List of sports rivalries in the United Kingdom

The Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers is widely considered the greatest in British sports. This image showing the separation of the two fanbases on derby day.

This is a list of the main sporting local derbies and other sports rivalries in the UK.

England

American football

• Bristol–South Wales rivalry: Bristol Aztecs vs. South Wales Warriors ^[6]
• Cheshire derby: any match between Chester Romans, Crewe Railroaders and Halton Spartans ^[7]
• East Anglian derby: Ipswich Cardinals vs. Norwich Devils ^[8]
• Essex Derby: Essex Spartans vs. East Essex Sabres. ^[9]
• Farnham–Kent rivalry: Farnham Knights vs. Kent Exiles ^[10]
• Humber–Lincolnshire rivalry: Humber Warhawks vs. Lincolnshire Bombers. ^[11]
• Kent–London rivalry: Kent Exiles vs. London Olympians. ^[12]
• Knottingley–Leeds rivalry: Knottingley Raiders vs. Leeds Bobcats ^[13]
• Leeds derby: Leeds Bobcats vs. Yorkshire Rams. ^[14]
• Leicester–Nottingham rivalry: Leicester Falcons vs. Nottingham Caesars ^[15]
• London derby: London Blitz vs. London Warriors, can also refer to games for either against the London Olympians. ^[16]
• Manchester–Merseyside rivalry: Manchester Titans vs. Merseyside Nighthawks ^[17]
• North East derby: Gateshead Senators vs. Northumberland Vikings ^[18]
• South Coast derby: Portsmouth Dreadnoughts vs Solent Thrashers ^[19]
• Swindon–Oxford rivalry: Swindon Storm vs. Oxford Saints ^[20]
• West Midlands derby: any match between Birmingham Bulls, Sandwell Steelers and Tamworth Phoenix ^[21]
• Yorkshire derby: any match between Doncaster Mustangs, Sheffield Giants and Yorkshire Rams ^{[22] [23]}

Association football

Main article: List of association football rivalries in the United Kingdom § England & Wales

Basketball

• Leicester Riders vs. Newcastle Eagles ^[24]
• Glasgow Rocks vs. Newcastle Eagles ^[25]
• North-East derby: Durham Wildcats vs. Newcastle Eagles ^{[26] [27]}
• Yorkshire Derby: Leeds Force vs Sheffield Sharks ^[28]

Cricket

• London derby: Middlesex CCC vs. Surrey CCC ^[29]
• The Oldest Rivalry: Kent CCC vs. Surrey CCC ^[30]
• War of the Roses: Lancashire CCC vs. Yorkshire CCC ^[31]
• West Midlands derby: Warwickshire CCC vs. Worcestershire CCC ^[32]
• Battle of the Bridge: Essex CCC vs. Kent CCC ^[33]
• South Coast: Hampshire CCC vs. Sussex CCC ^{[34] [35] [36]}

eSports

• El Nashico: Lionscreed vs. Ruddy eSports ^[37]

Ice hockey

• Basingstoke Bison vs. Guildford Flames ^[38]
• Bracknell Bees vs. Slough Jets ^{[39] [40] [41]}
• Milton Keynes Lightning vs. Peterborough Phantoms ^[42]
• Nottingham Panthers vs. Sheffield Steelers ^{[43] [44] [45]}
• Tyne-Tees derby: Billingham Stars vs. Whitley Bay Warriors ^{[46] [47] [48] [49]}
• Essex derby: Romford Raiders vs. Chelmsford Chieftains ^{[50] [51]}

Korfball

• Big Two derby: Bec KC vs. Trojans KC
• Manchester derby: Manchester Hawks vs. Manchester Warriors
• Milton Keynes derby: MK Bucks vs. MK Lakers ^[52]

Motorcycle Speedway

• Somerset derby: Swindon Robins vs. Somerset Rebels ^[53]

Rugby league

A Good Friday Derby in 2009

Main article: Derbies in the Rugby Football League

• The Battle of the Borough Derby: Leigh Centurions vs Wigan Warriors ^[54]
• The Calder Derby: Castleford Tigers vs Wakefield Trinity ^[55]
• The Cheshire Derby: Widnes Vikings vs. Warrington Wolves ^{[56] [57]}
• The Cumbrian Derby: Whitehaven vs. Workington Town
• The East Lancashire Derby: Oldham Roughyeds vs. Rochdale Hornets
• The Five Towns Derby: Castleford Tigers vs. Featherstone Rovers
• The Good Friday Derby: St. Helens v Wigan Warriors ^[58]
• The Heavy Woollen Derby: Batley Bulldogs vs. Dewsbury Rams ^[59]
• The Hull Derby: Hull F.C. vs. Hull Kingston Rovers ^[60]
• The Leeds Derby: Leeds Rhinos vs. Hunslet
• The London Derby: London Broncos vs. London Skolars
• The Locker Cup Derby: Warrington Wolves vs. Wigan Warriors
• The Roses Derby: Oldham Roughyeds or Rochdale Hornets vs. Huddersfield Giants or Halifax
• The Salford Derby: Salford Red Devils vs. Swinton Lions
• The South Yorkshire Derby: Sheffield Eagles vs. Doncaster
• The War of the Roses Derby: Leeds Rhinos vs. Wigan Warriors
• The West Yorkshire Derby: Bradford Bulls vs. Leeds Rhinos (The term is also used to describe a four way rivalry with the addition of Huddersfield Giants and Halifax) ^[61]

