Kintetsu Liners Top League Profile 2013-14
Top League Profiles 2013-14
(7) Kintetsu Liners
2013-14 Introduction : Last season (2012-13) Kintetsu finished seventh on the final Top League table.
Kintetsu are one of the oldest company clubs in Japanese rugby with a long and proud tradition and although the competition looks fierce this year the Liners will be hoping to go one better and make the play-offs for the first time in the 2013-14 season. In the forwards, former captain in lock Luke Thompson and backrower Toetu’u Taufa will be looking for big domestic seasons as they try to revive their Japan representative hopes. Meanwhile, in the backs a number of veteran players at the club such as goal-kicking playmaker Mr Dependable Yasumasa Shigemitsu who has consistently finished high on the point scorers lists over a number of years, midfield line breaker Jeffrey Ierome, former All Black Rico Gear and versatile fullback Tadanobu Ko all must step up again this year. Ryusuke Maeda will be in his third year as head coach and he will be looking to get the best out of this Osaka based squad.
Established : Kintetsu are one of the oldest company teams in Japan having been established in 1929.The full name for the club is Kintetsu Liners. The Liners refers to the nature of the company as a railway and transport concern in and around the Osaka area. The name ‘Liner’ comes from the name of a popular company express train known as the Urban Liner. In rugby terms, it is used to reflect the speed and power of Kintetsu rugby. Kintetsu are also the owner of the Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka, one of the two main rugby grounds in Japan. (The other is the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo). Hanazono too was established in 1929 and so both Kintetsu rugby and the Hanazono ground celebrated 80 years in 2009.
The Company : The Kintetsu Corporation has a railway network in western Japan that covers Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Yoshino, Ise-shima and Nagoya. Have a look at www.kintetsu.co.jp
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): 7th on table on 33 points with 6 wins and 7 losses.
2011-12 (14 teams): 5th on table on 39 points with 8 wins and 5 losses.
2010-11 (14 teams): 9th on table on 31 points with 6 wins and 7 losses.
2009-10 (14 teams): 11th on table on 23 points with 4 wins, a draw and 8 losses.
2008-9 (14 teams): 9th on table on 28 points with 5 wins and 8 losses.
2007-8 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2006-7 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2005-6 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2004-5 (12 teams): 11th on table on 18 points with 2 wins and 9 losses. (Automatically relegated)
2003-4 (12 teams): 10th on table on 18 points with 3 wins and 8 losses.
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 : DNQ as only top 4 Top League teams qualified.
2008 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2007 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2006 : DNP. Played in Top West competition.
2005 : DNQ as only top 8 Top League teams qualified.
2004 : DNQ as only top 8 Top League teams qualified. .
National Championship – 3 times (1975, 1968 and 1967); runners-up once (1964).
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): Lost to Yamaha 17-15 in Wildcard Tournament and thus DNQ.
2011 (48th NC – 10 teams): Lost to Sanix 30-22 in Wildcard Tournament and thus DNQ.
2010 (47th NC – 10 teams): DNQ.
2009 (46th NC – 10 teams): DNQ as only top 6 TL teams qualified.
2008 (45th NC – 8 teams): Qualified as Top Challenger. Defeated Keio University 45-14 before losing to Toyota 53-43.
2007 (44th NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2006 (43rd NC – 8 teams): DNP.
2005 (42nd NC – 8 teams): DNQ as only top 4 TL teams qualified.
2004 (41st NC – 22 teams): DNQ as only top 8 TL teams qualified.
Corporate Championship – 8 times (1975, 1970, 1968, 1967, 1962, 1958, 1957 and 1954); runners-up 9 times (1974, 1966, 1964, 1961, 1960, 1959, 1956, 1952 and 1949). 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.