# 2011–12 Top League Challenge Series

The 2011–12 Top League Challenge Series was the 2011–12 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 2012–13 season. The competition was contested from 25 December 2011 to 11 February 2012.
Canon Eagles and Kyuden Voltex won promotion to the 2012–13 Top League, while Kubota Spears and Toyota Industries Shuttles 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 winner of Challenge 2 also progressed to a four-team Challenge 1.
The top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2012–13 Top League, while the third and fourth-placed teams qualified to the promotion play-offs.

## Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2011 regional leagues.

### Top West League

The final standings for the 2011 Top West League were:
| 2011 Top West League standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Toyota Industries Shuttles (R) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 385 | 27 | +358 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| 2 | Chubu Electric Power | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 126 | 180 | −54 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Osaka Police | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 125 | 113 | +12 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 4 | JR West Railers (P) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 326 | −316 | 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. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues. |
* Toyota Industries Shuttles qualified for Challenge 1.
* Chubu Electric Power qualified for Challenge 2.

### Top East League

The final standings for the 2011 Top East League were:
| 2011 Top East League standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Canon Eagles | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 510 | 108 | +402 | 7 | 0 | 41 |
| 2 | Kubota Spears (R) | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 368 | 94 | +274 | 6 | 0 | 38 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 289 | 97 | +192 | 5 | 0 | 35 |
| 4 | Kamaishi Seawaves | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 243 | 202 | +41 | 5 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Tokyo Gas | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 208 | 219 | −11 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| 6 | Kurita Water | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 151 | 226 | −75 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 7 | Akita Northern Bullets | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 119 | 371 | −252 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| 8 | Hino Red Dolphins | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 117 | 353 | −236 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 9 | Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 82 | 120 | −38 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | IBM Big Blue | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 76 | 375 | −299 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 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. |
* Canon Eagles qualified for Challenge 1.
* Kubota Spears qualified for Challenge 2.

### Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2011 Top Kyūshū League were:
| 2011 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kyuden Voltex | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 469 | 26 | +443 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| 2 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 361 | 97 | +264 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 3 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 220 | 125 | +95 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| 4 | Chugoku Electric Power | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 200 | 147 | +53 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 146 | 396 | −250 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | Mitsubishi Mizushima (P) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 63 | 376 | −313 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Fukuoka Bank (P) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 416 | −382 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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. |
* JR Kyūshū Thunders, Kyuden Voltex and Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified to the Second Phase.
* Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Mizushima were relegated to lower leagues.
| 2011 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kyuden Voltex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 38 | +81 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 95 | −55 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Mazda Blue Zoomers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 74 | −26 | 2 | 1 | 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. |
* Kyuden Voltex qualified for Challenge 1.
* JR Kyūshū Thunders qualified for Challenge 2.

## Challenge 1
### Standings

The final standings for the 2011–12 Top League Challenge 1 were:
| 2011–12 Top League Challenge 1 standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Canon Eagles | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 116 | −16 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Kyuden Voltex | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 58 | +47 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Toyota Industries Shuttles | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 110 | 76 | +34 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 4 | Kubota Spears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 61 | 126 | −65 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 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. |
* Canon Eagles and Kyuden Voltex won promotion to the 2012–13 Top League.
* Kubota Spears and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2011–12 Top League Challenge 1:

## Challenge 2
### Standings

The final standings for the 2011–12 Top League Challenge 2 were:
| 2011–12 Top League Challenge 2 standings |
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Kubota Spears | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 40 | +130 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Chubu Electric Power | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 76 | −38 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | JR Kyūshū Thunders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 118 | −92 | 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. |
* Kubota Spears progressed to Challenge 1.

### Matches

The following matches were played in the 2011–12 Top League Challenge 2: