THE Nathaniel MG Cup will expand next season.

From 2019/20 the cup will expand to 46 clubs and will serve as the league cup for the top two tiers of Welsh football as well as two wildcards from tier three and below.

The cup will also offer a place in the following season's IRN-BRU Cup to the winners.

Welsh sides have reached the semi-finals of the IRN-BRU Cup in each of the three seasons the competition has been opened to clubs from outside of Scotland, with Connah’s Quay Nomads still currently in the competition this season.

Should the winners of the Nathaniel MG Cup also win the JD Welsh Premier then the IRN-BRU spot would revert to the league with the second placed team qualifying instead.

The Welsh Premier League Panel is also exploring the possibility of removing extra time, with all future games in the competition going straight to penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Any such changes to the competition rules can only be passed at the Welsh Premier AGM in June.