Last updated 6 October 2026 for the 2026-27 season. Divisions, clubs and results checked against the WRU’s own fixtures and results data.
Below the professional game, Welsh rugby runs one of the deepest club pyramids in the sport. In 2026-27 the WRU National Leagues have 29 men’s divisions, from the Premiership down to Division 6, and a club from almost every valley and market town in the country.
This page is the reference for the current season: how the leagues fit together, who is in the top divisions, how promotion works and who won what last time. We update it every August before the season starts.
Where the national leagues sit
| Level | Competition | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Rugby Championship (the four professional regions) | 4 Welsh sides |
| 2 | Super Rygbi Cymru | 10 |
| 3 | Premiership (the top division of the national leagues) | 13 |
| 4 | Championship East and Championship West | 13 each |
| 5 | Division 1: East, East Central, West Central, West, North | 10 each (1 North has 12) |
| 6 and below | Divisions 2 to 6, split by region | Mostly 9 or 10 |
The piece that confuses people is the name. Until 2024 the Premiership was the top of the club game. Then 10 clubs moved up into the new elite competition that became Super Rygbi Cymru, and the remaining clubs were joined by clubs promoted from the Championships to form a new 13-team community Premiership. The WRU’s rules call it the Community Premier Division, known as the Premiership.
Super Rygbi Cymru clubs play under WRU licences, and there is currently no promotion into it or relegation out of it. So for the clubs in this page, the Premiership title is the top prize.
The divisions in 2026-27
Above Division 2 the structure is simple: one Premiership, a Championship split east and west, then five Division 1 sections covering East, East Central, West Central, West and North Wales. Below that it gets regional.
| Division | Sections and teams in 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Division 2 | East 10, East Central 10, West Central 10, West 10, North 9 |
| Division 3 | East 10, East Central 10, West Central 10, West 10, North East 10, North West 9 |
| Division 4 | East 10, East Central 10, West Central 10, West A 10, West B 10 |
| Division 5 | East 9, East Central 10, West Central 10 |
| Division 6 | East 9, East Central 9 |
The WRU aims for 10 clubs per division, with the Premiership and both Championships allowed up to 13. The divisions are the same as 2025-26, though 9 of the 29 sections have changed size.
Clubs in the top divisions
| Division | Clubs, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Premiership | Bargoed, Beddau, Bedwas, Bonymaen, Cross Keys, Llanelli Wanderers, Llangennech, Merthyr, Narberth, Neath, Newbridge, Pontypridd, Ystrad Rhondda |
| Championship East | Aberdare, Blaina, Bridgend Athletic, Cardiff Met, Glamorgan Wanderers, Llanharan, Mountain Ash, Penallta, Rumney, St Josephs, St Peters, Talywain, Treorchy |
| Championship West | Abercrave, Aberystwyth, Ammanford, Brecon, Burry Port, Dunvant, Glynneath, Gowerton, Kenfig Hill, Newcastle Emlyn, Tata Steel, Tondu, Trebanos |
| 1 East | Abercarn, Abertillery Blaenau Gwent, Bedlinog, Blackwood, Brynmawr, Monmouth, Nelson, Newport HSOB, Rhymney, Ynysddu |
| 1 East Central | Abercwmboi, Abercynon, Caerphilly, Cambrian Welfare, CR Cymry Caerdydd, Dowlais, Llanishen, Penarth, St Albans, Wattstown |
| 1 West Central | Aberavon Green Stars, Aberavon Quins, Builth Wells, Heol y Cyw, Nantyffyllon, Neath Athletic, Skewen, Waunarlwydd, Ystalyfera, Ystradgynlais |
| 1 West | Aberaeron, Carmarthen Athletic, CR Crymych, Felinfoel, Gorseinon, Lampeter Town, St Clears, Swansea Uplands, Tenby United, Yr Hendy |
| 1 North | Bala, Bethesda, COBRA, CR Caernarfon, CR Rhuthun, Llandudno, Llangefni, Mold, Nant Conwy, Newtown, Pwllheli, Wrexham |
Bedwas and Bonymaen are the promoted sides in the Premiership, and Cardiff Met and Brecon are the two who came down. Nant Conwy won 1 North last season but stayed there, which is explained below.
How promotion and relegation works
The rules are consistent across most of the pyramid, with a few exceptions worth knowing.
- Premiership: the top side are champions. The bottom two go down to Championship East or West depending on where the club is.
- Championship East and West: the winner of each goes up. The bottom two in each go down.
- Division 1 in the south: each winner goes up and the bottom two go down.
- Divisions 2 to 6: generally two up and two down. The exceptions are 4 West A and B and the two Division 3 North leagues, where only the winner goes up.
- 1 North: the winner is Champion Club of North Wales, but it only moves into the Championship if it applies and the WRU approves. Nant Conwy won it in 2025-26 and did not go up.
