The Japan Rugby Union has announced that it will have a three-part system for the new league starting in January next year, and that the top one will consist of 12 teams.
The Japan Rugby Union has a policy of renewing the current top league with the aim of improving the competitiveness of the Japanese national team and establishing a new league toward January next year.
The association met online on the 15th and announced that the new league will be a three-part system, with 12 teams in the top 1st division, 7 teams in the 2nd division and 6 teams in the 3rd division.
The reason for reducing the number of teams in the first division by four from the top league "16" is to increase the quality and balanced games.
All 16 teams from the top league and all 9 teams from the lower top challenge league will participate, and we will comprehensively consider the business aspects such as this season's results and attracting customers and divide them into each department. I am.
In the first part of this, 12 teams will be divided into 6 teams to form 2 groups.
Each team will play two round-robin games within their group, and then one game against each of the six teams in another group, playing a total of 16 games to compete for victory in points.
In addition, the new league will adopt a method in which a certain number of teams are promoted or demoted by a qualification match.
Kensuke Iwabuchi, Managing Director of the Japan Rugby Union, said, "With the establishment of a new league, we will make the enthusiasm like the adult World Cup Japan tournament familiar. We will make it the world's highest league where the Japanese national team can continue to be strong. I want to. "