Wrexham target treble as Adran season begins

Wrexham halted Cardiff's run of three consecutive league titles last season [FAW] Wrexham are hoping to emulate rivals Cardiff City by winning the domestic treble this season. The Red Dragons made history in 2025-2026 by winning the Adran Premier for the first time, while also lifting the Adran Trophy. But Cardiff's triumph over Swansea in the Welsh Cup denied Wrexham the coveted treble, something the Bluebirds achieved two years ago. Wrexham ended the summer by becoming the first women's Welsh side to win in Europe for seven years, marking their Champions League debut with a 4-2 victory against FC Pyunik. "[The treble] is definitely my goal and I think all the girls would agree," said Wrexham captain Jodie Bartle. "Every single season we say we want to become the best team in Wales, we did that last season, we want to compete and continue to hold that title." Wrexham open their league defence at home to Aberystwyth Town - one of four opening games on Sunday. Cardiff City will aim to regain their crown under new manager Noah Bushby, who has stepped up to replace long-serving boss Iain Darbyshire. They begin their campaign with a south Wales derby at Swansea City. "I can't wait to get going" said Cardiff midfielder Lily Billingham. "The competitiveness looks great for the league. Obviously we are disappointed with the result of the league standing last year but if anything it has made us want to work harder and get to the top spot again." Swansea finished back in the top three last season but went without silverware for a fourth consecutive campaign having lost on penalties in the Welsh Cup final. "We've had a big reflection obviously," said Swans defender Jess Williams. "We sit down as a team at the beginning of pre-season and say what our ambitions are and on everyone's sheet of paper was silverware." The opening round derby between Swansea City and Cardiff City will be shown on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer [FAW] The New Saints start with a trip to Cardiff Met, with their squad bolstered by summer signings Abbie Iddenden and Hannah Snape. "We've had a really positive pre-season, so looking forward to hitting the ground running and seeing what we can achieve," said Saints goalkeeper Mackenzie Haydn-Jones. "We've got to start the season right and how we mean to go on. Every team in this league can give you a challenge and you never know what to expect, the league is so random sometimes." Cardiff Met are back in the top flight having won the Adran South title. "Going down is always a tough thing to go through, but we stuck together and fought and I thought we played really well," said Met midfielder Olivia Barnes. "Survival is the biggest thing, that is where we are looking at succeeding hopefully." Thomas using Jamaica experience to drive Wrexham on Wales considering U23s team to 'bridge significant gap' After finishing fifth last term, Briton Ferry Llansawel will hope to make it back into the top four as new manager Mark Murison takes charge. They have also been busy with transfers, signing former Swansea winger and four-time Adran Premier title winner Katy Hosford. They kick-off their season with a trip to Barry Town United. "I've been ready to go as soon as the season ended," said 16-year-old Reds forward Freya Peyton. "There were some challenges with the different managers, we've had to grow as a team. We've had some really good games, some not so good games, but as a team we've built together and we are ready to go again." Barry will be looking to build on two successive sixth-place finishes in what will be James Fishlock's first full season in charge. "Definitely high expectations, he's got great belief in all of us and that we can achieve far more than we have the last few seasons," said Barry goalkeeper Molly Arneson. "I think consistency for us is the main thing... we'd love to finish in a top-four place, that's what we've always aimed as a club, we've never done it before." Aberystwyth Town finished bottom last term but will hope to kick on under Rhys Jon James who improved the Seasiders in his debut season. "We had a lot of ups and downs, we had a lot of the 19's coming up to help out the first team, so that was a big step for certain players," said Aber midfielder Branwen Orchard. "Throughout pre-season we've all been working really hard together and we have to step up this season." Adran Premier opening fixtures Sunday, 6 September Barry Town United v Briton Ferry Llansawel (14:00 BST) Cardiff Met v The New Saints (14:00 BST) Wrexham v Aberystwyth Town (14:00 BST) Swansea City v Cardiff City (17:15 BST)