2004 Top League Challenge Series
Rugby union competition in Japan
The 2004 Top League Challenge Series was the 2004 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 2004–05 season. The competition was contested from 10 to 24 January 2004.
IBM Big Blue and Toyota Verblitz won promotion to the 2004–05 Top League, while Kyuden Voltex and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.
Competition rules and information
The top two teams from the regional Top East League, Top West League and 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 top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2004–05 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.
Qualification
The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2003 regional leagues.
Top West League
The final standings for the 2003 Top West League were:
Toyota Verblitz qualified for Challenge 1.
Toyota Industries Shuttles qualified for Challenge 2.
Top East League
The final standings for the 2003 Top East League were:
IBM Big Blue qualified for Challenge 1.
“2004 Top League Challenge Series” enters the record as rugby union competition in Japan. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what League, Challenge and Series can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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