Microsoft Cup

The Microsoft Cup is a knock-out Japanese rugby union tournament sponsored by Microsoft Japan, first played in February 2004. For the first three seasons the top eight teams of the Top League participated and it was a separate competition to the Top League, but in 2007 this was cut to the top four teams, making two semi-finals and the final. Since that time the cup tournament has been officially integrated into the Top League as the Top League Play-off Tournament Microsoft Cup and the winner of the cup is now the league champion.

Video referee (TMO) decisions will be introduced for the first time in the 2009 Cup series.

The fifth Microsoft Cup (2008)

Semi-finals

Feb 17
Sanyo Wild Knights (Top League 1st) 25 Toshiba Brave Lupus 21 (Top League 4th) (14.00, Chichibunomiya)
Suntory Sungoliath (Top League 2nd) 33 Toyota Verblitz 10 (Top League 3rd) (14.00, Hanazono)

Final

Feb 24 Sanyo Wild Knights 10 Suntory Sungoliath 14 (14.00, Chichibunomiya)

Cup Final MVP: Hirotoki Onozawa

The fourth Microsoft Cup (2007)

The competition has been streamlined to just three games between the top four teams in the league, as follows:

Semi-Finals

Jan. 28 Toshiba Brave Lupus 38 Toyota Verblitz 35 (Chichibunomiya)
Jan. 28 Yamaha Jubilo 39 Suntory Sungoliath 40 (Hanazono)

Final

Feb. 4 Toshiba Brave Lupus 14 Suntory Sungoliath 13 (Chichibunomiya)

The third Microsoft Cup (2006)

First Round

Jan. 22
Suntory Sungoliath 35 Yamaha Jubilo 17
Kubota Spears 40 Sanyo Wild Knights 24
Toshiba Brave Lupus 38 Kobe Kobelco Steelers 7
Toyota Verblitz 12 NEC Green Rockets 17

Semi-Finals

Jan.29
Toshiba Brave Lupus 23 NEC Green Rockets 10
Suntory Sungoliath 44 Kubota Spears 25

Final

Feb. 5
Toshiba Brave Lupus 33 Suntory Sungoliath 18

The second Microsoft Cup (2005)

First Round

Jan. 23
Toshiba Brave Lupus 33 Suntory Sungoliath 13 (Chichibunomiya)
NEC Green Rockets 16 Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers 51 (Chichibunomiya)
Toyota Verblitz 41 Sanyo Wild Knights 21 (Hanazono)
Yamaha Jubilo 38 Kubota Spears 33 (Hanazono)

Semi-Final

Jan. 30
Toshiba Brave Lupus 41 Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers 0 (Chichibunomiya)
Toyota Verblitz 33 Yamaha Jubilo 33 (Hanazono)

The number of tries and goals being equal, the result was decided in favour of Yamaha by a lottery held at Hanazono after the game.

Final

Feb. 6
Toshiba Brave Lupus 20 Yamaha Jubilo 6 (Chichibunomiya)

In the season Toshiba Brave Lupus were top of the Top League, and Yamaha were second.

The first Microsoft Cup (2004)

First Round

Feb. 8
NEC Green Rockets 32 Suntory Sungoliath 5
Kubota Spears 32 Sanyo Wild Knights 39
Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers 35 World Fighting Bull 27
Yamaha Jubilo 10 Toshiba Brave Lupus 39

Semi-Finals

Feb. 15
Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers 10 NEC Green Rockets 34
Sanyo Wild Knights 34 Toshiba Brave Lupus 36

Final

Feb. 22
NEC Green Rockets 24 Toshiba Brave Lupus 19

See also

• Japan national rugby union team
• Japan Rugby Football Union

External links

• Official report of the 2005 final from the JRFU website (English)
• Brave Lupus add name to rugby Cup - Japan Times, February 7, 2005
• Steelers upset Green Rockets in Microsoft Cup (Japan Times, January 24, 2005)
• Microsoft Cup (Japanese)