2003–04 Top League

2003–04 Top League
Countries	Japan
Date
Champions	Kobe Steelers
Runners-up	Toshiba Brave Lupus
Attendance
2004–05 →

The 2003–04 Top League was the first season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. Toshiba Brave Lupus won the league by finishing on top of the round-robin competition.

Toshiba Brave Lupus lost the final of Microsoft Cup to NEC Green Rockets, but the cup was considered a separate competition to the Top League prior to 2007.

 • The top 8 teams qualified to the Microsoft Cup play-offs.
 • The top 4 teams also qualified to for entry into the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship.
 • Teams 9 and 10 went through to the promotion and relegation play-offs against regional challengers.
 • Teams 11 and 12 were automatically relegated.

Source:The Rugby Archive

Four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2).
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
 • Difference between points for and against
 • Total number of points for
 • Number of matches won
 • Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
 • Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

The top eight teams in the league played off for the Microsoft Cup (2004) knock out tournament, which was won by NEC Green Rockets.

IBM Big Blue and Toyota Verblitz won promotion to the 2004–05 Top League via the 2004 Top League Challenge Series, while Kyuden Voltex and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

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