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Between 2003β04 and 2016β17, the Top League
Challenge Series consisted of two divisions β the Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 series. The three teams that won the regional leagues progressed to the Challenge 1 series, while the runners-up progressed to the Challenge 2 series. In both divisions, teams
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While the exact format varied from season to season, a number of top-placed teams in the
Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the next season's Top League each season, while the next-best teams qualified for promotion play-off matches against teams that finished towards the bottom of that season's
169:. It was the second-highest level of rugby competition in the country and is a companies league; all the teams are owned by major companies and the players are generally employees of their company. The
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The Top League
Challenge Series was introduced as a post-season competition for the leading teams from these three regional leagues to win promotion to the Top League for the following season.
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competition was created as the top-tier competition in Japan, consisting of twelve teams. All remaining teams were placed in one of three regional leagues, as follows:
177:; this became the Top Challenge League in 2017 when a second-tier league was introduced. The competition was disbanded following the creation of the fully-professional
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created the Top League
Challenge Series in 2003 in order to give teams playing in the second-tier regional leagues a pathway to progress to the top tier
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Top League. The top teams from
Challenge 2 would either qualify to the promotion play-off matches, or progress to the same season's Challenge 1 series.
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announced that the Top League
Challenge Series would become a second-tier league from 2017 onwards, known as the Top Challenge League.
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and Top
Challenge League being absorbed together to form one three division tournament.
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The following Top
Challenge League seasons were played as a round-robin league:
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The following Top League
Challenge Series were played as post-season play-offs:
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667:"La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One"
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Honda Heat, Mitsubishi
Dynaboars, Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars
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Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
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204:, administered by the Japan East Rugby Football Union
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693:"Japan to add second-tier rugby league in 2017"
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240:format to determine the final standings.
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595:Failed to win promotion via play-offs
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522:, Kyuden Voltex, Mitsubishi Dynaboars
272:Failed to win promotion via play-offs
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1163:KyΕ«shΕ« Rugby Football Union website
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703:from the original on 6 January 2017
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1856:Sports leagues established in 2003
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27:Rugby union competition in Japan
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545:Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
363:Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
350:NTT Communications Shining Arcs
1098:"Top Challenge League 2018/19"
1073:"Top Challenge League 2017/18"
1048:"Top League Challenge 2016/17"
1023:"Top League Challenge 2015/16"
998:"Top League Challenge 2014/15"
973:"Top League Challenge 2013/14"
948:"Top League Challenge 2012/13"
923:"Top League Challenge 2011/12"
898:"Top League Challenge 2010/11"
873:"Top League Challenge 2009/10"
848:"Top League Challenge 2008/09"
823:"Top League Challenge 2007/08"
798:"Top League Challenge 2006/07"
773:"Top League Challenge 2005/06"
748:"Top League Challenge 2004/05"
723:"Top League Challenge 2003/04"
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37:Current season or competition:
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471:, Toyota Industries Shuttles
325:, Toyota Industries Shuttles
1861:2003 establishments in Japan
1851:Rugby union leagues in Japan
1786:Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
1704:Sanix World Youth Tournament
1361:Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars
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382:Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars
370:Honda Heat, Kintetsu Liners
258:Top League Challenge Series
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462:Canon Eagles, Kyuden Voltex
18:Top League Challenge Series
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484:Toyota Industries Shuttles
299:Toyota Industries Shuttles
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193:For the 2003β04 season, a
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128:Japan Rugby Football Union
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673:(in French). 16 July 2021
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48:2020 Top Challenge League
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181:ahead of 2022, with the
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589:Automatically promoted
269:Promoted via play-offs
266:Automatically promoted
1745:Edward Bramwell Clarke
1632:Japan Rugby League One
179:Japan Rugby League One
105:Japan Rugby League One
1765:International Players
1215:Chugoku Red Regulions
581:Top Challenge League
487:Mitsubishi Dynaboars
1846:Top Challenge League
1694:Japan Women's Sevens
1684:2019 Rugby World Cup
1642:Top Challenge League
1516:Rugby union in Japan
1458:Top Challenge League
1316:Munakata Sanix Blues
1276:Chubu Electric Power
1220:Coca-Cola Red Sparks
1201:Top Challenge League
536:Munakata Sanix Blues
223:In August 2016, the
159:Top Challenge League
31:Top Challenge League
1356:World Fighting Bull
1250:Shimizu Blue Sharks
497:Fukuoka Sanix Blues
394:World Fighting Bull
311:Fukuoka Sanix Blues
161:was a professional
146:Related competition
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1296:JR KyΕ«shΕ« Thunders
1245:Mazda Blue Zoomers
1127:Top League website
699:. 19 August 2016.
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1225:Kamaishi Seawaves
1102:The Rugby Archive
1077:The Rugby Archive
1052:The Rugby Archive
1027:The Rugby Archive
1002:The Rugby Archive
977:The Rugby Archive
952:The Rugby Archive
927:The Rugby Archive
902:The Rugby Archive
877:The Rugby Archive
852:The Rugby Archive
827:The Rugby Archive
802:The Rugby Archive
777:The Rugby Archive
752:The Rugby Archive
727:The Rugby Archive
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629:Kurita Water Gush
627:Kintetsu Liners,
608:Hino Red Dolphins
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567:Hino Red Dolphins
520:Kamaishi Seawaves
380:Kintetsu Liners,
348:, Kyuden Voltex,
214:Top KyΕ«shΕ« League
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16:(Redirected from
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1774:Related articles
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1699:2001 World Games
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1713:Defunct
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