Leeds and Bradford are West Yorkshire neighbours whose rugby rivalry is older than the Northern Union itself. Both were founder members of the breakaway in 1895, and they have met 277 times in completed first-class matches since. This page sets out the all-time head-to-head record, the record in Super League and in league matches, the record in each competition and in finals, and shows how the balance of power has shifted decade by decade.
Figures are complete to the most recent meeting: Leeds Rhinos 42–12 Bradford Bulls at Headingley on 26 July 2026.
All-time record: first-class matches
Leeds lead the all-time series by 42 wins: 153 to 111, with 13 draws, and on points by 4,925 to 4,063. It did not start that way. Bradford led the series for most of its first 25 years, by as many as 10 wins between November 1908 and September 1910. They were last ahead in January 1920, and the series was last level in January 1921. Leeds then won 19 of 21 meetings in the 1920s, and their lead peaked at 50 wins, first reached in February 1976 and last held in March 1978. Bradford have won back 8 since.
Super League record (1996–)
In Super League the derby is dead level. The clubs have met 61 times, 56 in the regular season and 5 in the play-offs and Grand Finals, and each side has won 29, with 3 draws. Bradford edge the points, 1,430 to 1,416, thanks to the play-offs, where they won 4 of the 5 meetings. In the regular season Leeds lead 28 to 25. Bradford dominated the early years, winning 16 of the first 20 Super League meetings, from 1996 to 2002. Since 2003 Leeds have won 25 of 41, Bradford 13. Counting the Challenge Cup as well, Bradford lead the Super League era 34 to 31, with 3 draws.
League record (1895–)
League meetings make up 222 of the 277 matches: the Northern Union and Championship from 1895 to 1996, and Super League regular-season rounds since. Leeds lead 127 to 84, with 11 draws, and on points 4,073 to 3,204. Before Super League, Leeds won 99 of the 166 league meetings and Bradford 59. The league fixture then disappeared for 11 seasons: Bradford were relegated in 2014 and did not return to Super League until 2026.
Record by competition
| Competition | Played | Bradford wins | Drawn | Leeds wins | Bradford points | Leeds points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Union and Championship, league matches (1895–1996) | 166 | 59 | 8 | 99 | 1,899 | 2,717 |
| Super League, regular season (1996–) | 56 | 25 | 3 | 28 | 1,305 | 1,356 |
| Super League play-offs and Grand Finals (2000–2005) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 125 | 60 |
| Challenge Cup (1941–2019) | 19 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 258 | 307 |
| Yorkshire Cup (1906–1990) | 22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 287 | 257 |
| Premiership Trophy (1978–1995) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 118 |
| League Cup: Players No.6, John Player and Regal Trophy (1973–1995) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 110 |
| Total | 277 | 111 | 13 | 153 | 4,063 | 4,925 |
Finals
The clubs have met in six finals, and Bradford have won four of them: the 1947 Challenge Cup final at Wembley, the Challenge Cup finals of 2000 at Murrayfield and 2003 at the Millennium Stadium, and the 2005 Super League Grand Final. Leeds won the 1979 Premiership final at Fartown and the 2004 Grand Final. Between 1996 and 2005 they also met in three Challenge Cup semi-finals and three other play-off ties, so Bradford’s great side of that era had to go through Leeds again and again. Counting semi-finals and play-offs, Bradford lead 9 to 4, with one draw.