- Second teams: an Athletic side cannot be promoted into the same division as its own first XV.
There are no play-offs anywhere in the national leagues. Finish in the places or you do not go up, which is why the run-in in April is where most of these titles are decided.
2025-26 champions
| Division | Champions 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Premiership | Merthyr |
| Championship East | Bedwas |
| Championship West | Bonymaen |
| 1 East | Blaina |
| 1 East Central | Llanharan |
| 1 West Central | Abercrave |
| 1 West | Burry Port |
| 1 North | Nant Conwy |
| 2 East / East Central / West Central / West / North | Rhymney / Wattstown / Aberavon Quins / Carmarthen Athletic / Mold |
| 3 East / East Central / West Central / West | Gwernyfed / Llantrisant / Cwmavon / New Dock Stars |
| 3 North East / North West | Wrexham Athletic / Bangor |
| 4 East / East Central / West Central | Deri / Pontyclun / Maesteg |
| 4 West A / West B | Pontyberem / Llangadog |
| 5 East / East Central / West Central | Bargoed Athletic / Cardiff Met Athletic / Cwmgwrach |
| 6 East / East Central | Penallta Athletic / Beddau Athletic |
Merthyr took the Premiership. In Super Rygbi Cymru, the level above, Llandovery beat Ebbw Vale 27-10 in the Grand Final on 10 May 2026.
The cups
The WRU cup competitions run alongside the leagues, with a cup for the Premiership, one for the Championship and one each for Divisions 1 to 5. The 2026 finals were played in April at the Principality Stadium under the Go.Compare Road to Principality banner, and the WRU now lists the 2026-27 men’s competition as Go.Compare Road to the Finals. For 2026-27 the men’s cups began with a preliminary round on 3 October 2026.
| Final, April 2026 | Result |
|---|---|
| Premiership Cup | Neath 32-21 Merthyr |
| Championship Cup | Bedwas 38-29 Bridgend Athletic |
| Division 4 Cup | Pontyclun 27-21 Llangadog |
| Division 5 Cup | Brecon Athletic 49-5 Bargoed Athletic |
Neath beat the league champions in the Premiership Cup final, which is the kind of result that makes the cup worth watching separately from the table.
The 2026-27 season
The men’s season started on the weekend of 4 and 5 September 2026. The women’s national leagues run as a separate competition. The run-in is April, alongside the cup finals.
For live tables, the WRU’s own MyWRU is the place to go. It updates as results come in, and this page does not try to compete with it.
Betting on Welsh club rugby
Community rugby is a specialist market. Squads change heavily every summer, results in the lower divisions depend on who is available on the day, and a side that dominated last season can lose half its pack to the division above. Last season’s table is a starting point and nothing more.
Current Welsh rugby prices are on the DragonBet rugby union page. For the national side, see our Wales rugby fixtures guide, and for the tournaments, the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup hubs. Any betting term you have not met is in the betting glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What are the WRU National Leagues?
The community rugby leagues run by the Welsh Rugby Union, sponsored by Admiral. They start with the 13-team Premiership and run down through the Championship and Divisions 1 to 6, split by region. In 2026-27 there are 29 men’s divisions.
Is the Premiership above or below Super Rygbi Cymru?
Below. Super Rygbi Cymru is the 10-club competition that sits directly under the professional regions. The Premiership is the top division of the community national leagues, one level down, and there is no promotion from the Premiership into Super Rygbi Cymru.
How does promotion and relegation work in the WRU National Leagues?
The bottom two in the Premiership go down to Championship East or West depending on where they are. The winners of Championship East and West go up, and the bottom two of each go down. Each Division 1 winner in the south goes up, and the Division 1 North winner only goes up if it applies and the WRU agrees. From Division 2 down it is generally two up and two down. There are no play-offs.
Who won the WRU Premiership in 2025-26?
Merthyr won the 2025-26 Premiership. Bedwas won Championship East and Bonymaen won Championship West, and both are in the Premiership for 2026-27. Cardiff Met and Brecon were relegated.
When did the 2026-27 WRU National Leagues season start?
The men’s leagues started on the weekend of 4 and 5 September 2026. The men’s cup competitions began with a preliminary round on 3 October 2026.
Where can I find WRU National League fixtures and tables?
The WRU publishes every fixture, result and table on MyWRU at my.wru.wales. Tables there are updated as results come in, so they will always be more current than this page.
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Sources: WRU fixtures and results data (MyWRU) for the 2026-27 divisions, clubs, start dates and 2025-26 final tables and cup results; WRU National Men’s League Rules and Regulations 2025-26 for promotion, relegation and division sizes; WRU 2023-24 rules for the 2024 restructure. Correct as of 6 October 2026.
