State of Origin games in Australia work because of interstate rivalry. Historically, there were wars between the two main rugby league counties (Lancashire and Yorkshire or West v East) in England but that didn't translate into something that caught the public's imagination.
That said, there has recently been some SOO action in England. It's more about having representative matches rather than ancient rivalry but still good to see it.
To begin with, a women's game which apparently is a first. Lancashire took control and led 26-4 at the turn around. Yorkshire then threatened a come back by reducing the deficit to 8-26 but that was extinguished and Lancashire ran away with it. Final score with the win for Lancashire 50-8.
Then there were two young men's academy matches between the same counties. In May of 2025, they met and Yorkshire took the first half 26-4 and went on to comfortably win. Final score: 42-10.
The second match at the beginning of August had a much closer start with Yorkshire only ahead 12-4 by half time. They stepped it up a gear in the second stanza for another clear victory. Final score: 40-10.
It's good to see players experiencing representative games in both the men's and women's arenas. Maybe the senior men will again try it again. Fitting such matches in with what is already a too long club season would be a major drawback.
For a full coverage of the first academy match:
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