Easter is on the horizon and for Super League fans that means one thing: Rivals Round. Over one weekend old wounds will be reopened, families divided and cities split as foes go to battle for 80 minutes. Everywhere you look there will be history on the line.
Billinge Hill separates St Helens and Wigan — two towns around 10 miles apart with families straddling boundary lines. Your grandma might support Wigan but for one day the lines are drawn in the sand.
Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos returns for the first time in Super League since 2014. Rounding off the weekend, another age-old derby sees Castleford Tigers host Wakefield Trinity. Coaches will talk respect; fans won’t be listening — in pubs and on terraces the only acceptable outcome is beating that lot on Good Friday.
For the 250th time: Hull KR vs Hull FC — Friday April 3 (12.30pm KO)
TV: Sky Sports+, Sky Sports Action
The only rivalry where both clubs share a city, Hull FC vs Hull KR is a lesson in fierceness and deep-rooted disdain. Forget the league table — going 1-0 up in the derby tally is the priority and history is heavy as these two Hull sides meet for the 250th time. The Black and Whites and the Robins have 80 minutes to claim the city.
Add the extra spice that Hull KR are reigning Super League and world champions; Hull FC will be highly motivated to knock them off their perch. Both sides have had mixed starts — Hull FC three wins, three losses; KR two wins, three losses — but recent big victories give both confidence. Friday will reveal who makes the next statement.
St Helens vs Wigan Warriors — Friday April 3 (3pm KO)
TV: Sky Sports+, Sky Sports Action
It is believed the name “derby” once referred to just two sporting events — one the Epsom horse race, the other Wigan vs St Helens. When discussions turn to clubs that produce wealth of academy talent, Wigan and Saints are often top of the list. That local-lad core has fuelled a rivalry dating back to 1895 and made the Good Friday clash an iconic, volatile fixture.
Saints arrive after a heavy 52-10 loss to Hull KR; Wigan come off a poor defeat to Huddersfield. Both NEED the Good Friday win — a recipe likely to brew high drama.
Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos — Friday April 3 (8pm)
TV: Sky Sports+
An iconic Yorkshire derby returns. The fixture epitomised the early 2000s with packed Odsal or Headingley, bruising encounters and local glory on the line. Odsal hosts the first meeting in 12 years as Kurt Haggerty’s Bulls seek to continue a strong early charge; sitting sixth, a derby win would cement them as an early surprise package. For Leeds it’s a chance to remind their neighbours who the Super League big boys are. The Rhinos’ recent solid win over Warrington will give them belief.
Catalans Dragons vs Toulouse Olympique — Saturday April 4 (6pm)
TV: Sky Sports+
Another derby rekindles in France as Catalans host Toulouse. They’ve only met twice in Super League before (2022), with Catalans victorious on both occasions. The two French sides sit close in the table — Catalans eighth, Toulouse tenth, two points apart — and Perpignan’s fiery atmosphere will ensure a heated contest.
Castleford Tigers vs Wakefield Trinity — Sunday April 5 (3pm)
TV: Sky Sports+
A fitting way to close Rivals Round and Easter weekend: the West Yorkshire derby between Castleford and Wakefield. The rivalry runs deeper than a single relegation day in 2006; intertwined histories and storylines ensure another chapter will be written. Castleford come in after a much-needed win over Bradford; Wakefield have grown into the season and sit fourth after four wins and two losses. Daryl Powell returns to familiar turf he once guided to a Grand Final, now as the opposing coach. Castleford boss Ryan Carr will expect his side to show the identity he praised after their last win.
What else is on this weekend?
Saturday April 4 also features Huddersfield Giants vs York Knights (3pm) and Warrington Wolves vs Leigh Leopards (3pm). Both matches are live on Sky Sports+.
2026 Super League — key dates and what to look out for
– Rivals Round: April 3–5
– Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6 — Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30pm UK (Sky Sports)
– Magic Weekend: July 4–5
– Rivals Round reversed: July 23–26
– Elimination Play-offs: September 19–20
– Play-off semi-finals: September 26–27
– Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford
Sky Sports will again show every Super League game live this season — including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining matches shown on Sky Sports+.