Five iconic rugby derby encounters in the modern era

Rugby is a ferocious sport at the best of times, so adding the extra motivation of playing local rivals is usually a recipe for drama.

England’s age-old rivalries will be renewed once again in round three of the Gallagher PREM, with the Derby Weekend set to take place.

Rivalries are often steeped in years, or decades, of bad blood, so the more that time passes, the more the enmity grows. That is precisely why the 21st century has served up some of the best derbies there have been.

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Witness guitar virtuoso Sophie Lloyd set the stage alight at the Rugby World Cup 2025 Finals with an electrifying medley of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Pump It”.
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Sophie Lloyd’s Medley Rocks Twickenham | WRWC 2025 Final | RPTV

Witness guitar virtuoso Sophie Lloyd set the stage alight at the Rugby World Cup 2025 Finals with an electrifying medley of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Pump It”.
Filmed live at one of sport’s biggest nights, this special showcase captures the spirit of rugby and rock in perfect harmony.

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Professionalism has not dampened the bitterness many sides have towards each other.

With that in mind, here are five of the most iconic derby matches of the 21st century:

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Sale

57 - 5

Full-time

Newcastle

All Stats and Data

5. Paarl Gimnasium vs Paarl Boys High – 2012 

In a rivalry that dates back to 1915, there have been many epic encounters between Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys High in South Africa in what is undoubtedly the fiercest schoolboy rivalry in world rugby.

The 2012 encounter was special as it offered a glimpse of what was to come. Was it the greatest ever match between the pair? No, there have been better contests in the last five years alone – look no further than the 26-24 Boys High victory in 2022 in front of 25,000 fans who rushed the pitch for an all-time great contest. But in 2012, fans were witnessing the first steps of a legendary journey.

The Gim team that year contained future South Africa A lock JD Schickerling and current PREM star Jacques Vermeulen, but they were skippered by a fly-half who kicked 11 points in a 16-9 win. 11 years later, that same fly-half would kick 12 points against the All Blacks in the World Cup final, winning his second Webb Ellis Cup four years after kicking 22 points against England in the 2019 final.

Fans were watching a player who would go on to establish himself as one of the great clutch players the game has ever seen, Handre Pollard.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Bath

38 - 17

Full-time

Gloucester

All Stats and Data

4. Gloucester vs Bath – 2014

Nothing quite says ‘derby’ like one team finishing the match with 11 players. Bath snuck this West Country derby against Gloucester 18-17 at Kingsholm, but the match will long be remembered for its two red cards and five yellow cards.

Gloucester were the recipients of four of those cards, including the two reds, which makes it commendable that they managed to keep it so close. These weren’t debatable cards either – tighthead Sila Puafisi did his best effort to decapitate Nick Abendanon in a tackle, while Tavis Knoyle’s fists were at the heart of a melee in the dying minutes.

In a rivalry that dates back to 1882 and will see the 249th instalment at the Rec this weekend, few have descended into pandemonium quite like this one.

3. SIC vs CASI – 2025

Buenos Aires plays host to one of the most passionate derbies in world football between Boca Juniors and River Plate, so it is unsurprising that the city has a similar feud in rugby between Club Atlético de San Isidro and San Isidro Club.

As the names suggest, the two clubs are on each other’s doorsteps in the Buenos Aires suburb, and there is no love lost in rugby’s Superclásico.

Ever since 1935, when a group of banned members of CASI broke away to form CIS, a multi-sport rivalry has existed, with the two clubs sharing 60 URBA Top 12 titles between them (CASI 33, CIS 27).

One of their most memorable encounters actually came this year, however, in their 150th meeting. CASI arrived at their rivals in June on a seven-match winning streak and at the top of the league, while SIC were sitting in fifth. It was the hosts that came away victorious, though, winning 16-13, but it was not without CASI missing a late penalty which would have made the scores level.

CASI got their revenge later in the season and currently sit at the top of the standings.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton

32 - 26

Full-time

Leicester

All Stats and Data

2. Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints – 2011 

Nothing embodied the fury and intensity of the East Midlands derby more than Manu Tuilagi’s right fist in 2011.

The emerging Leicester Tigers talent saw red when he was pushed on the ground by Northampton Saints’ Chris Ashton in the 2011 Premiership semi-final at Welford Road, and responded with a flurry of punches. Ashton himself was reacting to an off-the-ball tackle from Tuilagi, which itself was fairly dubious. Ironically, the 20-year-old was only shown a yellow card for this onslaught, and, more bizarrely, so was Ashton.

Tuilagi would later receive a 10-week ban (reduced to five), meaning he missed the final following the 11-3 win over the Saints, but he produced one of the most infamous moments of the long rivalry between the two teams.

Two years later, the clubs would contest the Premiership final, with Dylan Hartley producing another infamous moment with his red card. But Tuilagi edges it here, so much so that it has even received analysis from UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall on his technique.

@tntsportsfootball The ultimate analysis of Manu Tuilagi 🆚 Chris Ashton 😂 Watch Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab: #UFC308 edition with Chris Ashton and Adam Catterall on TNT Sports YouTube 🥋🔬 #ufc #mma #fight #tomaspinall #rugby #martialarts ? original sound – TNT Sports Football

1. Biarritz vs Bayonne – 2021 

The Northern Basque derby remains one of the great rivalries on the rugby calendar. One has to only look at the fanbases in regular matches to know it will be a febrile state when they meet, with barely any distance at all separating the two clubs (Biarritz being part of the arrondissement of Bayonne).

So the Top 14 access match in 2021 between the two sides was guaranteed to be a spicy affair. Biarritz, who lost the Pro D2 promotion play-off match, hosted Bayonne, who finished second-from-bottom in the Top 14, for a place in France’s top division the next season. The scene was set.

How could the contest be any more memorable? It only went to a penalty shootout following a 6-6 draw. With both sides kicking five successful penalties, Aymeric Luc’s miss gave Steffan Armitage the chance to etch his name in Biarritz folklore. Up he stepped and secured Biarritz’s promotion back to the Top 14.

The win was yet more bragging rights for Biarritz, who have had the share of success in the professional era, winning the Top 14 in 2002, 2005 and 2006, as well as being Heineken Cup runners-up in 2006 and 2010. Bayonne, however, currently hold the bragging rights, sitting at the summit of the Top 14 ladder, while Biarritz are languishing in 14th in the Pro D2.

Welcome to the club @Magicsteffo7 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/SwtTXbHVtI

— Jordan Crane (@JordanCrane86) June 12, 2021