Japan Rugby League One

Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship. The chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level which would allow Japan to compete more convincingly at Rugby World Cups.

Until 2022, it was an industrial league, where many players were employees of their company and the teams were all owned by major companies. While the competition was known for paying high salaries, only world-class foreign players and a small number of Japanese players played fully professionally, which meant most of the players still played in an amateur capacity. The delayed 2021 season was the final season of the Top League, with the JRFU adopting a new fully-professional three-tier system from 2022. More details about the new structure was announced to the media in January 2021. Featuring 25 teams, the 12 top-tier clubs would be split into two conferences, with seven teams competing in division two and six in division three. The new competition was formally announced as Japan Rugby League One in July 2021.

The first season in 2003–04 featured 12 teams. The league was expanded to 14 teams in 2006–07 and 16 teams in 2013–14. While Japan Rugby League One's season overlaps with the start of Super Rugby's season, the Top League played during the off-season of the Super Rugby. Therefore, many full-time foreign professionals from Southern Hemisphere countries played in the Top League, notably Tony Brown, George Gregan and Dan Carter. In the 2010s, salaries in the Top League rose to become some of the highest in the rugby world; in 2012, South Africa's Jaque Fourie, now with Kobelco Steelers, was widely reported to be the world's highest-paid player.

Rugby System's Divisions
The 2023-24 format for the Japanese club system is divided into three divisions.

Division 1
The league consists of 12 teams based in various cities in the country.


 * Black Rams Tokyo
 * Brave Lupus Tokyo
 * Hanazono Liners
 * Kobe Steelers
 * Mie Heat
 * Sagamihara DynaBoars
 * Saitama Wild Knights
 * Shizuoka Blue Revs
 * Spears Funabashi
 * Tokyo Sungoliath
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Yokohama Eagles

Division 2

 * Green Rockets Tokatsu
 * Kamaishi Seawaves
 * Kyuden Voltex
 * Red Hurricanes Osaka
 * Toyota Shuttles
 * Urayasu D-Rocks

Division 3

 * Chugoku Red Regulions
 * Hino Red Dolphins
 * Koto Blue Sharks
 * Water Gush Akishima
 * Skyactivs Hiroshima

Developments

 * 2006–07: The league was expanded from 12 to 14 teams.
 * 2007–08: A timekeeping system independent of the referee was introduced.
 * 2008–09: Video referee (TMO) decisions were introduced for the Microsoft Cup play-off tournament.
 * 2008–09: Three foreign players per team are allowed on the field at one time, one more than previously. Additionally, one member of an Asian union (such as South Korean Kim Kwang Mo for Sanyo Wild Knights) is permitted to take the field for each team.
 * 2009–10: One of the three foreign players allowed on the field must have played, or be eligible, for Japan.
 * 2013–14: The league was expanded from 14 to 16 teams.
 * 2014–15: Video referee (TMO) decisions introduced for all league games.
 * 2014–15: Playoff tournament sponsored as the Lixil Cup.
 * 2021: Japan Rugby League One announced as the new league name, starting from the 2022 season.

Related competitions
A second-tier Top League Challenge Series was also introduced in 2003. Between 2003–04 and 2016–17, teams from three regional leagues would qualify to this post-season competition, in which they could either win promotion to the next season's Top League, or qualify to promotion play-off matches.

In 2017, a second-tier Top Challenge League was introduced, to operate in a league format above the regional leagues.

The regional leagues are:


 * Top East League, administered by the Japan East Rugby Football Union
 * Top West League, administered by the Kansai Rugby Football Union
 * Top Kyūshū League, administered by the Kyūshū Rugby Football Union

With the creation of Rugby League One and its three divisions, the raison d'etre for the Top Challenge League ceased to exist, and it was discontinued.

Sixteen teams: 2012 onwards

 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Munakata Sanix Blues
 * NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * NTT Communications Shining Arcs
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Toyota Industries Shuttles
 * Honda Heat
 * Yamaha Jubilo
 * Hino Red Dolphins
 * Mitsubishi Dynaboars

Ninth season (2011–12)
NTT Shining Arcs and Yamaha Jubilo which won their 2005 promotion/relegation play-offs (Irekaesen) against Canon Eagles and Kyuden Voltex to retain their places for the 2011–12 season. The following teams were in the league:


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * NTT Communications Shining Arcs
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Honda Heat
 * Yamaha Jubilo

The top 4 sides of the regular season (Suntory, Toshiba, Sanyo, and NEC) competed in the 2012 Top League Champions Cup knock-out tournament for the Top League title at Chichibu, Tokyo. Suntory defeated Sanyo 47–28 in the final to win the title. Both teams met again a few weeks later in the final of the 49th All-Japan Rugby Football Championship.

Additionally, in the Wildcard play-offs, the Top League teams ranked 5th and 8th (Kintetsu Liners and Yamaha Jubilo) played each other at Hanazono, Osaka, as did the teams ranked 6th and 7th (Kobe Steelers and Ricoh Black Rams), with the winners (Kobe and Yamaha) also qualifying for the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship.

