DERBY DAYS/ST HELENS v WIGAN:SUPER LEAGUE XIII kicked-off at the beginning of last month and this season's competition will run until the Grand Final on October 4th, which is a week earlier than normal due to the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

But while the teams are only entering the seventh round of action this weekend, already the traditional heavyweights are jostling for position near the top of the table - though league points won't be foremost on the minds of the players and supporters at this Friday's clash between St Helens and Wigan Warriors.

The secrets of coal mining may not be passed anymore from generation to generation in the homes around Wigan in Greater Manchester (there were once over 1,000 pit shafts within five miles of the town centre) and St Helens of Merseyside - another large town with a strong mining history - but certain accepted truths are still embedded in young minds from each area: one, beating the rivals based less than 10 miles down the road is all that matters, and two, Rugby Union is for sissies.

Founded in 1873, Helens have played at Knowsley Road, the venue for Friday's big game, since 1890, moving in five years before the club - along with Wigan and 21 other clubs - resigned from the English Rugby Football Union and established the Northern Union, the split which led to the game of rugby league we know today.

The fierce rivalry between the two clubs was established long before they met for the first time in the Challenge Cup final - Rugby League's primary knock-out competition in Britain - in 1961 at Wembley.

Almost 95,000 spectators turned up, with Wembley also the venue for a repeat final five years later, which was witnessed by close to 100,000 fans.

The Saints won both times, with legendary St Helens' player Alex Murphy doing nothing to ease the pain of the Wigan players and supporters by, legend has it, sending a poem by telegram to Wigan after the '66 final.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

St Helens 21,

Wigan two.

Wigan had to wait until 1988 for a chance at revenge in the last game of the competition, and they took it, prompting another poem - this time sent in the other direction which read as follows:

Roses and violets are red,

and blue still,

Wigan 27,

St Helens nil.

Last season, Helens defeated the Brisbane Broncos to claim the World Club Challenge. But, more importantly, in May the Saints beat the Warriors 34-18 in the round of Super League matches played in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium as part of the "Millennium Magic Weekend".

And they followed that with another victory over their arch-rivals, which stretched their winning streak against the Warriors to eight games - a tally unheard of in the modern era for the famous derby and one that caused much soul searching at Wigan.

While the 20-12 win by Wigan against Helens in the last game of the season didn't prevent the Saints from topping the Super League table for the third year in a row, there was relief around the JJB Stadium that at least the run of losses was ended. And, with Wigan also qualifying for the play-offs, there was now something to build on for 2008.

This Friday at 12.15pm, Hull KR meet Hull in a derby at Craven Park. It is, however, meant to serve as a mere appetiser. There is only one derby in Rugby League.

St Helens v Wigan Good Friday (Knowsley Road) Kick-off - 2.30pm On TV - Sky Sports 1