War of the Roses
The Yorkshire-vs-Lancashire representative rugby league fixture, nicknamed the "War of the Roses." This page covers only the standalone eras played after the wider County Championship (which included the same fixture every season from 1895-96 to 1982-83, catalogued separately) ended: a Rodstock-sponsored revival (1985-1991) and a "County of Origin" rebrand modelled on Australia's State of Origin (2001-2003). No edition has been played since 2003.
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
9 seasons with a champion on record. Yorkshire have won the most titles (7).
Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 26-10 at Central Park, Wigan (11 Sep 1985), the first standalone fixture after the wider County Championship ended in 1983. Single-sourced this round; not independently cross-checked. |
| 1986 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 26-14 at Headingley, Leeds. Single-sourced. |
| 1987 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 16-10 at Central Park, Wigan. Single-sourced. |
| 1988 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 24-14 at Headingley, Leeds. Single-sourced. |
| 1989 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 56-12 at Central Park, Wigan. Single-sourced. |
| 1990 | Not held | — | No result found; possibly not played this year. |
| 1991 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 17-12 at Headingley, Leeds. Last edition of the Rodstock-sponsored standalone era before a hiatus. Single-sourced. |
| 2001 | Lancashire | Yorkshire | Won 36-24 at Headingley, Leeds (5 Jun 2001) — revival as "County of Origin," modelled on Australia's State of Origin. Single-sourced. |
| 2002 | Lancashire | Yorkshire | A two-match format this year: Lancashire won the first leg 22-18 at the JJB Stadium, Wigan (14 Jun), then 36-28 at Headingley, Leeds (18 Jun). Single-sourced. |
| 2003 | Yorkshire | Lancashire | Won 56-6 at Odsal, Bradford (2 Jul 2003) — the last fixture played. No further edition has been held since, despite periodic media speculation about a revival. Single-sourced. |
Single-sourced, and currently dormant
This entire table comes from one source and could not be independently cross-checked this round. A revival has been discussed publicly by pundits and reportedly floated by IMG during Super League restructuring talks, but nothing has been scheduled or confirmed as of this page's last update.
Sources
← All Rugby League competitions
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