The Microsoft Cup is a knock-out Japanese rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 tournament sponsored by Microsoft Japan

Microsoft Japan

Microsoft Japan, officially , is a division of the United States-based computer technology corporation Microsoft based in Japan. The headquarters is in a skyscraper in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.-External links:...

, first played in February 2004. For the first three seasons the top eight teams of the Top League

Top League

The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...

 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.

Semi-finals

Feb 17

Sanyo Wild Knights

Sanyo Wild Knights

Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...

 (Top League 1st) 25 Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 21 (Top League 4th) (14.00, Chichibunomiya)

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 (Top League 2nd) 33 Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of verde and blitz . The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries...

 10 (Top League 3rd) (14.00, Hanazono)

Final

Feb 24 Sanyo Wild Knights

Sanyo Wild Knights

Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...

 10 Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 14 (14.00, Chichibunomiya)

Cup Final MVP: Hirotoki Onozawa

Hirotoki Onozawa

Hirotoki Onozawa plays rugby union at wing for Suntory Sungoliath in the Top League...

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

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 38 Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of verde and blitz . The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries...

 35 (Chichibunomiya)

Jan. 28 Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...

 39 Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 40 (Hanazono)

First Round

Jan. 22

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 35 Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...

 17

Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears is a Japanese rugby union team which is based in Funabashi, Chiba and they play in the Top League.Their slogan for the 2006 season was FIGHT ON.-2011-12 Squad:...

 40 Sanyo Wild Knights

Sanyo Wild Knights

Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...

 24

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 38 Kobe Kobelco Steelers 7

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of verde and blitz . The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries...

 12 NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...

 17

Semi-Finals

Jan.29

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 23 NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...

 10

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 44 Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears is a Japanese rugby union team which is based in Funabashi, Chiba and they play in the Top League.Their slogan for the 2006 season was FIGHT ON.-2011-12 Squad:...

 25

First Round

Jan. 23

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 33 Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath

Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...

 13 (Chichibunomiya

Chichibunomiya rugby stadium

in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.-Facilities:...

)

NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets

NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...

 16 Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, Ltd., and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-4 season...

 51 (Chichibunomiya)

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of verde and blitz . The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries...

 41 Sanyo Wild Knights

Sanyo Wild Knights

Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...

 21 (Hanazono)

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...

 38 Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears

Kubota Spears is a Japanese rugby union team which is based in Funabashi, Chiba and they play in the Top League.Their slogan for the 2006 season was FIGHT ON.-2011-12 Squad:...

 33 (Hanazono)

Semi-Final

Jan. 30

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 41 Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, Ltd., and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-4 season...

 0 (Chichibunomiya)

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of verde and blitz . The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries...

 33 Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...

 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

Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro...

 20 Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo

Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...

6 (Chichibunomiya)

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

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

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)