Pixels: | 140 |
Country: | Fiji |
Confed: | OFC |
Teams: | 10 |
Relegation: | Fiji Senior League |
Levels: | 1 |
Confed Cup: | OFC Champions League |
Champions: | Lautoka (7th title) |
Most Champs: | Ba (21 titles) |
Tv: | FBC[1] |
Current: | 2024 Fiji Premier League |
The Fiji Premier League or the FPL, also called Digicel Premier League for sponsorship reasons,[2] is the top division men's professional football league in Fiji. Contested by ten teams, it shares a promotion and relegation system with the Fiji Senior League (FSL). The League is controlled by the Fiji Football Association.
The league was founded as the Fiji National League in 1977 by the Fiji Football Association which was won by Ba. The club that has the most championships is also Ba with 21 titles.
In 1977, the Fiji National League (FNL) was founded. The first ever season was won by Ba.
Since 2016, the league has been called the Vodafone Premier League after a sponsorship deal with Vodafone Fiji.[3] On March 3, 2021, Digicel Fiji signed a 3 year deal to sponsor the league, effectively renaming the competition to the Digicel Premier League.[4]
There are 10 clubs in the Fiji Premier League. During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponent's home. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. 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.
A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Fiji Premier League and the Senior League. The last placed team in the Fiji Premier League are relegated to the Senior League, and the first placed team from the North and South zones of Senior League are promoted to the Fiji Premier League.
From the inaugural 1977 season to the 2021 season, the Fiji Premier League had eight teams. However, since 2022, the league has had 10 teams.
Since 2016, the league has practiced promotion and relegation. Each season, the team that finishes last is relegated to the Senior League. The Senior League has two zones: the Vanua Levu Zone and the Viti Levu Zone. The highest-finishing clubs from each zone compete in a playoff match, the winner of which is promoted to the Premier League.
The season champion and runners-up both qualify for the OFC Champions League.
Ba | 21 | 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019 | 2001 - 2006 (6) | |
Nadi | 8 | 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1998, 2000, 2015 | 1980 - 1982 (3) | |
Lautoka | 7 | 1985, 1988, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023 | 2017 - 2018 (2) | |
Suva | 4 | 1996, 1997, 2014, 2020 | 1996 - 1997 (2) | |
Nadroga | 3 | 1989, 1990, 1993 | 1989 - 1990 (2) | |
Labasa | 2 | 1991, 2007 | ||
Rewa | 1 | 2022 |
Year | Best scorers | Team | Goals | |
2001 | Lorima Batirerega | 7 | ||
2003 | 8 | |||
2006 | Josaia Bukalidi Jr | 23 | ||
2007 | 17 | |||
2008 | bgcolor=mistyrose | 31 | ||
2009 | 12 | |||
2017 | Joel Shelvin Prasad | 10 | ||
2018 | 8 | |||
2019 | 12 | |||
2020 | Sairusi Nalaubu | Suva | 9 | |
2021 | Sairusi Nalaubu | Lautoka | 9 | |
2022 | Sairusi Nalaubu | Lautoka | 12 | |
2023 | Sairusi Nalaubu | Lautoka | 19 |
Rank | Country | Player | Hat-tricks |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sairusi Nalaubu | 2 | |
2 | Brian Charitau | 1 | |
Simione Damuni | |||
Atkin Kaua | |||
Merrill Nand | |||
Junior Rocky | |||
Mohammed Shazil | |||
Azariah Soromon | |||
Avinesh Suwamy | |||
Saula Waqa | |||
Christopher Wasasala | |||