The Fifty-fifth National Championship 2018/Top League Title Final: Wrap-up

In 2018, the Fifty-fifth National Championship also acts as the Top League positional play-offs.

In the semi-finals, Suntory Sungoliath as the top side in the Red Conference beat Yamaha Jubilo as the runner-up in the White Conference while Panasonic Wild Knights as the top side in the White Conference beat Toyota Verblitz as the runner-up in the Red Conference. Suntory beat Panasonic in the final.

Recent National Championship Finals

2018 (55^th): Suntory 12 d Panasonic 8
2017 (54^th): Suntory 15 d Panasonic 10
2016 (53^rd): Panasonic 49 d Teikyo University 15
2015 (52^nd): Yamaha 15 d Suntory 3
2014 (51^st): Panasonic 30 d Toshiba 21
2013 (50^th): Suntory 36 d Kobe 29
2012 (49^th): Suntory 21 d Panasonic 9
2011 (48^th): Suntory 37 d Sanyo 20
2010 (47^th): Sanyo 22 d Toyota 17
2009 (46^th): Sanyo 24 d Suntory 16
2008 (45^th): Sanyo 40 d Suntory 18
2007 (44^th): Toshiba 19 d Toyota 10
2006 (43^rd): Toshiba 6 drew with NEC 6 (Joint champions)
2005 (42^nd): NEC 17 d Toyota 13
2004 (41^st): Toshiba 22 d Kobe 10

Japan Rugby Top League Champions

2017-18: Suntory Sungoliath
2016-17: Suntory Sungoliath
2015-16: Panasonic Wild Knights
2014-15: Panasonic Wild Knights
2013-14: Panasonic Wild Knights
2011-12: Suntory Sungoliath
2010-11: Sanyo Wild Knights
2009-10: Toshiba Brave Lupus
2008-09: Toshiba Brave Lupus
2007-08: Suntory Sungoliath
2006-07: Toshiba Brave Lupus
2005-06: Toshiba Brave Lupus
2004-05: Toshiba Brave Lupus
2003-04: Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Final

Suntory Sungoliath (Red Conference 1) 12 d Panasonic Wild Knights (White Conference 1) 8

Suntory 12 – Tries: Ryoto Nakamura and Shota Emi; Conversion: Matt Giteau d

Panasonic 8 – Try: Daniel Heenan; Penalty: Takuya Yamasawa.

Date: Saturday, 13 January 2018
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo
Kick-off: 14:15
Referee: Akihisa Aso
Halftime: Suntory 12 – Panasonic 5
Attendance: 23,416
Conditions: Sunny, Surface good

Suntory: 1- Shintaro Ishihara, 2- Takuya Kitade, 3- Genki Sudo, 4- Joe Wheeler, 5- Shinya Makabe, 6- Hendrik Tui, 7- Masakatsu Nishikawa, 8- Sean McMahon, 9- Yutaka Nagare (c), 10- Matt Giteau, 11- Shota Emi, 12- Ryoto Nakamura, 13- Daishi Murata, 14- Takaaki Nakazuru and 15- Kotaro Matsushima. Reserves: 16- Shunta Nakamura, 17- Yukio Morikawa, 18- Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 19- Koji Iino, 20- Jordan Smiler, 21- Atsushi Hiwasa, 22- Campbell Magnay and 23- Ryutaro Takemoto. Coach: Keisuke Sawaki.

Panasonic: 1- Keita Inagaki, 2- Shota Horie, 3- Asaeli Ai Valu, 4- Sam Wykes, 5- Daniel Heenan, 6- Shunsuke Nunomaki (c), 7- David Pocock, 8- Ben Gunter, 9- Fumiaki Tanaka, 10- Berrick Barnes, 11- Kenki Fukuoka, 12- Rikiya Matsuda, 13- Yasutaka Sasakura, 14- Akihito Yamada and 15- Yoshikazu Fujita. Reserves: 16- Atsushi Sakate, 17- Emersen Tamura, 18- Shohei Hirano, 19- Ryota Hasegawa, 20- Masaki Tani, 21- Keisuke Uchida, 22- Takuya Yamasawa and 23- Digby Ioane. Coach: Robbie Deans.