A RIVALS Round has been added to the Super League calendar this season - and Warrington Wolves have been paired with Catalans Dragons.

The round, scheduled for late August, is being billed as 'Some games mean more. Games with history. Games you must win' and The Wire being pitted against the French side certainly has 'history' and 'feeling'.

Round 20, on August 19-22, will also see Wigan Warriors host St Helens, Castleford Tigers host Wakefield Trinity and the Hull derby.

In a change to norm, due to current Covid restrictions, the 'traditional' Easter fixtures have been moved back in the season in the hope that bumper crowds of fans will be able to cheer on their team from the stands.

No doubt all will be to play for when these clashes occur just five rounds from the end of the regular season.

Rivalry, for Warrington, is perhaps traditionally considered at its fiercest when facing neighbouring foes like Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Leigh Centurions and current Championship side Widnes Vikings.

However, there has certainly been some no-nonsense business between Catalans Dragons and The Wire since the French club entered Super League in 2006, with the bad-tempered affair in Perpignan that spilled on to the terraces on the last visit to those parts in 2019 crossing the line and leading to both clubs being fined after an investigation.

 

Perhaps there is also perceived enhanced rivalry from Warrington's Challenge Cup Final loss to Catalans Dragons at Wembley in 2018.

Before the 2019 eruption of trouble, friendship and mutual admiration had been forged between the two clubs - heavily instigated by the substantial numbers of supporters following Warrington on their trips to the south of France and boosting the local economy, leading one match to be taken on the road to Barcelona in 2009.

Rivals Round fixtures in full:

Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity (Mend-a-Hose Jungle)

Hull FC v Hull KR (KCOM Stadium)

Leeds Rhinos v Huddersfield Giants (Emerald Headingley Stadium)

Leigh Centurions v Salford Red Devils (Leigh Sports Village)

Warrington Wolves v Catalans Dragons (Halliwell Jones Stadium)

Wigan Warriors v St Helens (DW Stadium)

(to be played the weekend of 19-22 August. Dates and kick-off times to be announced in due course)

By tomorrow, Steve Price will be able to plot his way through most of his final year as Warrington Wolves head coach.

Having confirmed last week that his fourth season in charge will be his last, the countdown clock has started on his time in England.

While the Wire board’s task of finding his successor has begun in earnest, Price can now focus on what is to come between now and November, when his duties conclude.

That starts with Chris Hill’s Testimonial match against newly-promoted Leigh Centurions.

Subject to official confirmation, the two sides will face off behind closed doors at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday, March 18, kick off 7pm.

It is understood the match will be streamed, with details on how supporters can watch the game to be confirmed.

Following that, the real business starts and after an opening weekend clash with Castleford Tigers was confirmed for Sunday, March 28, two more key dates have also been locked in.

Good Friday – April 2 – will see Wolves and Leigh meet again, this time competitively in Super League at the Totally Wicked Stadium, kick off 12.45pm.

Looking further ahead, it has also been confirmed that for the fourth year in a row, Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors will face off at Magic Weekend in Newcastle on Sunday, September 5, kick off time to be confirmed.

These dates, along with today's Rivals Round announcement, have trickled out in advance of the unveiling of Super League’s full 2021 fixture list tomorrow, Friday.

After the government revealed their plans to gradually ease lockdown restrictions in England on Monday, at least the first six rounds of Super League and the Challenge Cup fourth round on the weekend of April 11 will be played behind closed doors.

Supporters will not return to grounds until May 17 at the earliest but The Wire have expressed an interest in taking part in any pilot events that may arise before that date.

The Halliwell Jones Stadium hosted several behind-closed-doors Super League rounds in 2020 and thus the club believe it is already sufficiently Covid-compliant to welcome fans back safely.