Eighth season (2010–11)
Honda Heat and Kyuden Voltex were automatically relegated at the completion of the 2009–10 season for finishing 13th and 14th. Toyota Industries Shuttles and NTT Communications Shining Arcs won promotion through the Top Challenge series. The following teams were in the league:


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * NTT Communications Shining Arcs
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Toyota Industries Shuttles
 * Yamaha Jubilo

The top 4 sides (Toshiba, Sanyo, Toyota and Suntory) from the regular season competed in a knock out tournament to fight for the Top League title. In the final, Sanyo defeated Suntory 28–23.

Seventh season (2009–10)
IBM Big Blue and Yokogawa Atlastars were automatically relegated at the completion of the 2008–9 season for finishing 13th and 14th. Ricoh and Honda won promotion through the Top Challenge series. Kyuden and Sanix retained their places in Top League when they won their respective promotion and relegation play-offs. The following teams were in the league:


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * Honda Heat
 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * Kyuden Voltex
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Yamaha Jubilo

Sixth season (2008–9)
Kintetsu Liners returned to the league, and Yokogawa Denki were promoted for the first time (and renamed Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars in the off season). They replaced Ricoh Black Rams and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars. The following teams were in the league:


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * IBM Big Blue
 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * Kyuden Voltex
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Yamaha Jubilo
 * Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars

Fifth season (2007–8)


Kyuden Voltex and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars joined the league for the first time. The following 14 teams were in the Top League in the 2007–08 season:


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * IBM Big Blue
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * Kyuden Voltex
 * Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * Yamaha Jubilo

The top four teams (Sanyo, Suntory, Toyota and Toshiba) played in the fifth Microsoft Cup to decide the league champion. Suntory beat Sanyo 14–10 in the final to become the 2007–08 champions. Mitsubishi (14th) and Ricoh (13th) were automatically relegated.

Fourth season (2006–7)
The number of teams was increased from 12 to 14. Coca-Cola West Red Sparks became the second Kyushu-based team in the Top League. IBM returned to the league.


 * Coca-Cola West Red Sparks
 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * IBM Big Blue
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Secom Rugguts
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * World Fighting Bull
 * Yamaha Jubilo

The top four teams in the league played in the Microsoft Cup which was officially integrated into the league from this season as the "Top League Play-off Tournament Microsoft Cup". Toshiba won the cup and also won the All-Japan Championship. Secom and World (13th and 14th) were automatically relegated, to be replaced by Kyuden Voltex, the third team from Kyushu to enter the league, and Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars from Kanto.

Third season (2005–6)
After the pre-season 2005 Challenge series, Secom and Sanix returned after a year out of the league, replacing Kintetsu and IBM. The following 12 teams competed in the third season:


 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Secom Rugguts
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * World Fighting Bull
 * Yamaha Jubilo

Toshiba again won both the league round-robin and the Microsoft Cup knockout competition contested by the top 8 teams after the regular season. Coca-Cola West Japan (now Coca-Cola West Red Sparks) gained promotion to the League at the end of the season. IBM also gained promotion to return to the league.

Second season (2004–5)
Following the 2004 Challenge series with IBM and Toyota being promoted, the following 12 teams competed in the second season:


 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Nihon IBM Big Blue
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * Toyota Verblitz
 * World Fighting Bull
 * Yamaha Jubilo

Toshiba won both the league round-robin and the Microsoft Cup knockout competition contested by the top 8 teams after the regular season. The eleventh and twelfth teams (Kintetsu and IBM) were automatically relegated, and the ninth and tenth placed teams (World and Ricoh) had to win their 2005 promotion and relegation play-offs (Irekaesen) to stay in the Top League, which they did.

First season (2003–4)
The first season began with 12 teams:


 * Fukuoka Sanix Blues
 * Kintetsu Liners
 * Kobelco Steelers
 * Kubota Spears
 * NEC Green Rockets
 * Ricoh Black Rams
 * Sanyo Wild Knights
 * Secom Rugguts
 * Suntory Sungoliath
 * Toshiba Brave Lupus
 * World Fighting Bull
 * Yamaha Jubilo

Toshiba won the inaugural Top League title by finishing on top of the round-robin competition. The top eight teams qualified for the inaugural Microsoft Cup. Toshiba went on to lose the final of Microsoft Cup to NEC, but the cup was considered a separate competition to the Top League prior to 2007. Secom and Sanix were relegated at the end of the season. IBM and Toyota were promoted.

Champions

 * Notes
 * * NEC Green Rockets won the Microsoft Cup in 2003–04. The Cup was considered a separate competition to the Top League prior to 2007.

Notable foreign players
The following foreign players that have played in the Top League have either won or been nominated for a major IRB award, played in a Rugby World Cup, played for a combined-nations touring side, or captained their national team.