Rugby League War of the Roses

War of the Roses
Sport Rugby league
Instituted 1895
Ceased 2003
Number of teams 2
Country  England (RFL)
Winners Yorkshire (34th Title)
Most titles Lancashire Lancashire (35 titles)
Broadcast partner Sky Sports

The Origin Series, previously War of the Roses, was the inter-county rugby league matches between representative teams from Yorkshire and Lancashire, the areas where rugby league has traditionally been most popular in England.

History

The first War of the Roses was contested in 1895 between Yorkshire and Lancashire since rugby league was founded in Yorkshire and mostly played in the heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It was held almost annually until 1991 and occasionally was contested in a series.

In 1985, an annual fixture between Lancashire and Yorkshire was proposed as a replacement for the County Championship which had last been played in 1982–83. The fixture became known as the Rodstock War of the Roses, and the first game was played in September 1985. The series lasted until 1991, when it was scrapped due to lack of interest.

The fixture was revived in 2001 under the name of the Origin Series, inspired by the success of Australia's State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland.[1]

Player eligibility for the Origin Series was based on the player's region of birth, but players born outside of Yorkshire and Lancashire were also eligible for selection, based on the region where they first played rugby league at professional level.

The Origin Series was reduced to a one-off Origin Game in 2003 due to the British hosting the touring Australia, New Zealand A and as well the kick off of the Rugby League European Nations Cup. So together with the Challenge Cup, WCC and Rugby Super League, the RFL felt that too many Origin matches would be too much strain on the top players. The tournament was then rested due to apathy from rugby league supporters.

The series has in effect been replaced by the International Origin series, where England take on the "Exiles" – a team composed of the best overseas players in Super League.

Results

Total matches Yorkshire Lancashire Drawn
8934359
YearWinnerAttendanceVenue
1895Yorkshire9,059Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1896Lancashire5,300Yorkshire Fartown, Huddersfield
15,000Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1897Yorkshire11,000Yorkshire Park Avenue, Bradford
1898Yorkshire8,000Lancashire New Barnes, Salford
1899Lancashire9,000Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
1900Lancashire18,000Lancashire Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
1902Draw12,235Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
14,286Lancashire The Willows, Salford
1903Lancashire11,000Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1904Yorkshire8,500Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1905Lancashire8,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1906Lancashire5,000Lancashire The Willows, Salford
1907Yorkshire7,000Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
1908Lancashire6,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1909Yorkshire6,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1910Lancashire2,000Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1912Draw3,199Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
4,000Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1913Yorkshire3,500Yorkshire Fartown, Huddersfield
1919Lancashire5,000Lancashire The Willows, Salford
1920Yorkshire7,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1921Yorkshire4,000Lancashire Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
1922Draw8,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1923Lancashire8,000Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1924Lancashire6,000Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
1925Lancashire13,000Lancashire Knowsley Road, St. Helens
1926Lancashire9,000Yorkshire Belle Vue, Wakefield
1927Lancashire12,000Lancashire Wilderspool, Warrington
1928Lancashire6,520Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
1930Draw4,300Lancashire Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
9,000Yorkshire Belle Vue, Wakefield
1931Lancashire10,049Lancashire Wilderspool, Warrington
1932Yorkshire4,000Yorkshire Belle Vue, Wakefield
1933Yorkshire2,000Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1934Draw1,500Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1935Lancashire6,700Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1936Lancashire7,648Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
1938Lancashire3,653Lancashire Athletic Grounds, Rochdale
3,000Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1942Yorkshire5,000Yorkshire Crown Flatt (old ground), Dewsbury
1945Lancashire11,059Lancashire Station Road, Swinton
1946Yorkshire5,000Yorkshire Parkside, Hunslet
1947Lancashire6,270Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1949Lancashire7,000Yorkshire Thrum Hall, Halifax
15,000Lancashire Wilderspool, Warrington
1950Yorkshire6,547Yorkshire Fartown, Huddersfield
1951Yorkshire11,573Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1953Draw8,400Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
12,870Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1954Yorkshire8,500Yorkshire Odsal, Bradford
1955Lancashire8,000Lancashire Watersheddings, Oldham
1956Lancashire8,500Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1957Yorkshire6,200Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1958Yorkshire5,000Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
8,500Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
6,417Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1960Lancashire15,054Yorkshire Belle Vue, Wakefield
1961Lancashire4,970Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1962Yorkshire7,956Yorkshire Belle Vue, Wakefield
1963Lancashire11,200Lancashire Knowsley Road, St. Helens
1964Yorkshire6,331Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1965Yorkshire5,847Lancashire Station Road Swinton
1966Lancashire10,528Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1968Draw8,932Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
6,656Yorkshire The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull
1969Lancashire4,652Lancashire The Willows, Salford
1971Yorkshire2,000Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
2,000Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
1971Yorkshire5,019Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1972Yorkshire2,343Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
1973Lancashire3,307Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1974Draw1,219Yorkshire Lawkholme Lane, Keighley
3,114Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1975Yorkshire700Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1977Draw2,740Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
5,056Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1978Lancashire4,283Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1979Yorkshire2,744Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
1980Lancashire1,593Lancashire Naughton Park, Widnes
1981Yorkshire1,222Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
1982Yorkshire1,738Lancashire Hilton Park, Leigh
1985Yorkshire6,743Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1986Yorkshire5,983Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1987Yorkshire9,748Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1988Yorkshire8,244Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
1989Yorkshire10,182Lancashire Central Park, Wigan
1991Yorkshire6,454Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
2001Lancashire10,253Lancashire JJB Stadium, Wigan
2002Lancashire7,352Yorkshire Wheldon Road, Castleford
9,283Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds
2003Yorkshire6,454Yorkshire Odsal, Bradford

International touring teams

Both Lancashire and Yorkshire have played numerous matches against touring Australian and New Zealand teams.[2][3] From the 1967–68 Kangaroo Tour, both Lancashire and Yorkshire were taken off the Australian's itinerary with the only county side they played being Cumbria.

