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.
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 BonusPoints1 Toshiba Brave Lupus131201563211+352110 592 Sanyo Wild Knights131201584197+387100 583 Suntory Sungoliath131003482298+184101 514 Kobelco Steelers13904358300+5852 435 NEC Green Rockets13805298309−1141 376 Kubota Spears13805309334−2541 377 Yamaha Jubilo13706344304+4061 358 Toyota Verblitz13607310286+2443 319 Kintetsu Liners13508319348−2962 2810 Coca-Cola West Red Sparks13607273353−8011 2611 Fukuoka Sanix Blues133010266442−17654 2112 Kyuden Voltex133010345451−10642 1813 IBM Big Blue131012222496−27413 814 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 13 and 14 were automatically relegated.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
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
Final
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.
So Sanix and Kyuden stayed in the Top League for the following season.
Top 10 points scorers PlayerTeamPtsTCPGDG1David Hill Toshiba Brave Lupus22611601702Ryan Nicholas Suntory Sungoliath1585411703Shane Drahm Kubota Spears1361163124Yasumasa Shigemitsu Kintetsu Liners1235221805Thinus Delport Kobelco Steelers1224182206Genki Saito Kyuden Voltex1172281616Tadanobu Ko IBM Big Blue1172222018Masakazu Irie Sanyo Wild Knights1143331109Ayumu Goromaru Yamaha Jubilo9841516010Daisuke Haradome 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 Nirashima Kobelco Steelers2HOYusuke Aoki Suntory Sungoliath3PRKensuke Hatakeyama Suntory Sungoliath4LOHitoshi Ono Toshiba Brave Lupus5LODaniel Heenan Sanyo Wild Knights6FLSteven Bates Toshiba Brave Lupus7FLReuben Thorne Yamaha Jubilo8No.8Ryukoliniasi Holani Sanyo Wild Knights9SHFumiaki Tanaka Sanyo Wild Knights10SODavid Hill Toshiba Brave Lupus11WTBHirotoki Onozawa Suntory Sungoliath12CTBRyan Nicholas Suntory Sungoliath13CTBSeiichi Shimonura Sanyo Wild Knights14WTBTomoki Kitagawa Sanyo Wild Knights15FBHiroki Yoshida 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)