Last updated 30 September 2026 for the 2026-27 season. League composition, rules and 2025-26 results checked against the FAW and the leagues’ own sites.
The Welsh domestic game has four tiers, from the Cymru Premier at the top to the regional leagues at tier 4, and 2026-27 is the biggest shake-up it has had in years. The Cymru Premier has grown from 12 clubs to 16, the league has a new sponsor, and the play-off routes between the tiers have changed with it.
This page is the reference for how it all fits together this season. We update it every summer once the FAW confirms who is in which league.
The pyramid in 2026-27
| Tier | League | Clubs 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cymru Premier | 16 |
| 2 | Cymru North and Cymru South | 16 each |
| 3 | Ardal North East, Ardal North West, Ardal South East, Ardal South West | 15, 16, 16, 16 |
| 4 | Area Association leagues, e.g. South Wales Premier League, Gwent Premier League, West Wales Premier League | Varies |
The top three leagues are now the Novira Cymru Premier, Novira Cymru North and Novira Cymru South. Novira Technologies signed as title partner on 30 June 2026, replacing JD, so older coverage and our own archive still say “JD Cymru”.
Movement between every tier depends on licensing as well as league position. A club that finishes in a promotion place without the licence for the tier above can’t go up. Under the FAW’s 2025-26 rules, no club lower down took its place; the highest-placed club in the relegation zone of the tier above was reprieved instead.
The Cymru Premier’s new format
Every club plays the other 15 home and away, which is 30 matches. The league then splits into three groups and each group plays once more:
- Championship Race, 1st to 6th: the club top after Matchday 35 is champion. Everyone else in the group is guaranteed at least a European play-off.
- European Challenger, 7th to 10th: whoever finishes top of this group takes the last European play-off place.
- Survival Zone, 11th to 16th: 15th and 16th go down. 14th goes into a play-off with a tier 2 club.
The season kicked off on the weekend of 31 July 2026. Phase one ends on 26 March 2027, the split runs through April, and the European and promotion play-off finals are on 7 to 9 May 2027.
Clubs in the top two tiers
| League | Clubs, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Cymru Premier | Airbus UK Broughton, Ammanford, Barry Town United, Briton Ferry Llansawel, Caernarfon Town, Cambrian United, Cardiff Met, Colwyn Bay, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Flint Town United, Haverfordwest County, Holywell Town, Llandudno, Penybont, The New Saints, Trefelin |
| Cymru North | Bala Town, Bangor City 1876, Brickfield Rangers, Buckley Town, Caersws, Denbigh Town, Gresford Athletic, Guilsfield, Holyhead Hotspur, Llanuwchllyn, Mold Alexandra, Newtown, Penrhyncoch, Porthmadog, Rhyl 1879, Ruthin Town |
| Cymru South | Aberystwyth Town, Afan Lido, Baglan Dragons, Caerau Ely, Caerphilly Athletic, Cardiff Draconians, Carmarthen Town, Llanelli Town, Llantwit Major, Newport City, Pontardawe Town, Pontypridd United, Pure Swansea, Treowen Stars, Trethomas Bluebirds, Ynyshir Albions |
Holywell Town are in the top flight after winning a licence appeal. Bala Town and Llanelli Town, both former Cymru Premier clubs, start this season in tier 2.
Cymru North and Cymru South
Both leagues have 16 clubs. Each champion goes up automatically if it has a Tier 1 licence. The two runners-up go into a play-off, and the winner plays the Cymru Premier’s 14th-placed club for a top-flight place, with the final due on 7 to 9 May 2027.
At the bottom, the standard is three clubs from each league dropping into the Ardal leagues. The FAW cut that to one for 2025-26 only, to bring both leagues up to 16 clubs. It hadn’t published its 2026-27 pyramid regulations when we checked, so treat the play-off details as provisional until it does.
The North and South both finish on the weekend of 16 and 17 April 2027.
The Ardal leagues
Tier 3 is split into four regional leagues. Ardal North West, South East and South West have 16 clubs each. Ardal North East has 15, because Llandrindod Wells withdrew just before the season and dropped to the Mid Wales South League.
All four champions go up if they hold a Tier 2 licence. Last season the four runners-up played two play-offs at neutral grounds, north against north and south against south. At the bottom, three clubs per league is the standard, which the FAW cut to two for 2025-26 only. Promotion from tier 4 runs through the six Area Associations’ own leagues.
Last season’s play-offs sent Porthmadog up after a 3-0 win over Knighton Town, and Pontardawe Town up after beating Cwmbran Town 2-0.
Tier 4: where the South Wales Alliance went
Below the Ardal leagues, the game is run by the six Area Associations. In the south, the main feeders into Ardal South East and South West are the Gwent Premier League, the West Wales Premier League and the South Wales Premier League.
The South Wales Premier League is the old South Wales Alliance League, renamed in summer 2024. It has four divisions for 2026-27 (Premier, Championship, Division One East and Division One West) with 12 clubs in each. The Premier Division this season is AFC Wattstown, Aber Valley, Afan United, Bridgend Street, Clwb Cymric, Ely Rangers, Llantwit Fardre, Pencoed Athletic BGC, Pontyclun, Porthcawl Town Athletic, Tata Steel United, Treherbert BGC.
If you are looking for our old South Wales Alliance or Ardal season previews, this page replaces them.
2025-26 champions and promotions
| League | Champions 2025-26 | Also promoted |
|---|---|---|
| Cymru Premier | The New Saints (18th title, 5th in a row) | |
| Cymru North | Llandudno | Airbus UK Broughton, Holywell Town |
| Cymru South | Trefelin | Cambrian United, Ammanford |
| Ardal North East | Llanuwchllyn | |
| Ardal North West | Bangor City 1876 | Porthmadog (play-off) |
| Ardal South East | Caerphilly Athletic | |
| Ardal South West | Pure Swansea | Pontardawe Town (play-off) |
Only one club per tier 2 division was due to go down in 2025-26, the year before the expansion. Cwmbran Celtic dropped from the Cymru South, and Flint Mountain chose to drop out of the Cymru North, which reprieved Ruthin Town.
Betting on the Welsh leagues
The expanded Cymru Premier changes the shape of the season for anyone following the markets. With 16 clubs and a three-way split, there is something to play for in every group until April, and the 14th-place play-off adds a fixture most punters will not have priced before.
Lower down, licensing decides as much as results. A club that tops Ardal South West without a Tier 2 licence does not go up, so check the licence list before backing anyone for promotion. Current prices are on the DragonBet football page. For the national side, see our Euro 2028 guide and the south Wales derby page, and any unfamiliar term is in the betting glossary.
Where to find fixtures and tables
The FAW publishes tables and fixtures for the Cymru Premier, North and South at faw.cymru, with the Ardal leagues alongside. The South Wales Premier League runs its own site at southwalespremierleague.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
How many teams are in the Cymru Premier in 2026-27?
Sixteen, up from 12. The expansion was confirmed by the FAW in September 2024 and 2026-27 is the first season in the new format. Each club plays the others home and away, then the league splits into three groups for a final round.
Who sponsors the Cymru Premier?
Novira Technologies. It signed a multi-year deal as title partner of the Cymru Leagues on 30 June 2026, replacing JD, so the three top leagues are now the Novira Cymru Premier, Novira Cymru North and Novira Cymru South.
How does relegation from the Cymru Premier work in 2026-27?
The clubs in 15th and 16th go down automatically. The club in 14th plays off against a tier 2 club that has come through a play-off between the Cymru North and Cymru South runners-up.
How do clubs get promoted from the Ardal leagues?
Each of the four Ardal champions goes up to the Cymru North or South if it holds a Tier 2 licence. The runners-up go into play-offs for the other places. Three clubs per league is the standard number to drop to tier 4; the FAW cut it to two for 2025-26 only.
What happened to the South Wales Alliance League?
It was renamed the South Wales Premier League in summer 2024. It is a tier 4 league with four divisions and feeds the Ardal South leagues. For 2026-27 it is sponsored as the Highadmit Projects South Wales Premier League.
Who won the Cymru Premier in 2025-26?
The New Saints, for the 18th time and the fifth season in a row. Llandudno won the Cymru North and Trefelin won the Cymru South.
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Sources: FAW for the Cymru Leagues sponsor, 2026-27 composition, Cymru Premier format, season dates, 2025-26 champions, promotions and play-offs; FAW Men’s Pyramid Regulations 2025/26 for promotion, relegation and licensing (the 2026/27 edition wasn’t public when we checked); South Wales Premier League for its 2026-27 divisions and clubs; North Wales Sport for the Llandrindod Wells withdrawal. Correct as of 30 September 2026.