Lancashire

Game No.DateResultVenueAttendanceNotes
118 January 1908Lancashire Lancashire def. New Zealand 20–4Watersheddings, Oldham1907–08 All Golds tour
225 November 1908 Australia def. Lancashire Lancashire 20–6Central Park, Wigan4,0001908–09 Kangaroo Tour
38 March 1909Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 19–14Wheater's Field, Broughton4,000
42 October 1911 Australasia def. Lancashire Lancashire 25–12Ewood Park, Blackburn5,0001911–12 Kangaroo Tour
530 November 1921 Australasia def. Lancashire Lancashire 29–6Goodison Park, Everton17,0001921–22 Kangaroo Tour
614 December 1921Lancashire Lancashire def. Australasia 8–6Wilderspool, Warrington6,000
73 January 1927Lancashire Lancashire def. New Zealand 28–37,0001926–27 New Zealand Kiwis tour
826 September 1929 Australasia def. Lancashire Lancashire 29–14Wilderspool, Warrington24,0001929–30 Kangaroo Tour
920 September 1933 Australia def. Lancashire Lancashire 33–7Wilderspool, Warrington16,5761933–34 Kangaroo Tour
1029 September 1937Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 7–5Wilderspool, Warrington16,2501937–38 Kangaroo Tour
118 December 1948Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 13–8Central Park, Wigan11,7881948–49 Kangaroo Tour
1222 November 1951Lancashire Lancashire def. New Zealand 13–121951–52 New Zealand Kiwis tour
1330 November 1952 Australia def. Lancashire Lancashire 36–11Wilderspool, Warrington5,8631952–53 Kangaroo Tour
1423 September 1959Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 30–22Knowsley Road, St. Helens15,7431959–60 Kangaroo Tour
1525 September 1963Lancashire Lancashire def. Australia 13–11Central Park, Wigan15,0681963–64 Kangaroo Tour
1630 November 1967 Australia def. Lancashire Lancashire 14–2The Willows, Salford9,3691967–68 Kangaroo Tour

Yorkshire

Game No.DateResultVenueAttendanceNotes
118 December 1907 New Zealand def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 23–4Belle Vue, Wakefield1907–08 All Golds tour
25 November 1908 Australia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 21–11The Boulevard, Kingston upon Hull3,5001908–09 Kangaroo Tour
325 September 1911 Australasia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 33–13Bramall Lane, Sheffield4,0001911–12 Kangaroo Tour
47 December 1921 Australasia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 24–8Belle Vue, Wakefield6,0001921–22 Kangaroo Tour
515 December 1926Yorkshire Yorkshire def. New Zealand 17–16Fartown, Huddersfield3,0001926–27 New Zealand Kiwis tour
620 November 1929 Australasia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 25–12Belle Vue, Wakefield7,0111929–30 Kangaroo Tour
713 September 1933 Australia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 13–0Headingley, Leeds10,3091933–34 Kangaroo Tour
86 October 1937 Australia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 8–4Odsal, Bradford7,5701937–38 Kangaroo Tour
924 November 1948Yorkshire Yorkshire def. Australia 5–2Headingley, Leeds5,3101948–49 Kangaroo Tour
105 December 1951 New Zealand def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 10–32,9581951–52 New Zealand Kiwis tour
1126 November 1952 Australia def. Yorkshire Yorkshire 55–11Fartown, Huddersfield3,7371952–53 Kangaroo Tour
1228 September 1959Yorkshire Yorkshire def. Australia 47–15Clarence Street, York7,3381959–60 Kangaroo Tour
1318 September 1963Yorkshire Yorkshire def. Australia 11–5Craven Park, Kingston upon Hull10,3241963–64 Kangaroo Tour
144 October 1967Yorkshire Yorkshire def. Australia 15–14Belle Vue, Wakefield19,3701967–68 Kangaroo Tour

Women's Rugby League

In 2015, the RFL department of Women's Rugby League announced that they would stage the inaugural Women's "War of the Roses", between Lancashire Ladies and Yorkshire Ladies. The match, which took place at Thatto Heath Crusaders, St. Helens, saw Yorkshire Ladies and Lancashire Ladies share the honours after a 22-22 draw, with an attendance of around 500.[4]

The match, held on 18 October 2015, followed a Lancashire Girls vs Yorkshire Girls under 18s match, which finished 34-0 in favour of the Yorkshire side.

Results

YearWinnerScoreVenueAttendance
2015Draw22-22Lancashire St. Helens500

See also

References

  1. ↑ Woods, Dave (31 May 2001). "Origin game evolves". BBC Sport Online. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Lancashire at Rugby League Project
  3. ↑ Yorkshire at Rugby League Project
  4. ↑ Author, Unknown (13 October 2015). "County Origin Renewed". RFL Womens Rugby League. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
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