# 2017 Top Challenge League

The 2017 Top Challenge League was the inaugural season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.
It was played from 9 September to 23 December 2017, with eight participating teams. Honda Heat won the competition for the second time – having previously won in 2014–15 – and won promotion to the 2018–19 Top League. Hino Red Dolphins, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and Kyuden Voltex finished second, third and fourth respectively to qualify for the promotion play-offs, while Kamaishi Seawaves finished seventh to qualify for the relegation play-offs. Chubu Electric Power finished eighth to be relegated to the third tier regional leagues for 2018.

## Competition rules

In January 2017, the JRFU announced the format of the Top Challenge League competition. The competition was played in two stages. The First Stage was a round-robin format, where all eight teams played each other once.
The top four teams in the First Stage progressed to Group A of the Second Stage, while the bottom four teams progressed to Group B. Each of these groups was another round-robin, with all four teams playing each other once.
The team that finished top of Group A won automatic promotion to the 2018–19 Top League, while the other three teams in Group A progressed to promotion play-offs against the teams placed 13th, 14th and 15th in the 2017–18 Top League.
The team that finished bottom of Group B were relegated to the regional leagues for 2018. The winners of the Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League competed in a Regional Challenge, with the winner replacing the relegated team in the 2018 Top Challenge League. The second-bottom team in Group B progressed to a promotion / relegation play-off match against the runner-up of the Regional Challenge.

## Teams

The following teams took part in the 2017 Top Challenge League competition:
| 2017 Top Challenge League teams |
| Team name | Based |
| Chubu Electric Power | Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture |
| Chugoku Red Regulions | Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Hino Red Dolphins | Hino, Tokyo Metropolis |
| Honda Heat | Suzuka, Mie Prefecture |
| Kamaishi Seawaves | Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture |
| Kyuden Voltex | Fukuoka, Kyūshū |
| Mazda Blue Zoomers | Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture |

## First stage
### Standings

The final standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League First Stage were:
| 2017 Top Challenge League First Stage standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 506 | 71 | +434 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | Hino Red Dolphins | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 285 | 157 | +128 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 242 | 125 | +117 | 3 | 1 | 24 |
| 4 | Kyuden Voltex | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 209 | 178 | +31 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 162 | 188 | −26 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| 6 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 176 | 217 | −41 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 7 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 88 | 369 | −281 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Chubu Electric Power | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 76 | 439 | −363 | 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 Second Stage Group A. Honda Heat carried 3 bonus points into the Second Stage, Hino Red Dolphins carried 2 bonus points into the Second Stage and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars carried 1 bonus point into the Second Stage.
* The bottom four teams qualified for the Second Stage Group B. Kamaishi Seawaves carried 3 bonus points into the Second Stage, Mazda Blue Zoomers carried 2 bonus points into the Second Stage and Chugoku Red Regulions carried 1 bonus point into the Second Stage.

### Matches
#### Round four

* Bye/s: Chubu Electric Power, Chugoku Red Regulions, Honda Heat, Kyuden Voltex, Mazda Blue Zoomers, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars

#### Round five

* Bye/s: Hino Red Dolphins, Kamaishi Seawaves

#### Round seven

* Bye/s: Chubu Electric Power, Hino Red Dolphins, Honda Heat, Kamaishi Seawaves

#### Round nine

* Bye/s: Chugoku Red Regulions, Kyuden Voltex, Mazda Blue Zoomers, Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars

## Second Stage Group A
### Standings

The standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A are:
| 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group A standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | S1B | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Honda Heat | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 200 | 23 | +177 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Hino Red Dolphins | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 79 | −13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 63 | 92 | −29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 166 | −135 | 0 | 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, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |
* Honda Heat is promoted to the 2018–19 Top League.
* Hino Red Dolphins, Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars qualify for the promotion play-offs.

### Matches
#### Round three
## Second Stage Group B
### Standings

The standings for the 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B are:
| 2017 Top Challenge League Second Stage Group B standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | S1B | TB | LB | Pts |
| 5 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 113 | 44 | +69 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| 6 | Chugoku Red Regulions | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 95 | 67 | +28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 7 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 126 | 55 | +71 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 8 | Chubu Electric Power | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 183 | −168 | 0 | 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, S1B = Stage 1 Bonus Points, TB = Try bonus points, LB = Losing bonus points, Pts = Log points. |
* Chugoku Red Regulions and Mazda Blue Zoomers remain in the Top Challenge League for 2018–19.
* Kamaishi Seawaves qualify for the relegation play-offs.
* Chubu Electric Power is relegated to regional leagues for 2018.

### Matches
#### Round three
## Promotion and relegation

* Honda Heat won promotion to the 2018–19 Top League as champions of the Top Challenge League, replacing the 16th-placed Kintetsu Liners.
* Hino Red Dolphins beat NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in the promotion play-offs to win promotion to the 2018–19 Top League.
* Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars failed to win their matches in the promotion play-offs, remaining in the Top Challenge League for 2018–19.
* Chubu Electric Power were relegated to the 2018 regional leagues, and were replaced by 2017 regional league winner Kurita Water Gush.
* Kamaishi Seawaves won their relegation play-off against 2017 regional league runner-up Osaka Police to remain in the Top Challenge League.

### Relegation play-offs

At the end of the season, the team placed seventh will play against the regional team placed second for a place in the 2018 Top Challenge League.