Japan Rugby Top League 2017-2018 Awards
Champion: Suntory Sungoliath.
Suntory claimed the Top League title for the fifth time in 2017-18.
Runner-up: Panasonic Wild Knights.
Best XV:
In the fifteenth season of Top League, a panel of members of the media, coaches and captains chose the Best XV. Panasonic dominated the Best XV for the 2017-18 season filling nine places while Suntory had four spots. Toyota and Toshiba had one each.
There were seven players making the Best XV for the first time, following on from nine debutants last year. Panasonic loose head prop Keita Inagaki, Suntory lock Joe Wheeler, Suntory halfback Yutaka Nagare and Suntory fullback Kotaro Matsushima appeared in the XV last season.
| No. | Position |
Name |
Club | Times in Best XV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loosehead prop | Keita Inagaki | Panasonic | 5 |
| 2 | Hooker | Shota Horie | Panasonic | 7 |
| 3 | Tighthead prop | Asaeli Ai Valu | Panasonic | 1 |
| 4 | Lock | Sam Wykes | Panasonic | 1 |
| 5 | Lock | Joe Wheeler | Suntory | 2 |
| 6 | Flanker | David Pocock | Panasonic | 1 |
| 7 | Flanker | Kazuki Himeno | Toyota | 1 |
| 8 | No8 | Michael Leitch | Toshiba | 5 |
| 9 | Halfback | Yutaka Nagare | Suntory | 2 |
| 10 | Five-eighth | Berrick Barnes | Panasonic | 4 |
| 11 | Wing | Kenki Fukuoka | Panasonic | 1 |
| 12 | Centre | Matt Giteau | Suntory | 1 |
| 13 | Centre | Rikiya Matsuda | Panasonic | 1 |
| 14 | Wing | Akihito Yamada | Panasonic | 5 |
| 15 | Fullback | Kotaro Matsushima | Suntory | 3 |
Top League Best and Fairest (MVP): Kotaro Matsushima, fullback, Suntory.
Suntory fullback Kotaro Matsushima took out the accolade as Best and Fairest for the 2017-18 season for the first time. Matsushima is the fourth Suntory player to receive this award after wing Takaaki Nakazuru in 2016-17, flanker George Smith in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and wing Hirotoki Onozawa in 2007-08.
Rookie: Kazuki Himeno, flanker, Toyota.
In his first season of senior rugby, Toyota flanker Kazuki Himeno was the best youngest player for the season. Himeno graduated from Teikyo University. Japan head coach Jamie Joseph picked Himeno in his national squad for the autumn 2017 internationals and he made his debut as a lock against Australia in Yokohama. He then started in his regular position on the side of the scrum against Tonga and France. At the time of writing, he has three caps. He has Japan player number 651. New Toyota head coach Jake White made Himeno team captain in his first year at the club. Himeno is the third Toyota player to receive this award after prop Kohei Yoshida in 2012-13 and wing Hiroki Mizuno in 2004-05.
Top point scorer: Lionel Cronje, five-eighth, Toyota, 132 points.
In the 2017-18 season, the 16 teams were divided into the Red Conference and the White Conference. Each team played the other teams in their conference once and played six games against teams in the opposing conference. Each team played 13 games in the regular season. Points scored in the positional play-offs are not included in this count.
Toyota five-eighth Lionel Cronje racked up a personal tally of 132 points from five tries, 28 conversions, 16 penalty goals and one drop goal from 13 games to take the top point scorer award for the first time. He became the third Toyota player to receive this award after Orene Ai’i in 2010-11 and Keiji Hirose in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The next best point scorer was NTT Docomo fullback Riaan Viljoen on 108 points.
Top try scorer: Akihito Yamada, wing, Panasonic 12 tries.
In the 2017-18 season, the 16 teams were divided into the Red Conference and the White Conference. Each team played the other teams in their conference once and played six games against teams in the opposing conference. Each team played 13 games in the regular season. Points scored in the positional play-offs are not included in this count.
At the completion of all 13 rounds, Panasonic wing Akihito Yamada took the crown as top try scorer for the second time with 12 tries. He also win the award in the 2012-13 season with 20 tries. He is the second player from Panasonic/Sanyo to take this award after Tomoki Kitagawa in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09. The next best try scorers were Canon wing Hosea Saumaki and Yamaha No8 Kyosuke Horie with 10 tries each.
Top goal kicker: Ayumu Goromaru, fullback, Yamaha, 91 points from 41 conversions and 3 penalties at 83.02% success rate.
In the 2017-18 season, the 16 teams were divided into the Red Conference and the White Conference. Each team played the other teams in their conference once and played six games against teams in the opposing conference. Each team played 13 games in the regular season. Points scored in the positional play-offs are not included in this count.
Yamaha fullback Ayumu Goromaru was the best kicker for the third time with 91 points from 41 conversions and 3 penalties. His kicking success rate was 83.02%. He also win this award in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. He is the third player from Yamaha to take this award after Shotaro Onishi in 2007-08 and Gerhard van den Heever in 2016-17.
Best referee: Akihasa Aso.
This category was introduced in the 2005-06 season with Akihisa Aso taking out the title for the fifth year in a row.
The Century Club: The 2017-18 season marked the fifteenth season of Top League since it was launched in 2003-04. This season, seven players achieved the milestone of one hundred Top League games, bringing the total to 71 players. Moreover, Canon lock Takashi Kikutani and Toyota lock Toshizumi Kitagawa joined the small group of players who have achieved the milestone of 150 Top League games. This season, referee Akihisa Aso became the third official to officiate in 100 Top League games.
- Ryuta Ueno (Toyota)
- Yosuke Usui (NEC)
- Naoki Kawamata (Toyota Shuttles and Panasonic/Sanyo)
- Ayumu Goromaru (Yamaha)
- Shinya Makabe (Suntory)
- Shota Horie (Panasonic)
- Itaru Taniguchi (Kobe)
150 Top League games
- Hitoshi Ono (Toshiba)
- Tatsuhiko Otao (Yamaha)
- Ryo Yamamura (Yamaha)
- Takashi Kikutani (Canon and Toyota)
- Toshizumi Kitagawa (Toyota)
Referee Century Club
- Akihisa Aso
- Kyosuke Toda
- Taizo Hirabayashi
Fair play team: Panasonic.
The fair play team is the team that gives away the least amount of penalties and cards over the season. Panasonic (Sanyo) won this award for the seventh time.