Réunion Premier League

Réunion Premier League
Founded1950
CountryRéunion
ConfederationCAF
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Coupe de la Réunion
Coupe de France
International cup(s)Champions League
Confederation Cup
Current championsSS Excelsior
(2023)
Most championshipsJS Saint-Pierroise (20)
Most appearancesRéunion Jean-Noël Ajorque
(457 games)
Top goalscorerRéunion Tsimba Kely Razafitsialonina
(200 goals)
Websiteliguefoot-reunion.fff.fr
Current: 2023 Réunion Premier League

The Réunion Premier League, also known as Championnat de La Réunion de football, is the top division of football league system in the French overseas territory of Réunion. The league is run and managed by the Réunionese Football League under the watch of the French Football Federation. Réunion Premier League was created in 1950 and the most successful club is JS Saint-Pierroise, who have won 17 league titles. The defending champions are JS Saint-Pierroise. The winner of the competition earns a berth in the CAF Champions League. In the French pyramid system, the Réunion Premier League is positioned in the Division d'Honneur, the sixth level of French football.

The league has produced several professional Ligue 1 players, as well as players who have gone on to have successful careers abroad. Players such as Jean-Pierre Bade, Guillaume Hoarau, Florent Sinama Pongolle, Dimitri Payet, and Jean-Pascal Fontaine all began their careers on the island before achieving success abroad.

Competition format

There are 14 clubs in the Réunion Premier League. During the course of a season, usually from March to November, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 26 games. Like all other amateur leagues in France, the league operates using a 4–2–1 points system meaning four points for a win, two for a draw, and one for a defeat. If points are equal following the season, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to second division and the top two teams from the second division are promoted in their place.

The Réunionese Football League runs the Coupe de la Réunion, which is the national cup of the territory. The organization also runs a Coupe de France cup competition that is independent to the Coupe de la Réunion. The Coupe de France competition serves as qualifying rounds for the actual Coupe de France. The competition usually lasts six rounds and the winner of the competition qualifies for the 7th round of the Coupe de France.

Premier League Clubs 2016

Team Home City Manager Stadium Capacity
AS Marsouins Saint-Leu Stade Saint-Leu
1,000
AS Sainte-Suzanne Sainte-Suzanne
AJ Petite-Île Saint-Joseph Stade Raphaël Babet
2,000
AS Excelsior Saint-Joseph France Farès Bousdira Stade Raphaël Babet
2,000
JS Piton Saint-Leu Saint-Leu
JS Saint-Pierroise Saint-Pierre France Patrice Ségura Stade Michel Volnay
8,000
RC Saint-Benoît Saint-Benoît
Saint-Denis FC Saint-Denis Stade Jean-Ivoula
7,500
Saint-Pauloise FC Saint-Paul France Christian Dafreville Stade Paul Julius Bénard
12,000
SDEFA Saint-Denis
SS Capricorne Saint-Pierre Stade Joffre-Labenne
SS Jeanne d'Arc Le Port Stade Georges Lambrakis
2,000
SS Saint-Louisienne Saint-Louis France Patrick Laborde Stade Théophile Hoarau
2,500
US Sainte-Marienne Sainte-Marie France Djamel Bendouma Stade Nelson Mandela
8,000

Previous winners

Season Num. Clubs Champion Pts Runner-Up Pts
1950 n.c. SS Patriote n.c. n.c. n.c.
1951 n.c. SS Patriote n.c. n.c. n.c.
1952 n.c. SS Jeanne d'Arc n.c. n.c. n.c.
1953 n.c. SS Patriote n.c. n.c. n.c.
1954 n.c. SS Patriote n.c. n.c. n.c.
1955 n.c. SS Patriote n.c. n.c. n.c.
1956 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 36 SS Patriote 34
1957 10 JS Saint-Pierroise 25 Bourbon C 22
1958 10 SS Saint-Louisienne n/a SS Jeanne d'Arc n/a
1959 16 JS Saint-Pierroise 33 SS Charles de Foucauld 33
1960 10 JS Saint-Pierroise 48 SS Jeanne d'Arc 41
1961 10 JS Saint-Pierroise 47 Bourbon C 45
1962 7 SS Patriote 29 JS Saint-Pierroise 27
1963 8 SS Saint-Louisienne 36 JS Saint-Pierroise 34
1964 8 SS Saint-Louisienne 35 JS Saint-Pierroise 34
1965 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 49 SS Tamponnaise 44
1966 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 49 SS Tamponnaise 42
1967 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 47 SS Patriote 43
1968 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 46 SS Jeanne d'Arc 45
1969 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 45 SS Jeanne d'Arc 44
1970 10 SS Saint-Louisienne 44 SS Excelsior 44
1971 10 JS Saint-Pierroise 41 SS Saint-Louisienne 36
1972 10 JS Saint-Pierroise 48 SS Patriote 44
1973 13 JS Saint-Pierroise 64 SS Excelsior 60
1974 12 SS Excelsior 59 JS Saint-Pierroise 52
1975 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 53 SS Excelsior 53
1976 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 55 FC Ouest 53
1977 12 FC Ouest 57 SS Excelsior 52
1978 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 56 CS Saint-Denis 53
1979 12 SS Saint-Pauloise 59 US Bénédictine 51
1980 12 CS Saint-Denis 57 SS Saint-Pauloise 53
1981 12 SS Saint-Pauloise 55 US Bénédictine 54
1982 12 SS Saint-Louisienne 52 CS Saint-Denis 49
1983 12 SS Saint-Pauloise 51 FC Ouest 51
1984 13 CS Saint-Denis 58 SS Saint-Pauloise 58
1985 14 SS Saint-Pauloise 64 JS Saint-Pierroise 63
1986 14 SS Saint-Pauloise 68 CS Saint-Denis 65
1987 14 CS Saint-Denis 64 SS Saint-Pauloise 64
1988 14 SS Saint-Louisienne 61 US Stade Tamponnaise 60
1989 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 64 CS Saint-Denis 60
1990 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 63 US Stade Tamponnaise 60
1991 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 67 CS Saint-Denis 67
1992 12 US Stade Tamponnaise 61 CS Saint-Denis 52
1993 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 54 CS Saint-Denis 54
1994 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 56 US Stade Tamponnaise 52
1995 12 CS Saint-Denis 54 US Stade Tamponnaise 51
1996 12 CS Saint-Denis 53 JS Saint-Pierroise 53
1997 14 SS Saint-Louisienne 79 US Stade Tamponnaise 73
1998 14 SS Saint-Louisienne 84 US Stade Tamponnaise 81
1999 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 86 JS Saint-Pierroise 78
2000 14 AS Marsouins 77 US Stade Tamponnaise 75
2001 14 SS Saint-Louisienne 81 JS Saint-Pierroise 81
2002 14 SS Saint-Louisienne 89 US Stade Tamponnaise 74
2003 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 88 SS Saint-Louisienne 88
2004 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 82 SS Excelsior 78
2005 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 88 SS Excelsior 87
2006 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 88 JS Saint-Pierroise 81
2007 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 89 SS Excelsior 82
2008 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 88 US Stade Tamponnaise 87
2009 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 81 SS Excelsior 70
2010 14 US Stade Tamponnaise 79 US Sainte-Marienne 74
2011 12 Saint-Pauloise FC 69 US Stade Tamponnaise 65
2012 12 SS Saint-Louisienne 72 US Stade Tamponnaise 67
2013 12 US Sainte-Marienne 67 Saint-Pauloise FC 63
2014 12 Saint-Pauloise FC 68 SS Excelsior 66
2015 12 JS Saint-Pierroise 71 SS Saint-Louisienne 65
2016–17 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 92 US Sainte-Marienne 78
2017 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 100 SS Excelsior 78
2018 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 85 SS Jeanne d'Arc 84
2019 14 JS Saint-Pierroise 86 US Sainte-Marienne 82
2020 14 SS Excelsior 40 CS Saint-Denis 40
2021 16 US Stade Tamponnaise 51 SS Excelsior 48
2022 14 CS Saint-Denis 91 JS Saint-Pierroise 75
2023 14 SS Excelsior 87 JS Saint-Pierroise 85

