupus131201563211+352110 59218px Sanyo Wild Knights131201584197+387100 58318px Suntory Sungoliath131003482298+184101 51418px Kobelco Steelers13904358300+5852 43518px NEC Green Rockets13805298309−1141 37618px Kubota Spears13805309334−2541 37718px Yamaha Jubilo13706344304+4061 35818px Toyota Verblitz13607310286+2443 31918px Kintetsu Liners13508319348−2962 281018px Coca-Cola West Red Sparks13607273353−8011 261118px Fukuoka Sanix Blues133010266442−17654 211218px Kyuden Voltex133010345451−10642 181318px IBM Big Blue131012222496−27413 81418px Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars131012230574−34440 8 The top 4 teams qualified for the title play-offs. The top 6 teams also qualified for entry into the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship. Teams 11 and 12 went through to the promotion and relegation play-offs against regional challengers. 4 Teams 13 and 14 were automatically relegated.http://www.rugbyarchive.net/Pagine/StagioneCompetizioni.aspx?ID=96&Stagione=2008/09 2008/09 Top League The Rugby Archive Four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2). If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Number of matches won Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled Fixtures and results Results Rd 1-13 (source top-league.jp) November 2013 Title play-offs Top 4 sides of the regular season competed in the Microsoft Cup (2009) knock out tournament to fight for the Top League title. The top 4 teams of 2008–09 were Toshiba Brave Lupus, Sanyo Wild Knights, Kobe Steelers, and Suntory Sungoliath. Semi-finals 14:00 1 February 2009 Toshiba Brave Lupus 26–7 Kobelco Steelers 14:00 1 February 2009 Sanyo Wild Knights 32–22 Suntory Sungoliath Final collapsible expanded 8 February 2009 14:00 Toshiba Brave Lupus 17–6 Sanyo Wild Knights Report 9 February 2009 Scandal clouds Toshiba's victory in Microsoft Cup Japan Times 25 August 2016 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2009/02/09/more-sports/rugby/scandal-clouds-toshibas-victory-in-microsoft-cup/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20150905084902/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2009/02/09/more-sports/rugby/scandal-clouds-toshibas-victory-in-microsoft-cup/ 5 September 2015 Chichibunomiya, Tokyo 17,000 Top League Challenge Series 2009 Top League Challenge Series Honda Heat and Ricoh Black Rams won promotion to the 2009–10 Top League via the 2009 Top League Challenge Series, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs. Promotion and relegation play-offs Two promotion/relegation matches (Irekaesen) were played with the winners qualifying for the Top League in the next season. The 12th-placed team from the Top League against the 3rd-placed team from Challenge 1. The 11th-placed team from the Top League against the 1st-placed team from Challenge 2. 14:00 14 February 2009 Fukuoka Sanix Blues 38–22 Toyota Industries Shuttles 14:00 14 February 2009 Kyuden Voltex 31–10 Mazda Blue Zoomers So Sanix and Kyuden stayed in the Top League for the following season. Top 10 points scorers PlayerTeamPtsTCPGDG1David Hill18px Toshiba Brave Lupus22611601702Ryan Nicholas18px Suntory Sungoliath1585411703Shane Drahm18px Kubota Spears1361163124Yasumasa Shigemitsu18px Kintetsu Liners1235221805Thinus Delport18px Kobelco Steelers1224182206Genki Saito18px Kyuden Voltex1172281616Tadanobu Ko18px IBM Big Blue1172222018Masakazu Irie18px Sanyo Wild Knights1143331109Ayumu Goromaru18px Yamaha Jubilo9841516010Daisuke Haradome18px Coca-Cola West Red Sparks88416120 Table notes Pts = Points scored T = Tries C = Conversions PG = Penalty Goals DG = Drop Goals End-of-season awards Best fifteen PositionNameTeam1PRHisateru Nirashima18px Kobelco Steelers2HOYusuke Aoki18px Suntory Sungoliath3PRKensuke Hatakeyama18px Suntory Sungoliath4LOHitoshi Ono18px Toshiba Brave Lupus5LODaniel Heenan18px Sanyo Wild Knights6FLSteven Bates18px Toshiba Brave Lupus7FLReuben Thorne18px Yamaha Jubilo8No.8Ryukoliniasi Holani18px Sanyo Wild Knights9SHFumiaki Tanaka18px Sanyo Wild Knights10SODavid Hill18px Toshiba Brave Lupus11WTBHirotoki Onozawa18px Suntory Sungoliath12CTBRyan Nicholas18px Suntory Sungoliath13CTBSeiichi Shimonura18px Sanyo Wild Knights14WTBTomoki Kitagawa18px Sanyo Wild Knights15FBHiroki Yoshida18px Toshiba Brave Lupus Table Notes PR = Prop HO = Hooker LO = Lock FL = Flanker SH = Scrum Half SO = Stand Off CTB = Centre Three Quarter Back WTB = Wing THree Quarter Back FB = Full back References External links Team Profiles (Japanese) Top League official site (Japanese) Final Table (Japanese) Category:Japan Rugby League One 1