50th All Japan Rugby Football Championship
The 2013 The All-Japan Rugby Football Championship (日本ラグビーフットボール選手権大会 "Nihon Ragubi-Futtobo-ru Senshuken Taikai") took place from Feb 2nd up to the final on Feb 24th. Qualifying. Top League. The top four teams (Suntory Sungoliath, Toshiba Brave Lupus, Panasonic Wild Knights, Kobelco Steelers) in the "2012–13 Top League" automatically qualified for the competition, and competed in a playoff competition. Toshiba Brave Lupus and Suntory Sungoliath eventually played in the Final, with Suntory Sungoliath winning 19–3. As Top League finalists they gained automatic entry to the Championship Semi-finals. The "Top League Wildcard Tournament  was contested by the fifth to tenth teams in the final table for the last two places for this league in the Championship. This was competed by Toyota Verblitz, Yamaha Júbilo, Kintetsu Liners, NEC Green Rockets, NTT Communications Shining Arcs and Ricoh Black Rams and eventually taken by Toyota Verblitz" and "Yamaha Júbilo". Top Challenge One. In the "2012–13 Challenge series", the teams from "Top Challenge One" (Kubota Spears, Toyota Industries Shuttles, Coca-Cola West Red Sparks) and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars ("Top Challenge Two" Winner) competed over 3 rounds to gain the first place (as "Top Challenger One") for qualification  to the Championship. This was eventually won by the Coca-Cola West Red Sparks. University. In the 49th Japan National University Rugby Championship final Teikyo University defeated Tsukuba University 39-22. Both teams gained entry to the Championship as finalists. Club. In the 20th All Japan Rugby Club Championship, Rokko Fighting Bull gained the "Top Club" side entry to the Championship. Knockout Stages. Semi Final. Suntory Sungoliath and Toshiba Brave Lupus bypassed the first two rounds into the semi-finals by reaching the final of the Top League playoffs in 2013.