|
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: * 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 w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and List of islands of Japan, thousands of smaller islands, covering . Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh-most populous country. The capital of Japan and List of cities in Japan, its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the List of largest cities, largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures of Japan, administrative prefectures and List of regions of Japan, eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of Geography of Japan, the countr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
All-Japan Rugby Football Championship
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'') is played at the end of the season and is doubling as the title playoff in the Top League. The first championship was played in 1963 and won by Doshisha University RFC which beat Kintetsu (now Kintetsu Liners) 18–3. Before that the NHK invitation cup was played three times, 1960–2. Qualifying 2009–2017 The All-Japan Rugby Football Championship was expanded from 8 to 10 teams for 2009 with the addition of two more Top League sides. For 2010, the top four Top League sides automatically qualify for the Championship, while the six sides that finish fifth to tenth play off to determine the last two Top League sides. 2017–present With the new Top League system, the teams in the title playoff will have this playoff double as this competition. No university teams will compete. NHK Cup Finals All Japan Rugby Football Championship f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It sits about east of the centre of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. The city became a government-designated city in 1992. In March 2025, its population was 983,045, with a population density of 3,617 people per km2. The city has an area of . Chiba City is one of the Kantō region's primary seaports, and is home to Chiba Port, which handles one of the highest volumes of cargo in Japan. Much of the city is residential, although there are many factories and warehouses along the coast. There are several major urban centres in the city, including Makuhari, a prime waterfront business district in which Makuhari Messe is located, and Central Chiba, in which the prefectural government office and the city hall are located. Chiba is famous for the Chiba Urban Monorail, the longest suspended monorail in the world. Some popular destinations in the city include: Kasori Shell Midden, the largest shell mound in the world at , Inage Beach, the first art ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NTT Communications Shining Arcs
Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Japan Rugby League One, Rugby League One competition, currently in Japan Rugby League One#Division 1, Division 1. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu, Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone several ''re-brands'' throughout its history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22, to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards. History and name NTT Communications RFC was founded in 1976. They won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2009–10 season. They made their Top League debut for the 2010–11 Top League, 2010–11 season. After their first season, they finished 12th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. They had to play a play-off to keep themselves in the Top League, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abiko, Chiba
file:Abiko city hall.JPG, 260px, Abiko City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 131,183 in 62,193 households and a population density of 3000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Abiko is located in the northwestern part of Chiba prefecture, about 30 kilometers from the prefectural capital of Chiba (city), Chiba, and within 30 to 40 kilometers of central Tokyo. It is separated from Ibaraki Prefecture in the north by the Tone River. The city is located on the Shimosa Plateau, with an average elevation of about 20 meters above sea level. The city stretches about 14 kilometers east-to-west and about 4 to 6 kilometers north-to-south. Neighboring municipalities Chiba Prefecture *Inzai, Chiba, Inzai *Kashiwa, Chiba, Kashiwa Ibaraki Prefecture *Toride, Ibaraki, Toride *Tone, Ibaraki, Tone Climate Abiko has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu (formerly NEC Green Rockets) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. The team's captain is Ryota Asano. The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who was also the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC". The amateur club was founded in 1985 in the Kantō region. NEC Green Rockets won the All-Japan Championship final for the second time on 27 February 2005, beating Toyota Verblitz 17-13. They drew 6-6 with Toshiba Brave Lupus in the 43rd Japan Championship final on 26 February 2006 after an effective defensive effort and the sin-binning of Glen Marsh in the last ten minutes of the game. The team rebranded as Green Rockets Tokatsu ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 2005, 2006 (with Toshiba Brave Lupus) Current squad The Green Rockets Tokat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of and a population of 14,311,224 in 2018. In ancient times, there is a theory that Kyushu was home to its own independent dynasty, where a unique, southern-influenced culture and tradition distinct from that of Honshu flourished. In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu (government), Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region. Geography The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mount Aso at , is on Kyūshū. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Munakata, Fukuoka
is a city in Japan, located in Fukuoka Prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 96,786 in 44884 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km². The total area of the city is . History The origin of the name Munakata is said to be from "Minokatachi" or "Minokata" from the enshrinement of three Munakata goddesses, descended from sword of Susanoo-no-Mikoto and mentioned in the ''Kojiki''. It is believed to have been the site of the kingdom of Matsurokoku, one of the countries described in '' Wajinden'', '' Liangshu'' and ''History of the Northern Dynasties'', and is the first place where emissaries from China landed on the mainland of Wa. The area was part of ancient Chikugo Province, and prospered from trade with China and Korea from ancient times. From the Asuka period through the Sengoku period, Munakata Taisha controlled most of northern Kyūshū, with the Munakata clan ruling as temporal ''daimyō'' over what is now Onga in the east, south to Wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Munakata Sanix Blues
, formerly ''Fukuoka Sanix Blues'' and ''Fukuoka Sanix Bombs'', was a Japanese rugby union team based in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in April 1994 (Heisei 6), the team rose rapidly through the Kyūshū leagues and was in the Top League for the first season (2003-4) as Kyūshū's sole representative, but lost a relegation battle with Kintetsu Liners 42-45 and was demoted. But Sanix managed to return to the Top League for the 2005-6 season, beating Secom Rugguts and Toyota Jido Shokki in the Top League Challenge Series 2005. In March 2022, Sanix Inc., the operators of the club, announced the disbandment of the team following the conclusion of the 2022 Japan Rugby League One season. Current squad The Munakata Sanix Blues squad for the 2022 season was: Former players * Graeme Bachop *André Esterhuizen *Jamie Joseph * John Leslie * Matua Parkinson - blindside flanker *Bad Luck Fale * Damian Karauna - utility back * Reuben Parkinson - centre * Jacques Potgi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolitan region of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto (Keihanshin region) is the second-most populated in Japan after the Greater Tokyo Area. Name The terms , , and have their roots during the Asuka period. When the old provinces of Japan were established, several provinces in the area around the then-capital Yamato Province were collectively named Kinai and Kinki, both roughly meaning "the neighbourhood of the capital". Kansai (literally ''west of the tollgate'') in its original usage refers to the land west of the Osaka Tollgate (), the border between Yamashiro Province and Ōmi Province (present-day Kyoto and Shiga prefectures).Entry for . Kōjien, fifth edition, 1998, During the Kamakura period, this border was redefined to include Ōmi and I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Tokyo, Tokyo and Port of Yokohama, Yokohama. It is located in the Kansai region, which makes up the southern side of the main island of Honshu, Honshū, on the north shore of Osaka Bay. It is part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto. The Kobe city centre is located about west of Osaka and southwest of Kyoto. The earliest written records regarding the region come from the , which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201.Ikuta Shrine official website – "History of Ikuta Shrine" (Japanese) [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
