Yorkshire emerge victorious as Labour MPs take part in War of the Roses rugby league clash

Yorkshire claimed political bragging rights over Lancashire as Labour MPs swapped Westminster for the rugby league field in the 2026 War of the Roses Politicians’ game at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Yorkshire side, featuring Sports Minister Steph Peacock, came out on top in the latest staging of an event which has become a popular fixture around Labour Party Conference, bringing politicians together through rugby league.

Politicians, including David Baines, MP for St Helens North, took time away from speeches, fringe meetings and policy discussions yesterday to pull on their boots.

It continued rugby league’s long association with the event and provided another opportunity for the sport to engage with MPs on the importance of rugby league to communities across the North of England and beyond.

Selby MP Keir Mather, who led Yorkshire to victory, said: “I’m absolutely over the moon that, for the second year running, Yorkshire has won the War of the Roses Politicians’ Rugby League game!

“Rivalry aside, though, all of us are here today for one really important reason: because we love rugby league, we are proud rugby league MPs, we know how much it matters for people who live in the communities that we represent and every single year at Labour Party Conference, we want to show how much we love this game and how committed this Labour Government is to supporting it.

“Thanks to the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League players who have shared the day with us and done such an amazing job.

“This is truly the game of rugby league at its finest because you saw rugby league values on the pitch today: people supporting each other, looking out for each other, pouring their passion and creativity into this amazing game that we all love.”

Community Integrated Care has worked closely with rugby league to create opportunities for people with care and support needs to become more active, make new friendships and feel part of the sport.

Their involvement added another dimension to an occasion designed to demonstrate rugby league’s ability to bring people together, former Super League players Mickey Higham and Bob Beswick, from RL Cares, taking part in a warm-up with them and the politicians before the game kicked-off.

Former Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain centre Keith Senior and England Women captain Jodie Cunningham handed out medals at the end while Super League referee Tara Jones MBE officiated the contest.

A total of 15 MPS took part with Jade Botterill, MP for Ossett and Denby Dale, claiming the women's player of the match and James Small-Edwards, son of rugby league legend Shaun Edwards, taking the men's equivalent.

RFL interim chief executive Rhodri Jones said: “The War of the Roses game is always a great way of bringing MPs closer to rugby league and allowing them to experience for themselves some of what makes our sport special.

“This Labour Government, under a long-standing rugby league fan Andy Burnham, has already voiced its support of our game.

“We are proud of rugby league’s place at the heart of so many communities, and it was particularly good to have people from Community Integrated Care involved in the day as well.

“Their participation underlined the inclusive nature of our sport and the positive impact it can have well beyond what happens on the field.

“Congratulations to Keir and the Yorkshire team on earning the bragging rights, and thanks to everybody who took part and helped make the event such an enjoyable occasion.”

John Hughes, Community Integrated Care’s Director of Partnerships and Communities, said: “MPs and politicians enjoyed a ten-minute warm-up alongside players from the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League, experiencing first-hand the energy and impact of this groundbreaking competition. 

“As the Government develops its ambitions for social care, we hope this experience demonstrates what can be achieved when social care connects with wider society, opening up opportunity, tackling inequality and enabling people to live their best life possible.”