Réunion Premier League

Réunion Premier League is the top division of football on the French overseas territory of Réunion. The league is ran and managed by the Ligue de Football de la Réunion 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 16 league titles. The defending champions are US Stade Tamponnaise. 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 Ligue de Football de la Réunion 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.
==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
===Performance By Club===
Club 	City 	Titles	Last Title
JS Saint-Pierroise 	Saint-Pierre	16 	2008
SS Saint-Louisienne 	Saint-Louis 	15 	2002
US Stade Tamponnaise	Le Tampon 	10 	2010
SS Patriote 	Saint-Denis 	6 	1962
CS Saint-Denis 	Saint-Denis 	5 	1996
SS Saint-Pauloise 	Saint-Paul 	5 	1983
SS Excelsior 	Saint-Joseph	1 	1974
SS Jeanne d'Arc 	Saint-Pierre	1 	1952
AS Marsouins 	Saint-Leu 	1 	2000
FC Ouest 	Saint-Paul 	1 	1977
== Topscorers==
Year	Best scorers 	Team 	Goals
2001	Bernard Lacollay	AS Marsouins 	21
2002	Farid Kekar 	US Possession 	19
2003	Willy Robert 	SS Saint-Pauloise 	20
2004	Moussa Traoré 	US Stade Tamponnaise	14
2005	Willy Visnelda 	SS Saint-Louisienne 	12
2007	Antoine Rasolofo	AS Marsouins 	19
2008	Quentin Boesso 	JS Saint-Pierroise 	23
==External links==
*RSSSF competition history
Category:Leagues