to retain their places for the 2011–12 season. The following teams were in the league: Coca-Cola West Red Sparks Fukuoka Sanix Blues Kintetsu Liners Kobelco Steelers NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes NEC Green Rockets NTT Communications Shining Arcs Ricoh Black Rams Sanyo Wild Knights Suntory Sungoliath Toshiba Brave Lupus Toyota Verblitz Honda Heat Yamaha Jubilo The top 4 sides of the regular season (Suntory, Toshiba, Sanyo, and NEC) competed in the 2012 Top League Champions Cup knock-out tournament for the Top League title at Chichibu, Tokyo. Suntory defeated Sanyo 47–28 in the final to win the title. Both teams met again a few weeks later in the final of the 49th All-Japan Rugby Football Championship. Additionally, in the Wildcard play-offs, the Top League teams ranked 5th and 8th (Kintetsu Liners and Yamaha Jubilo) played each other at Hanazono, Osaka, as did the teams ranked 6th and 7th (Kobe Steelers and Ricoh Black Rams), with the winners (Kobe and Yamaha) also qualifying for the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship. Eighth season (2010–11) Honda Heat and Kyuden Voltex were automatically relegated at the completion of the 2009–10 season for finishing 13th and 14th. Toyota Industries Shuttles and NTT Communications Shining Arcs won promotion through the Top Challenge series. The following teams were in the league: Coca-Cola West Red Sparks Fukuoka Sanix Blues Kintetsu Liners Kobelco Steelers Kubota Spears NEC Green Rockets NTT Communications Shining Arcs Ricoh Black Rams Sanyo Wild Knights Suntory Sungoliath Toshiba Brave Lupus Toyota Verblitz Toyota Industries Shuttles Yamaha Jubilo The top 4 sides (Toshiba, Sanyo, Toyota and Suntory) from the regular season competed in a knock out tournament to fight for the Top League title. In the final, Sanyo defeated Suntory 28–23. Seventh season (2009–10) IBM Big Blue and Yokogawa Atlastars were automatically relegated at the completion of the 2008–9 season for finishing 13th and 14th. Ricoh and Honda won promotion through the Top Challenge series. Kyuden and Sanix retained their places in Top League when they won their respective promotion and relegation play-offs. The following teams were in the league: Coca-Cola West Red Sparks Fukuoka Sanix Blues Honda Heat Kintetsu Liners Kobelco Steelers Kubota Spears Kyuden Voltex NEC Green Rockets Ricoh Black Rams Sanyo Wild Knights Suntory Sungoliath Toshiba Brave Lupus Toyota Verblitz Yamaha Jubilo Sixth season (2008–9) Kintetsu Liners returned to the league, and Yokogawa Denki were promoted for the first time (and renamed Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars in