The 2026-27 Championship campaign is set to be an exciting one for Welsh football, with three teams from the country competing in the division. Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Wrexham will face off against each other in a series of highly anticipated matches, marking only the seventh time in history that the three teams have been in the same division.
The last time the three teams were in the same division was in 1994-95, when Swansea and Wrexham finished in mid-table in what is now League One, but Cardiff were relegated. The Welsh trio have been together in the second tier just twice before, in 1979-80 and 1980-81.
Historic Rivalries
Cardiff were Division Two regulars in the late 1970s and early 1980s, having played at the level in every season bar one after dropping out of the top flight in 1962. Wrexham were in the midst of a four-season spell in the division having climbed to the second tier for the first time in their history in 1977-78. Swansea, meanwhile, were on the crest of a wave following the inspired appointment of John Toshack as player-manager in the spring of 1978.
Richie Morgan’s Cardiff team scraped clear of relegation on goal difference in the 1980-81 season, finishing 19th in a 22-team league. Arfon Griffiths’ Wrexham ended up only two points above Cardiff in 16th, while Swansea finished 12th. The Bluebirds had the best of the Welsh derbies that season, with two wins against Wrexham and two draws with Swansea.
Modern-Day Rivalries
Fast forward to the present day, and the three teams are set to compete against each other once again. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson believes that having three Welsh teams in the Championship is enormous for the country, and that there is a mini-league going on in Wales. Bookmakers make Parkinson’s men favorites to finish as Wales’ top club once more, with the Red Dragons tipped to push for a play-off place.
Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy is focused on getting off to a good start, and is confident that his team can surprise the doubters. Swansea head coach Vitor Matos is also looking forward to the challenge, and describes the prospect of facing Cardiff as really special.
The 2026-27 Championship campaign is set to be an exciting one for Welsh football, with the three teams competing against each other in a series of highly anticipated matches. With the added significance of the all-Welsh encounters, the season is sure to be a thrilling one for fans of the beautiful game.
