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2004–05 Top League
The 2004–05 Top League was the second season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. Toshiba Brave Lupus won both the league round-robin and the Microsoft Cup knockout competitions. Teams Top League season Final standings Fixtures and results Microsoft Cup play-offs The top eight teams in the league played off for the Microsoft Cup (2005) knock out tournament, which was won by Toshiba Brave Lupus. Quarter-finals ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Semi-finals ---- ---- ---- The number of tries and goals being equal, the result was decided in favour of Yamaha by a lottery held at Hanazono after the game. Final ---- ---- In the season Toshiba Brave Lupus were top of the Top League, and Yamaha were second. Top League Challenge Series Fukuoka Sanix Bombs and Secom Rugguts won promotion to the 2005–06 Top League via the 2005 Top League Challenge Series, while Honda Heat and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs. Pr ... [...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] |
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring Prefectures of Japan, prefectures, is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with 41 million residents . Lying at the head of Tokyo Bay, Tokyo is part of the Kantō region, on the central coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island. It is Japan's economic center and the seat of the Government of Japan, Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government administers Tokyo's central Special wards of Tokyo, 23 special wards, which formerly made up Tokyo City; various commuter towns and suburbs in Western Tokyo, its western area; and two outlying island chains, the Tokyo Islands. Although most of the w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Secom Rugguts
Secom Rugguts is a Japanese rugby union team founded in 1985 by SECOM. Its name is a portmanteau of "Rugger" and "Guts". The club was in the Top League for the first season of the league but was demoted at the end of the season. As the top team of the Top East league and by then coming second after Fukuoka Sanix Bombs in the three-way Top League Challenge Series, Secom got back into the Top League for the 2005-6 season but was relegated again in 2006-7. On February 10, 2008 Secom's 3-10 loss to World Fighting Bull in the Top Challenge Two series ended its challenge to return to the Top League for the 2008-9 season. Slogan for 2006 season: "Seize the day" Rugguts will return to japanese rugby system in season 2024-2025 to third tier of the rebranded Japan Rugby League One. Current squad The Secom Rugguts squad for the 2024–25 season is: Notable players Japan * Motohiro Akagi * Kensuke Iwabuchi (Former Japan international) * Tomohiro Oinuma (currently playing fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fukuoka Sanix Bombs
, 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 Potg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
The in Higashiosaka is the oldest rugby union stadium in Japan specifically dedicated to rugby. Its location is next to Hanazono Central Park (花園中央公園, ''Hanazono Chūō Kōen''). Owned by the City of Higashiosaka, it opened in 1929 with a capacity of 27,346. It is the stage for the annual National High School Rugby Tournament held every year at the end of December and has hosted important international, Top League games. Hanazono is the home of the Kintetsu Liners rugby union team and J. League club, FC Osaka. The stadium was selected as one of the venues for 2019 Rugby World Cup (Japan) which was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia. World record On May 14, 2006 Daisuke Ohata broke the record for the most overall tries in test matches at Hanazono with a hat-trick for Japan against Georgia. The previous record holder was David Campese. Football It hosted the J1 League game between Cerezo Osaka and Nagoya Grampus Eight played there on May 8, 1999. FC O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
(also called Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium) is a rugby union stadium located in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo, Japan. It is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union. Named for Prince Chichibu, the late brother of Emperor Hirohito, the venue is used mostly for rugby sevens and rugby union matches. Redevelopment plans call for the stadium and the adjacent Meiji Jingu Stadium, used for baseball, to be demolished and replaced with new facilities. Facilities The stadium currently can accommodate 27,188 spectators, but only part of the stands are covered. A large electronic scoreboard was added to the grounds as a step toward modernization before the fifth Rugby World Cup in 2003. On April 19, 2007, it was announced that the stadium was to be equipped with lights for night games by the end of July, to assist with the RWC 2015 bid. The first rugby game under lights was Japan v Asian Barbarians in August 2007, the sen ... [...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] |
2004–05 Top League
The 2004–05 Top League was the second season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. Toshiba Brave Lupus won both the league round-robin and the Microsoft Cup knockout competitions. Teams Top League season Final standings Fixtures and results Microsoft Cup play-offs The top eight teams in the league played off for the Microsoft Cup (2005) knock out tournament, which was won by Toshiba Brave Lupus. Quarter-finals ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Semi-finals ---- ---- ---- The number of tries and goals being equal, the result was decided in favour of Yamaha by a lottery held at Hanazono after the game. Final ---- ---- In the season Toshiba Brave Lupus were top of the Top League, and Yamaha were second. Top League Challenge Series Fukuoka Sanix Bombs and Secom Rugguts won promotion to the 2005–06 Top League via the 2005 Top League Challenge Series, while Honda Heat and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs. Pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northeast, Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Aichi Prefecture to the west. Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka is the capital and Hamamatsu is the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture, with other major cities including Fuji, Shizuoka, Fuji, Numazu, and Iwata, Shizuoka, Iwata. Shizuoka Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast and features Suruga Bay formed by the Izu Peninsula, and Lake Hamana which is considered to be one of Japan's largest lakes. Mount Fuji, the tallest volcano in Japan and cultural icon of the country, is partially located in Shizuoka Prefecture on the border with Yamanashi Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture has a significant Motor vehicle, motoring heritage as the founding location of Honda, Suzuki Motor C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Fighting Bull
World Fighting Bull were a Japanese rugby union team that played in the county's Top League competition. The team was the rugby team of clothing company World Co., based in Kobe in the 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 metropoli ... area of Japan. The team was founded in 1984, and spent their formative seasons playing in the Kansai League. They were one of the founding members of the Top League, playing in the inaugural season in 2003–04. The team played in the first four editions of the competition, before being relegated at the end of the 2006–07. After two more seasons playing in the Top West League, World Fighting Bull were dissolved in March 2009 after financial difficulties at World Co. Season history World Fighting Bull's record since the inception of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aichi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Shizuoka Prefecture to the east. Nagoya is the capital and largest city of the prefecture. Overview Nagoya is the capital and largest city of Aichi Prefecture, and the Largest cities in Japan by population by decade, fourth-largest city in Japan. Other major cities include Toyota, Aichi, Toyota, Okazaki, Aichi, Okazaki, and Ichinomiya, Aichi, Ichinomiya. Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya form the core of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, the List of metropolitan areas in Japan, third-largest metropolitan area in Japan and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Aichi Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast and forms part of the Tōkai region, a subregion of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toyota Verblitz
Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of ''verde'' (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese for 'green') and ''blitz'' (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation and is not to be confused with the Aichi Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. It shares Toyota Stadium in the city of Toyota, Aichi with the football club Nagoya Grampus which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987 ** Runners-up: 2007 Results Verblitz (surprisingly given the team's pedigree) failed to make the cut for the first season of the Top League (2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27, 2005, to NEC Green Rockets 13–17. Current squad The Toyota Verblitz squad for the 2024-25 season is: * * denotes players qualified to play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
