Derbies
Many of the professional teams are separated by only a few miles but not all matches between teams from the same traditional county are considered derbies. There has been some debate as to whether St Helens versus Wigan Warriors or Bradford Bulls versus Leeds Rhinos is the biggest derby in English rugby league but there is only one true derby in the Super League - Hull FC v Hull KR. All other derbies are from different, but close, towns. The North West derby is between two sides that have usually been among the strongest in the game. Unlike in soccer, there is no segregation of supporters at matches and rival fans mingle freely.
Some of the teams involved no longer play in the same league and so derby games are either arranged as pre-season friendlies or take place as part of the National League Cup.
- Calder derbies - between Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
- Widnes Vikings v Warrington Wolves
- Oldham Roughyeds v Rochdale Hornets
- Heavy Woollen derby - Batley Bulldogs v Dewsbury Rams
- Hull derby - Hull F.C. v Hull KR
- London Skolars vs Hemel Stags
- Salford City Reds v Swinton Lions
- St. Helens, Wigan Warriors, and Leigh Centurions
- South Yorkshire derby - Sheffield Eagles v Doncaster
- West Cumbria derbies - between Barrow Raiders, Whitehaven and Workington Town
- West Yorkshire derbies - Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Halifax and Huddersfield Giants
Read more about this topic: Rugby League In England