NTT Communications Shining Arcs Top League Profile 2013-14
Top League Profiles 2013-14
(9) NTT Communications Shining Arcs
2013-14 Introduction : Last season (2012-13) NTT Comm. finished ninth on the final table, achieving the feat of more wins than losses in what was only their third season in Top League. There has been less turnover of players during the off-season meaning there is far more stability in the club this year. Former Keio University head coach Masato Hayashi is again in charge this season and after an impressive finish last year he will be hoping to maintain the momentum as the new season gets underway. Wing Hiraku Tomoigawa is again the captain for 2013-14 and he will have to lead from the front as the mid table battles promise to be fiercely contested this year. The experienced players in the squad such as former All Blacks lock Isaac Ross, USA captain Todd Clever, Samoan Alesana Tuilagi, former Japan and Yamaha lock Hajime Kiso, fullback Toru Kurihara and Matt Sanders from the Philippines will have to again get the best out of the younger players at NTT Comm.
Established : NTT Communications Shining Arcs were formed in 1976 and they have their home ground at the NTT Chiba General Sports Ground in Ichikawa city near Futamata Shinmachi station on the JR Keiyo line. The nickname Shining Arcs is a bright and shining image just like the sun reaching out to the world and into the future with the logo motif in the shape of a rugby ball.
The Company : NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) is a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. NTT Com provides network management, security and solution services to consumers, corporations and governments in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Americas. Have a look at the company webpage http://www.ntt.com/
Titles :
Top League – none.
From the 2003-4 season to the 2005-6 season, Top League consisted of 12 teams and the team that finished on top of the table claimed the title. In the 2006-7 season, Top League was increased to 14 teams with the top four finishers on the ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup, the play-off series to determine the overall Top League champion. From the 2009-10 season, the Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship and so the finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.
2012-13 (14 teams): 9th on table on 31 points with 7 wins and 6 losses.
2011-12 (14 teams): 9th on table on 30 points with 5 wins, a draw and 7 losses.
2010-11 (14 teams): 12th on table on 24 points with 4 wins and 9 losses. Beat Canon 31-19 in P&R Play-off.
2009-10 : (14 teams): DNP.
2008-9 (14 teams): DNP.
2007-8 (14 teams): DNP.
2006-7 (14 teams): DNP.
2005-6 (12 teams): DNP.
2004-5 (12 teams): DNP.
2003-4 (12 teams): DNP.
Microsoft Cup – (as a standalone Cup 2004-2006) none.
From 2004 to 2006 the Microsoft Cup was a separate knock-out tournament for the top 8 finishers in Top League. From 2007 the Microsoft Cup acted as the play-off finals series to determine the overall Top League champion with the top four finishers on the Top League ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup. The Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship for the 2009-10 Top League season and so the 2010 finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.
2009 : DNP.
2008 : DNP.
2007 : DNP.
2006 : DNP.
2005 : DNP.
2004 : DNP.
National Championship – none.
After 22 teams participated in the 2004 National Championship it was reduced to 8 teams for 2005 consisting of the top four Top League sides, the top two universities, the top challenger from lower divisions and the top club side. In 2009 the number of teams was increased to ten with two additional Top League sides.
For 2010 the Wildcard Tournament was introduced to the National Championship for the Top League sides that finished fifth to tenth on the final table. In 2011 these six sides were: Kobe (fifth on 36 points), NEC (sixth on 34 points), Ricoh (seventh on 32 points), Sanix (eighth on 32 points), Kintetsu (ninth on 31 points) and Coca-Cola (tenth on 28 points). The teams played off over two weekends with Kobe and Ricoh winning the right to participate in the NC as the final two Top League participants. In 2012 the Wildcard Tournament was abbreviated to the four teams that finished fifth to eighth with fifth placed Kintetsu Liners playing eighth placed Yamaha Jubilo and sixth placed Kobe Steelers playing seventh placed Ricoh Black Rams. Kobe beat Ricoh 32-19 and Yamaha beat Kintetsu 17-15 with the winners thus qualifying for the up-coming 49 th National Championship.
For 2013, the Wildcard Tournament again featured six teams, that is, the six teams that finished fifth to tenth on the final Top League table for the 2012-13 season. In the first round, eighth placed NEC Green Rockets beat ninth placed NTT Communications Shining Arcs 38-14 and seventh placed Kintetsu Liners beat tenth placed Ricoh Black Rams 43-21. In the second round the following weekend, sixth placed Yamaha Jubilo beat Kintetsu 70-12 and fifth placed Toyota Verblitz beat NEC 41-23. The two winners from the second round in Yamaha and Toyota qualified for the National Championship as the Wildcard Qualifiers.
2013 (50th NC – 10 teams): DNQ.
2012 (49th NC – 10 teams): DNQ.
2011 (48th NC – 10 teams): DNQ.
2010 (47th NC – 10 teams): qualified as Top Challenger, beat Tokai University 11-7 in first round, lost to Toyota 50-17 in second round.
2009 (46th NC – 10 teams): DNP.
2008 (45th NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2007 (44th NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2006 (43rd NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2005 (42nd NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2004 (41st NC – 22 teams): DNP.
Corporate Championship – none. The Corporate Championship started in 1949 and ended with the 55th Corporate Championship in 2003 as a consequence of the introduction of Top League as the national corporate league in the 2003-4 season.