| Date | Round | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1941 | Challenge Cup semi-final, 1st leg | Leeds 10–10 Bradford | Headingley |
| 10 May 1941 | Challenge Cup semi-final, 2nd leg | Bradford 2–12 Leeds | Odsal |
| 3 May 1947 | Challenge Cup final | Bradford 8–4 Leeds | Wembley |
| 27 May 1979 | Premiership final | Leeds 24–2 Bradford | Fartown, Huddersfield |
| 23 Mar 1996 | Challenge Cup semi-final | Bradford 28–6 Leeds | Alfred McAlpine Stadium |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Challenge Cup semi-final | Bradford 24–10 Leeds | Alfred McAlpine Stadium |
| 28 Mar 1999 | Challenge Cup semi-final | Leeds 23–10 Bradford | Alfred McAlpine Stadium |
| 29 Apr 2000 | Challenge Cup final | Bradford 24–18 Leeds | Murrayfield |
| 30 Sep 2000 | Elimination semi-final | Bradford 46–12 Leeds | Odsal |
| 26 Apr 2003 | Challenge Cup final | Bradford 22–20 Leeds | Millennium Stadium |
| 4 Oct 2003 | Qualifying semi-final | Bradford 30–14 Leeds | Odsal |
| 2 Oct 2004 | Qualifying semi-final | Bradford 26–12 Leeds | Headingley |
| 16 Oct 2004 | Grand Final | Leeds 16–8 Bradford | Old Trafford |
| 15 Oct 2005 | Grand Final | Bradford 15–6 Leeds | Old Trafford |
Wins by decade
Bradford had the better of the early years, winning 16 of the 26 meetings before 1910. Then Leeds took over: between 1910 and 1939 they won 46 of 54, including 19 of 21 in the 1920s. Bradford Northern’s great post-war side turned it round in the 1940s, with 11 wins in 17. Leeds won every decade from the 1950s to the 1970s. Bradford had the edge in the 1980s and in the 2000s, when the Bulls won 21 of 40, and the 1990s were all but even. Since 2010 it has been Leeds: 10 wins to Bradford’s 4.
| Decade | Played | Bradford wins | Drawn | Leeds wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 1900s | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 |
| 1910s | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| 1920s | 21 | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| 1930s | 21 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 1940s | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| 1950s | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 1960s | 18 | 4 | 0 | 14 |
| 1970s | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| 1980s | 29 | 17 | 4 | 8 |
| 1990s | 33 | 16 | 0 | 17 |
| 2000s | 40 | 21 | 1 | 18 |
| 2010s | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 2020s | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Streaks, margins and crowds
The longest winning run belongs to Leeds: 18 straight wins from April 1928 to September 1936, ended by Bradford’s 5–3 win at Headingley on 2 January 1937. Leeds also went 20 matches unbeaten from 1914 to 1927, with one draw. Bradford’s best is 8 in a row, from February 1899 to November 1904; the Bulls’ best is 7, from August 2002 to October 2003. Over the last 10 meetings Leeds lead 7 to 2, with one draw, and they won all three in 2026, 116 points to 40: their first clean sweep of a season against Bradford since 2008.
The biggest win is Leeds’ 61–3 at Headingley in November 1925. Leeds also hold the highest score, in a 75–18 win in September 1931; at 93 points it is also the highest-scoring meeting. Bradford’s biggest win is 54–3 at Headingley in September 1945, and their highest score came in a 62–18 win at Valley Parade in September 2001. The biggest crowd is 77,605, for the 1947 Challenge Cup final at Wembley; four more finals drew over 65,000. At the clubs’ own grounds the biggest recorded crowd is 24,020 at Odsal in September 1999. Crowd figures survive for 120 of the 277 matches.
Each side is stronger at home. At Headingley Leeds have won 79 of 130 meetings and lost 42, with 9 draws. At Odsal the record is close: Bradford 45 wins, Leeds 47, 2 draws. Bradford were never beaten at Park Avenue (9 wins and 2 draws), but Leeds won 18 of the 23 meetings at Birch Lane. On neutral grounds Leeds lead 8 to 6, helped by five wins from five at Magic Weekend.
About these figures
Results, dates and venues are compiled from published match records, for first-class matches, league matches, finals and each cup. Only first-class matches are counted. That leaves out friendlies, testimonials and the wartime emergency league matches of 1939 to 1945. Two matches were abandoned and are not counted: in January 1937 at 0–0, and in December 1956 with Leeds 5–0 up. The first meeting was on 14 December 1895, a 0–0 draw at Park Avenue. Bradford’s record runs on from Bradford FC, who played at Park Avenue until 1907 before switching to association football. Bradford Northern were formed that year, folded in 1963 and were re-formed in 1964, and have been the Bradford Bulls since 1995. Leeds became the Leeds Rhinos in 1997. Where a source omits a month from a date, it has been taken from the match before. Clubs are listed alphabetically throughout.
