SWANSEA CITY: Swans open at Stoke — in a rare season with Cardiff and Wrexham in the league too

Swansea City will kick off their 2026/27 Championship campaign with a trip to Stoke City — in a season that sees all three of Wales’ biggest clubs share a division for the first time in 45 years.

The Swans, Cardiff City and Wrexham will all line up in the Championship this term — the first time the trio have been in the same division since 1981.

For Swansea, it means four guaranteed all-Welsh league games — home and away against both the Bluebirds and the Red Dragons — on top of the usual battle to climb the table.

The Swans begin away at Stoke City on Saturday, 15 August, before their first home game a week later against Sheffield United.

After a trip to Derby County, Swansea host Watford and then welcome Wrexham to the Swansea.com Stadium on 5 September — the first all-Welsh clash of the season.

But the fixtures most supporters look for first are the South Wales derbies, and this season’s first meeting with Cardiff comes at home on Saturday, 28 November.

The return trip to the capital follows on Saturday, 13 March, with the second Wrexham meeting away at the Racecourse on 10 April.

As ever, those dates are subject to change once police and broadcasters confirm their television picks.

The festive schedule sees the Swans travel to newly relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day, before a home clash with Queens Park Rangers on 29 December.

Swansea then begin the new year at home to Charlton Athletic on 1 January.

Another eye-catching trip comes on 16 January, when the Swans head to the London Stadium to face West Ham United.

Swansea round off the campaign at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 1 May, in a 12.30pm kick-off.

The new season comes with fresh optimism, the club having already begun its summer business — including a move for Celtic defender Stephen Welsh.

It also follows a supercomputer prediction published this week, which forecast a top-half finish for the Swans — and had them ending the season above Cardiff.

Whether the season lives up to that billing will become clear from 15 August.