The term "Roses rivalry" refers to the rivalry between the English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The rivalry originated in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487) which was fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.[1] The roses rivalry is still present to this day.
While the rivalry is more subtle in day to day life than in the past, it still remains strong in the population.[2][3][4][5]
British tea companies Yorkshire Tea and Lancashire Tea have been compared as "arch rivals".[6]
Glyn Hughes wrote in 1975: "Frequently Lancashire people find Yorkshire people unfriendly or Yorkshire people find Lancashire people so. 'Yorkshire is all hills and moors; Lancashire is all mills and whores' is one definition of the differences between the counties".[7]
The term is also used to describe various sporting fixtures competed by representatives of the two sides:
The closely located American cities of Lancaster and York in Pennsylvania share a rivalry of the same name. Both cities are named after their British counterparts, and share sporting rivalries in baseball (in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball) and in high school American football.
