# 2010 Top League Challenge Series

The 2010 Top League Challenge Series was the 2010 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 2010–11 season. The competition was contested from 11 to 25 January 2010.
NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Toyota Industries Shuttles won promotion to the 2010–11 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars 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 top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2010–11 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.

## Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2009 regional leagues.

### Top West League

The final standings for the 2009 Top West League were:
| 2009 Top West League standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 679 | 67 | +612 | 8 | 0 | 40 |
| 2 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 469 | 145 | +324 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 3 | Osaka Police | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 213 | 273 | −60 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| 4 | Chubu Electric Power | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 202 | 353 | −151 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Red Evolutions (P) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 41 | 766 | −725 | 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. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues. |
* Toyota Industries Shuttles qualified for Challenge 1.
* NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes qualified for Challenge 2.

### Top East League

The final standings for the 2009 Top East League were:
| 2009 Top East League standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 490 | 117 | +373 | 9 | 0 | 53 |
| 2 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars (R) | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 454 | 130 | +324 | 7 | 1 | 48 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 421 | 203 | +218 | 8 | 0 | 40 |
| 4 | Tokyo Gas | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 445 | 208 | +237 | 7 | 0 | 37 |
| 5 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 315 | 230 | +85 | 4 | 2 | 32 |
| 6 | Kurita Water | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 237 | 258 | −21 | 6 | 1 | 29 |
| 7 | Suntory Foods | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 207 | 219 | −12 | 3 | 4 | 25 |
| 8 | Canon Eagles (P) | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 219 | 264 | −45 | 1 | 3 | 20 |
| 9 | IBM Big Blue (R) | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 203 | 291 | −88 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 10 | JAL Wings | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 109 | 437 | −328 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Secom Rugguts | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 93 | 357 | −264 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 12 | Akita Northern Bullets | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 82 | 561 | −479 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 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. |
* NTT Communications Shining Arcs qualified for Challenge 1.
* Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars qualified for Challenge 2.

### Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2009 Top Kyūshū League were:
| 2009 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 358 | 48 | +310 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 2 | Chugoku Electric Power | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 319 | 91 | +228 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| 3 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 158 | 139 | +19 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| 4 | Kagoshima Bank (P) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 72 | 247 | −175 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 66 | 236 | −170 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Mizushima (P) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 55 | 267 | −212 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 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. |
* Chugoku Electric Power, JR Kyūshū Thunders and Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified to the Second Phase.
* Mitsubishi Mizushima were relegated to lower leagues.
| 2009 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 10 | +98 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Chugoku Electric Power | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 54 | +15 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 113 | −113 | 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. |
* Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified for Challenge 1.
* Chugoku Electric Power qualified for Challenge 2.

## Challenge 1
### Standings

The final standings for the 2010 Top League Challenge 1 were:
| 2010 Top League Challenge 1 standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | NTT Communications Shining Arcs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 35 | +46 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 90 | 38 | +52 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 98 | −98 | 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. |
* NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Toyota Industries Shuttles won promotion to the 2010–11 Top League.
* Mazda Blue Zoomers progressed to the promotion play-offs.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2010 Top League Challenge 1:

## Challenge 2
### Standings

The final standings for the 2010 Top League Challenge 2 were:
| 2010 Top League Challenge 2 standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 40 | +70 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 160 | 29 | +131 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Chugoku Electric Power | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 218 | −201 | 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. |
* Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars progressed to the promotion play-offs.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2010 Top League Challenge 2: