# 2018–19 Top League

The 2018–19 Top League was the 16th season of Japan's top-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top League.

## Competition rules

The sixteen Top League teams were divided into two conferences for the first stage of the competition; each team played the seven other teams in their conferences once.
All sixteen teams then progressed to a play-off stage; the top four teams in each conference advanced to the title play-offs and the bottom four teams in each conference to the 9th-place play-offs, which determined the final positions for the season. The title play-offs doubled up as the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship, which would no longer include university teams. The bottom four teams in the 9th-place play-off all played in relegation play-off matches.

## Teams

The following teams took part in the 2018 Top League competition:
Red Conference :
| Team name | Region |
| Hino Red Dolphins | Hino, Tokyo, Kanto |
| Kobelco Steelers | Kobe, Kansai |
| Munakata Sanix Blues | Munakata, Fukuoka, Kyushu |
| NEC Green Rockets | Abiko, Chiba, Kanto |
| NTT Communications Shining Arcs | Chiba, Chiba, Kanto |
| Suntory Sungoliath | Fuchu, Tokyo, Kanto |
| Toyota Industries Shuttles | Nagoya, Aichi, Chūbu |
| Toyota Verblitz | Toyota City, Aichi, Chūbu |
| White Conference ||||
| Team name | Region |
| Canon Eagles | Machida, Tokyo, Kanto |
| Coca-Cola Red Sparks | Fukuoka, Kyushu |
| Honda Heat | Suzuka, Mie, Kansai |
| Kubota Spears | Abiko, Chiba, Kanto |
| Panasonic Wild Knights | Ota, Gunma, Kanto |
| Ricoh Black Rams | Tokyo, Kanto |
| Toshiba Brave Lupus | Fuchu, Tokyo, Kanto |
| Yamaha Júbilo | Iwata, Shizuoka, Chūbu |
* Honda Heat won the 2017–18 Top Challenge League to win promotion back to the Top League after a one-season absence.
* Hino Red Dolphins won their promotion play-off match to win promotion to the Top League for the first time in their history.

## First Stage : Red Conference
### Standings

The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference are:
| 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kobelco Steelers | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 353 | 156 | +197 | 4 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Suntory Sungoliath | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 239 | 164 | +75 | 2 | 0 | 26 |
| 3 | Toyota Verblitz | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 237 | 135 | +102 | 3 | 1 | 26 |
| 4 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 252 | 192 | +60 | 3 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 | NEC Green Rockets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 171 | 191 | −20 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 6 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 163 | 233 | −70 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 7 | Hino Red Dolphins | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 123 | 261 | −138 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Munakata Sanix Blues | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 75 | 281 | −206 | 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. The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. The bottom four teams in each conference qualified to the 9th-place play-offs. |

### Matches

The 2018 Top League First Stage Red Conference fixtures are:

#### Round 2

* The match between Kobelco Steelers and Munakata Sanix Blues scheduled for Round 2 was postponed following the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake and was rescheduled for 29 September.

#### Round 7
## First Stage : White Conference
### Standings

The current standings for the 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference are:
| 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Yamaha Júbilo | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 216 | 112 | +104 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| 2 | Panasonic Wild Knights | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 206 | 96 | +110 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| 3 | Kubota Spears | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 172 | 119 | +53 | 1 | 2 | 23 |
| 4 | Ricoh Black Rams | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 191 | 165 | +26 | 1 | 3 | 20 |
| 5 | Honda Heat | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 207 | 221 | −14 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 6 | Toshiba Brave Lupus | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 150 | 186 | −36 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| 7 | Canon Eagles | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 131 | 175 | −44 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 8 | Coca-Cola Red Sparks | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 116 | 315 | −199 | 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. The top four teams qualified for the title play-offs. The bottom four teams in each conference qualified to the 9th-place play-offs. |

### Matches

The 2018 Top League First Stage White Conference fixtures are:

#### Round 7
## Second stage
### Standings

The final standings for the 2018 Top League were:
| 2018–19 Top League standings |
| Pos | Team |
| 1 | Kobelco Steelers |
| 2 | Suntory Sungoliath |
| 3 | Yamaha Júbilo |
| 4 | Toyota Verblitz |
| 5 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs |
| 6 | Panasonic Wild Knights |
| 7 | Kubota Spears |
| 8 | Ricoh Black Rams |
| 9 | Honda Heat |
| 10 | NEC Green Rockets |
| 11 | Toshiba Brave Lupus |
| 12 | Canon Eagles |
| 13 | Munakata Sanix Blues |
| 14 | Hino Red Dolphins |
| 15 | Toyota Industries Shuttles |
| 16 | Coca-Cola Red Sparks |
| Top League and All-Japan Rugby Football Championship champions. The 13th to 16th-placed teams qualify to the relegation play-offs. |

### Title play-offs

The four quarter final winners qualified for the semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 5th-place semi-finals.
The two semi-final winners qualified for the final, while the losers qualified for the 3rd-place match. The two 5th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 5th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 7th-place match.
The final matches determined the final standings.

### 9th-place play-offs

The four 9th-place quarter final winners qualified for the 9th-place semi-finals, while the losers qualified for the 13th-place semi-finals and the relegation play-offs.
The two 9th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 9th-place final, while the losers qualified for the 11th-place match. The two 13th-place semi-final winners qualified for the 13th-place match, while the losers qualified for the 15th-place match.
The final matches will determine the final standings.

## Relegation play-offs

* Top League sides Hino Red Dolphins and Munakata Sanix Blues won their matches to remain in the Top League for 2019–20.
* Top League sides Coca-Cola Red Sparks and Toyota Industries Shuttles lost their matches and were relegated to the Top Challenge League for 2019.
* Top Challenge League sides Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes won their matches to win promotion to the Top League for 2019–20.
* Top Challenge League sides Kintetsu Liners and Kurita Water Gush lost their matches to remain in the Top Challenge League for 2019.
The matches played were: