Japan Rugby Top League 2014-15 Awards
Japan Rugby Top League 2014-15 Awards
Champion: Panasonic Wild Knights.
(2013-14: Panasonic Wild Knights)
(2012-13: Suntory Sungoliath)
(2011-12: Suntory Sungoliath)
(2010-11: Sanyo Wild Knights)
(2009-10: Toshiba Brave Lupus)
(2008-9: Toshiba Brave Lupus)
(2007-8: Suntory Sungoliath)
(2006-7: Toshiba Brave Lupus)
(2005-6: Toshiba Brave Lupus)
(2004-5: Toshiba Brave Lupus)
(2003-4: Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Runner-up: Yamaha Jubilo.
Best XV 2014-15:
In the twelfth season of Top League, a panel of members of the media, coaches and captains chose the Best XV. Panasonic and Kobe dominated the Best XV for the 2014-15 season filling five places each with four other clubs filling the remaining spots. Yamaha contributed two players, while Suntory, Toshiba and Canon had one each.
There were six players making the Best XV for the first time, following on from four debutants last year. Panasonic loosehead prop Keita Inagaki, Panasonic hooker Shota Horie, Yamaha No. 8 Kyosuke Horie, Panasonic flyhalf Berrick Barnes, Panasonic wing Akihito Yamada, Kobe centre Jaque Fourie and Yamaha fullback Ayumu Goromaru all appeared in the XV last season. Five of the fifteen were born overseas.
Top League Best and Fairest (MVP): Berrick Barnes, flyhalf, Panasonic.
(2013-14: Berrick Barnes, flyhalf, Panasonic)
In his second season playing in Japan, former Wallabies and Waratahs playmaker Berrick Barnes representing Panasonic took out the accolade as Best and Fairest for the 2014-15 season for the second year in a row.
Play-off Series Best and Fairest (MVP): Akihito Yamada, wing, Panasonic.
(2014: Akihito Yamada, wing, Panasonic)
Akihito Yamada was named the MVP for the Top League Play-off Series for the second year in a row and third time overall. The Japan international wing scored a try in both the semi-final and the final that sealed the win for Panasonic. He also played a significant role in the win over Toshiba in the semifinal.
Rookie: Rakuhei Yamashita, wing, Kobe.
(2013-14: Keita Inagaki, prop, Panasonic and Kyosuke Horie, No. 8, Yamaha)
In his first season of senior rugby, Kobe wing Rakuhei Yamashita was named best youngest player for the season. Yamashita graduated from Kyoto Sangyo University and shared the prize for top try scorer this season with 11 tries.
Top point scorer: Berrick Barnes, flyhalf, Panasonic, 156 points.
NB: The first three seasons of Top League consisted of 12 teams over 11 rounds. Top League expanded to 14 teams over 13 rounds from the 2006-7 season. From 2013-14, Top League expanded to 16 teams with 14 games over two stages. Points scored in the Top League Playoffs are not included in this count.
(2013-14: Ayumu Goromaru, fullback, Yamaha, 160 points)
Panasonic flyhalf Berrick Barnes racked up a personal tally of 156 points from 3 tries, 30 conversions and 27 penalty goals from 14 games to take the top point scorer award for the first time. Nicholas previously won this award back in the 2006-7 season. The next best point scorer was Ricoh fullback Daniel Peters on 147 points.
Top try scorers: Nemani Nadolo, wing, NEC; Kyosuke Horie, No. 8, Yamaha and Rakuhei Yamashita, wing, Kobe 11 tries each.
NB: The first three seasons of Top League consisted of 12 teams over 11 rounds. Top League expanded to 14 teams over 13 rounds from the 2006-7 season. From 2013-14, Top League expanded to 16 teams with 14 games over two stages. Points scored in the Top League Playoffs are not included in this count.
(2013-14: Jaque Fourie, centre, Kobe, 17 tries)
At the completion of both stages, NEC wing Nemani Nadolo, Yamaha No. 8 Kyosuke Horie and Kobe wing Rakuhei Yamashita shared the crown as top try scorer with 11 tries each.
Top goal kicker: Berrick Barnes, flyhalf, Panasonic, 141 points from 30 conversions and 27 penalties at 82.61% success rate.
NB: The first three seasons of Top League consisted of 12 teams over 11 rounds. Top League expanded to 14 teams over 13 rounds from the 2006-7 season. From 2013-14, Top League expanded to 16 teams with 14 games over two stages. Points scored in the Top League Play-offs are not included in this count.
(2013-14: Ryan Nicholas, centre, Suntory, 178 points from 44 conversions and 30 penalties)
Panasonic flyhalf Berrick Barnes was the best kicker for the first time with 141 points from 30 conversions and 27 penalties. His kicking success rate was 82.61%.
Best referee: Akihasa Aso.
(2013-14: Akihisa Aso)
This category was introduced in the 2005-6 season with Akihisa Aso taking out the title for the second year in a row and second time overall.
The Century Club: The 2014-15 season marked the twelfth season of Top League since it was launched back in 2003-4. This season, sixteen players achieved the milestone of one hundred Top League games, including Shoji Ito (Toshiba), Seiichi Shimomura (Panasonic), Luke Thompson (Kintetsu), Tomoaki Taniguchi (Toyota) and Yusuke Aoki (Suntory). Furthermore, Kazuhito Taniguchi became the first referee to officiate in one hundred Top League games this season.
Fair play team: Panasonic.
(2013-14: Panasonic)
The fair play team is the team that gives away the least amount of penalties over the season. Panasonic won this award for the second year in a row and fourth time overall.
Best fan service: Kobe, Toshiba and Panasonic.
(2013-14: NTT Communications, NTT Docomo and Yamaha)