Welsh Cup first round draw: How to watch as Aberystwyth, Bangor City, Rhyl, and more to discover opponents

The first round of the Welsh Cup draw will take place this week as clubs across the country discover their next opponents in one of Welsh football’s most prestigious competitions.

The draw will be made on Thursday, August 27 at 8 pm, with supporters able to watch it for free online.

The Welsh Cup has already passed through its opening qualifying stages, with clubs from across the Welsh pyramid battling for a place in the first round proper.

Here is everything you need to know about the Welsh Cup first round draw, including how to watch it, when it takes place and which clubs are involved.

How to watch the Welsh Cup first round draw

The Welsh Cup first round draw will be broadcast live on Cymru Football TV, the FAW’s new streaming platform. Create a free account here.

The draw takes place at 8 pm on Thursday, August 27 and will be free to watch.

Cymru Football TV launched in July and is the FAW’s new home for domestic football, with every Cymru Premier fixture being shown live during the 2026/27 season.

The platform also features selected Welsh Cup matches and domestic cup draws, along with a preview show prior to every round.

Previous Welsh Cup matches shown on the service include Cardiff Airport v Felinfach and Evans & Williams v Port Talbot Town.

Which clubs are involved in the Welsh Cup first round draw?

There will be plenty of interest when the balls are drawn, with clubs from across the Welsh football pyramid involved.

Newtown, Bala Town, Caerau Ely and Llanelli Town have received byes due to their league positions.

The Cymru Premier clubs will not enter the competition until the second round, meaning the first round draw is made up of clubs further down the Welsh football pyramid.

The draw remains regionalised, with clubs separated into Northern and Southern sections.

One of the more interesting aspects of this year’s draw is the inclusion of Aberystwyth Town in the Northern section, despite the club competing in the Cymru South.

Northern section

The clubs in the Northern section are:

1. Aberystwyth Town
2. Bangor City
3. Barmouth & Dyffryn United
4. Brickfield Rangers
5. Buckley Town
6. Caersws
7. Cefn Albion
8. Coedpoeth United
9. Conwy Borough
10. Denbigh Town
11. Dolgellau
12. Felinheli
13. Gaerwen
14. Gresford Athletic
15. Guilsfield
16. Hawarden Rangers
17. Holyhead Hotspur
18. Llanberis
19. Llangefni Town
20. Llannefydd
21. Llanrwst United
22. Llanuwchllyn
23. Llay Welfare
24. Llysfaen
25. Meliden
26. Menai Bridge Tigers
27. Mochdre Sports
28. Mold Alexandra
29. Mynydd Isa
30. Mantle Vale
31. Penrhyncoch
32. Penycae
33. Porthmadog
34. Prestatyn Town
35. Pwllheli
36. Rhyl 1879
37. Ruthin Town
38. St Asaph City
39. Trearddur Bay
40. Y Glannau

Southern section

The clubs in the Southern section are:

1. Aberbargoed Buds
2. Abertillery Bluebirds
3. Abertillery Excelsiors
4. Afan Lido
5. Afan United
6. Baglan Dragons
7. Blaen-y-Maes
8. Caerphilly Athletic
9. Canton
10. Cardiff Airport
11. Cardiff Corinthians
12. Cardiff Draconians
13. Carmarthen Town
14. Chepstow Town
15. Cwmbran Town
16. Ely Rangers
17. Evans & Williams
18. FC Cwmaman
19. Goytre United
20. Goytre/Pill
21. Llangennech
22. Llantwit Fardre
23. Llantwit Major
24. Monmouth Town
25. Mumbles Rangers
26. Newport City
27. Newport Corinthians
28. Newport Saints
29. Penrhwiceiber Rangers
30. Penydarren
31. Penygraig United
32. PILCS
33. Pontardawe Town
34. Pontarddulais Town 
35. Pontypridd United
36. Porthcawl Town Athletic
37. Pure Swansea
38. Radnor valley
39. Rhydyfelin Non Pol
40. Risca United
41. Rockspur
42. Seven Sisters Onllwyn
43. South Gower
44. Tongwynlais
45. Tredegar Town
46. Treowen Stars
47. Trethomas Bluebirds
48. Ynyshir Albions

When are the Welsh Cup first round matches?

The first round matches are scheduled for the weekend of September 19-20.

The successful clubs will then progress towards the second round, when the Cymru Premier sides enter the competition.

The second round is scheduled for October 17-18, meaning there is the prospect of some major Welsh Cup ties later in the autumn.

What happened in the Second Qualifying Round?

There were plenty of goals across the Welsh Cup Second Qualifying Round, with several sides producing big wins to book their place in the next stage. Pwllheli were among the biggest winners, cruising to an 8-0 victory away at Rhuddlan Town. Trearddur Bay also hit eight as they thrashed Connah’s Quay Town 8-1, while Cwmbran Town recorded a 7-0 victory over West End. Goytre United were another side to make a statement, beating Rhydyfelin 8-0.

Menai Bridge Tigers opened the weekend with a 6-1 win over Mountain Rangers on Friday, before Nantlle Vale matched that scoreline with a 6-1 victory away at Bethesda Athletic. Llangefni Town also impressed with a 5-1 win against Llanfair United, while Llanrug United suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at home to Llannefydd. Mochdre Sports claimed a 4-1 win at Machynlleth, while Cefn Albion progressed with a 4-0 victory over Rhos Aelwyd.

The round also produced some entertaining high-scoring contests that went right to the wire. Abertillery Bluebirds edged Barry Athletic 6-4 in a 10-goal thriller, while Afan United beat Waunarlwydd Galaxy 6-2. Elsewhere, Coedpoeth United defeated Welshpool Town 4-2, and Penycae saw off Penmaenmawr Phoenix by the same scoreline. There was also drama in several ties, with Evans & Williams and Port Talbot Town drawing 3-3 before Evans & Williams prevailed on penalties, while Taffs Well and Monmouth Town also needed a shootout after a 3-3 draw.

South Wales Premier League side Tongwynlais reached the Welsh Cup first round proper for the first time after eliminating Llanyrafon. Liam Cleaver hit a hat-trick, with Sam Hopkins and Rhys Brown also on target, and as one of the competition’s lowest-ranked sides remaining, sixth-tier Tongwynlais could now land a glamour tie against second-tier opposition.

Llysfaen are one of two fifth-tier sides from North Wales in the first round proper after Saturday’s dramatic win over Bethesda Rovers. Mike Chapman struck the winner deep into added time, his 12th goal of the campaign, to secure Llysfaen’s furthest-ever run in the national knockout competition.

Meliden made history by progressing after defeating CPD Cerrigydrudion on penalties. The fifth-tier Miners fought back from 2-1 down to force a 2-2 draw, before Richard Hillier-Evans made two saves in the shootout and Luke Snape struck the decisive penalty to seal an upset.