2012–13 Top League Challenge Series


The 2012–13 Top League Challenge Series was the 2012–13 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 2013–14 season. The competition was contested from 9 December 2012 to 20 January 2013.
Coca-Cola West Red Sparks and Kubota Spears won promotion to the 2013–14 Top League, while Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Competition rules and information

The top two teams from the regional :ja:トップイーストリーグ|Top East League, :ja:トップウェスト|Top West League and :ja:トップキュウシュウ|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 2013–14 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 2012 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2012 Top West League were:
The final standings for the 2012 Top East League were:
The final standings for the 2012 Top Kyūshū League were:

Standings

The final standings for the 2012–13 Top League Challenge 1 were:
The following matches were played in the 2012–13 Top League Challenge 1:

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2012–13 Top League Challenge 2 were:
  • Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars progressed to Challenge 1.

    Matches

The following matches were played in the 2012–13 Top League Challenge 2: