Rugby league derbies and rivalries
When the next Wigan vs St Helens, Hull derby, French derby, and Sydney derby is being played — with where to watch each. Bookmark this page; we update it through the season.
The big ones, on one page
Rugby league's most storied rivalry. These Lancashire clubs have met more than 250 times since 1895 and have collectively won more Super League titles than any other clubs.
Next meeting Brick Community Stadium, WiganThe black-and-whites of west Hull (Hull FC) face the red-and-whites of east Hull (Hull KR). One of British rugby's most intense local rivalries — the city quite literally splits.
Next meeting Sewell Group Craven Park, HullA marquee Super League fixture for three decades. Both clubs are consistent title contenders and these meetings often shape the play-off picture.
Next meeting Brick Community Stadium, WiganThe only French derby in Super League. Toulouse and Catalans Dragons fight for southern French rugby league bragging rights — extra spice for 2026 with Toulouse back in the top flight.
Next meeting Stade Ernest-Wallon, ToulouseLeeds and Wakefield sit 12 miles apart and were both founded in the 19th century. Wakefield's revival under Daryl Powell has rekindled this fixture's relevance.
Burned brightest in the early 2000s when Russell Crowe's Souths renaissance ran into Wayne Bennett's Brisbane dynasty. Still one of the NRL's marquee fixtures.
The original 1908 foundation rivalry — Roosters (then Eastern Suburbs) and Souths are the only two surviving clubs from the NSWRL's first season.
Queensland's biggest rugby league fixture. Townsville's Cowboys carry the underdog energy against the Brisbane heavyweights.
Penrith and Parramatta sit 13 miles apart in the city's working-class western corridor. Both clubs have rabid local followings.
A Trans-Tasman edge plus a recognisable stylistic clash — the Storm's pack-vs-flair contrast against the Warriors makes these matches worth watching.
Other marquee matches
Beyond local derbies, rugby league has a few annual marquee fixtures that draw casual viewers and big crowds:
- World Club Challenge — reigning NRL champions vs reigning Super League champions, every February
- Challenge Cup Final at Wembley — rugby league's oldest knockout competition, free on BBC
- State of Origin — NSW vs Queensland, three matches each year, the biggest event in Australian rugby league
- Magic Weekend — an entire round of Super League fixtures played at one neutral venue across one weekend
- NRL Las Vegas double-header — the season-opening NRL fixture played in the United States, growing the game internationally
- Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford — the season's culmination, played in October