Performance by club

Club City Titles Last title
JS Saint-Pierroise Saint-Pierre 21 2019
SS Saint-Louisienne Saint-Louis 16 2012
US Stade Tamponnaise Le Tampon 11 2021
Saint-Pauloise FC Saint-Paul 7 2014
SS Patriote Saint-Denis 6 1962
CS Saint-Denis Saint-Denis 6 2022
SS Excelsior Saint-Joseph 3 2023
SS Jeanne d'Arc Saint-Pierre 1 1952
AS Marsouins Saint-Leu 1 2000
FC Ouest Saint-Paul 1 1977
US Sainte-Marienne Sainte-Marie 1 2013

Top goalscorers

Year Country Best scorers Team Goals
2000 Mauritius Robert Rateau SS Capricorne 20
2001 Réunion Bernard Lacollay Marsouins 21
2002 Algeria Farid Kekar Possession 19
2003 Réunion Willy Robert Saint-Pauloise 20
2004 Ivory Coast Moussa Traoré Stade Tamponnaise 14
2005 Réunion Willy Visnelda Saint-Louisienne 12
2007 Réunion Antoine Rasolofo Marsouins 19
2008 Réunion Quentin Boesso Saint-Pierroise 23
2009 Madagascar Britton Mandilimana Sainte-Marienne 20
2010 Madagascar Praxis Rabemananjara Saint-Denis 12
2011 Réunion Mohamed El-Madaghri Stade Tamponnaise 11
2012 Ivory Coast Georges Ba Saint-Louisienne 9
2013 Réunion Faissal Zaghar Saint-Louisienne 13
2014 Réunion Quentin Boesso Saint-Pierroise 13
2015 Fabrice Sainte-Marienne 14
2016 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine Saint-Pierroise 19
2017 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine Saint-Pierroise 22
2018 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine Saint-Pierroise 20
2019 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine Saint-Pierroise 21
2020 Réunion Pierrick Kéhi Jeanne d'Arc 9
2021 Réunion Pierrick Kéhi Jeanne d'Arc 12
Réunion Mohamed El Excelsior
2022 Réunion Mamoudou Diallo Saint-Denis 25
2023 Madagascar Angelo Andrianantenaina Excelsior 23
2024 Réunion Kamel Chergui La Tamponnaise 4
Most time goalscorers

All-times top scorers

Rank Country Player Goals Years
1 Réunion Tsimba Kely Razafitsialonina 200 1982-2002
2 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine 195 2006-
3 Réunion Bernard Lacollay 182 -2005
4 Réunion Salomon Kéhi 121 -2009
5 Réunion Quentin Boesso 109 2006

All-time appearences

Rank Country Player Apps Years
1 Réunion Jean-Noël Ajorque 457 1994-2017
2 Réunion Johan Lionel 420 2000-2019
3 Réunion Gael Payet 400 2002-2023

Multiple hat-tricks

Rank Country Player Hat-tricks
1 Réunion Jean-Michel Fontaine 2
2 Madagascar Angelo Andrianantenaina 1
Réunion Britton
Réunion Kamel Chegui
Réunion Dogbo
Réunion Jean Pascal Fontaine
Brazil Gladyson
French Guiana Gabriel Pigrée
Réunion Antoine Rasolofo

External links

  • RSSSF competition history
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