Friendships tested, record breakers and everything you need to know about 250th Hull derby

Need to know

The great rivals will meet for the first time this season but for the 250th time since that first meeting in 1899

Everything you need to know on the 250th Hull derby as Hull KRHull FC

• Hull FC are on their worst run of defeats against Hull KR of the Super League era. If they can snap that losing streak John Cartwright’s side will go four points ahead of the champions and finally have some bragging rights back for the first time since 2023. At the same time, a win for KR will see them leapfrog FC and likely move into a play-off position, all with a game still in hand on everyone except Warrington.
• Rovers are likely to make just one change to the team with Aussie utility man Karl Lawton returning from suspension to take his place in the line-up. Willie Peters, who will be in charge of most likely his last derby game at Craven Park, has made just two changes to his squad with Lawton and young Harvey Horne coming in for Jordan Dazaria and Bill Leyland, who have gone on loan to St Helens.
• The game will see a host of good friends come up against each other. Much has been made of the fact KR’s James Batchelor will face his brother Joe for the first time in a heated derby after Joe switched to FC from St Helens. As well as the brothers, KR prop Tom Amone is a very close friend of FC’s John Asiata, with the pair speaking most days. Then we have the cousins Jez Litten and Davy Litten, while Davy is also one of Mikey Lewis’ best friends.
• There’s a good chance we’ll have a new record attendance for a derby at Craven Park, with the south stand installed for this season adding an extra 1,200 seats to the capacity.
• Of the 249 derbies so far, FC lead the way with 124 victories to KR’s 115, with 10 games drawn. Rovers are bidding for a sixth successive win, which is one short of FC’s best run in the Super League era. In all of history, Hull won 12 games on the trot from March 30, 1956 to Feb 25, 1961 in what is the best-ever winning run. Curiously, Rovers then set their own record run by winning the next 10 games from April 7, 1961 to October 17, 1964.
• This is how the scoring break down looks over the decades – Hull have scored 340 three-point tries to Rovers’ 303. FC have 258 four-point tries to their name, just five more than KR who have scored 253. FC have kicked 612 goals to KR’s 589, but Rovers’ 18 drop goals is three more than FC’s 15. In total FC have scored 3,291 points to KR’s 3,117.
• Hull have used 699 players in Derby matches, while Rovers have used 724 players.
• Jack Charles became the 147th and most recent player to have played a game for both clubs.
• The 100th Derby was the 1st at Boothferry Park (Rovers Home match) in April 1953. The 200th Derby was the the Magic Weekend fixture at Cardiff in 2007, famously Paul Cooke’s second game for KR after his controversial switch across the city two weeks earlier.
• In the Super League era KR are leading the head-to-head with 26 wins to FC’s 24, while Rovers also boast a record of 10 wins to 8 at Craven Park.
• The highest score recorded by either team is the 56 points registered by Hull in their 56-12 Super League win on Good Friday 2019. That is also the Black and Whites’ widest margin of victory.
• Rovers’ highest score is the 42 knocked up in a 42-6 Super League success in 2007. The Robins’ widest margin is their 40-0 success in 2023. All three games were at the MKM Stadium.