Rugby union

Wasps vs Tigers in the 2008 Premiership Final

• The London Derby: Harlequin F.C. vs. Saracens F.C. ^[62]
• The East Midlands Derby: Leicester Tigers vs. Northampton Saints ^[63]
• Bath-Bristol derby: Bristol Rugby vs. Bath Rugby ^[64]
• West Country derby: Gloucester Rugby vs. Bath Rugby ^[65]
• The New West Country derby: Bristol Rugby vs. Exeter Chiefs ^[66]
• Milton Keynes derby: Bletchley RUFC vs. Milton Keynes RUFC ^{[67] [68]} vs. Olney RFC ^[69]
• Former West London/Hampstead FC Split Derby: Wasps RFC vs. Harlequin F.C. ^{[70] [71]}
• M69 Derby: Wasps RFC vs. Leicester Tigers ^[72]
• Former Thames Valley Derby: Wasps RFC vs. London Irish RFC ^[73]
• Exiles Derby: London Irish RFC vs. London Welsh RFC ^[74] vs. London Scottish RFC ^[75]
• South Hampshire derby: Havant RFC vs. Gosport and Fareham R.F.C. ^{[76] [77]}
• Hertfordshire derby: Old Haberdashers RFC vs. Tabard RFC ^[78]
• Luton-Dunstable derbies: Luton RFC vs. Dunstablians RFC vs. Stockwood Park RFC ^{[79] [80]}
• North Devon derby: Barnstaple RFC vs. Bideford RFC ^{[81] [82]}
• Beds derby/ The Battle for Bedfordshire: Bedford Blues vs. Ampthill RUFC ^[83]
• RAG derby: London Scottish v Richmond

Northern Ireland

Association football

Main article: List of association football rivalries in the United Kingdom § Northern Ireland

Gaelic football

• Armagh–Tyrone rivalry: Armagh v Tyrone ^[84]
• Sperrin derby: Derry v Tyrone ^{[85] [86]}
• Armagh-Down rivalry: Armagh v Down ^{[87] [88] [89]}

Scotland

American football

• East Kilbride–Edinburgh rivalry: East Kilbride Pirates vs. Edinburgh Wolves ^[90]
• Glasgow derby: East Kilbride Pirates vs. Glasgow Tigers ^[91]

Association football

Main article: List of association football rivalries in the United Kingdom § Scotland

Basketball

• Edinburgh derby: Boroughmuir Blaze vs. City of Edinburgh Kings ^[92]

Cricket

• Edinburgh Derby: Carlton Cricket Club vs. Grange Cricket Club ^[93]

Ice Hockey

• Scottish derby:
  • Fife Flyers vs. Braehead Clan ^[94]
  • Braehead Clan vs. Edinburgh Capitals ^[95]
  • Braehead Clan vs. Dundee Stars ^[96]
• Dundee-Kirkcaldy derby: Fife Flyers vs. Dundee Stars ^{[97] [98]}
• Forth derby: Fife Flyers vs. Edinburgh Capitals ^{[99] [100]}

Motorcycle Speedway

• Scottish Speedway Derby: Edinburgh Monarchs vs. Glasgow Tigers ^{[101] [102] [103] [104] [105]}

Rugby union

• 1872 Cup: Edinburgh vs. Glasgow Warriors ^[106]

Shinty

• Badenoch derby: Kingussie Camanachd vs. Newtonmore Camanachd Club ^{[107] [108]}

Wales

Association football

This section is about Welsh teams in the Welsh leagues only. For rivalries of Welsh teams in English leagues, see List of association football rivalries in the United Kingdom § England & Wales.

• Anglesey derby: Llanfairpwll vs. Llangefni Town ^[109]
• Gwynedd derby: Bangor City, ^{[110] [111]} Caernarfon Town ^[112] or Porthmadog ^{[113] [114]}
• A40 Derby: Haverfordwest County vs. Carmarthen Town ^[115]
• Flintshire derby: Connah's Quay Nomads vs. Flint Town United ^[116]
• North East Wales Derby: Wrexham AFC vs. Connah's Quay Nomads (Only Applys To The Women's Leagues in Wales as both men's teams play in different pyramids)
• Cross Boarders Derby: The New Saints vs any combination of Wrexham AFC (Women's League Only) or Connah's Quay Nomads
• El Twitico: Llantwit Major AFC vs. Ammanford AFC

Defunct

• North Wales derby: Rhyl F.C. vs. Bangor City ^{[117] [118]}

Rhyl Vs Nfa Rhyl derby

Rugby league

Main article: Derbies in the Rugby Football League

• Welsh Derby: North Wales Crusaders vs. West Wales Raiders (defunct)

Rugby union

A Judgement Day rivalry, Scarlets vs Cardiff Blues

See also: Judgement Day (rugby union)

• Judgement Day rivalries consist of any match between Ospreys, Dragons, Scarlets, and Cardiff Blues. Specific rivalries with these four include:
  • West Wales Derby: Ospreys vs. Scarlets
  • South Wales Derby: Ospreys vs. Cardiff Blues
  • East Wales Derby: Cardiff Blues vs. Dragons

University sports

Main article: List of British and Irish varsities

See also

• List of association football rivalries in the United Kingdom

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