Rivalries evolve, shifting with time, and momentum, the rising and fall of squads and the changing fortunes of clubs.
The River Wear derby between Sunderland Women and Durham Women has always carried its own distinctive edge; a meeting of two sides separated by geography but united by a fierce competitive spirit.
For years, the fixture was known for unpredictability and tight margins, yet in recent seasons, Sunderland have taken hold of the derby in a way that’s reshaped the narrative entirely. What
was once a balanced contest has become a fixture defined by the Lasses’ growing authority, their ability to find solutions in difficult moments and their increasing confidence in the biggest games.
The story of Sunderland’s dominance isn’t encapsulated in a single moment but a sequence of matches that reveal a pattern.
Each meeting has added another layer to the rivalry, and each result has strengthened Sunderland’s belief and chipped away at Durham’s. The shift didn’t happen overnight. It developed gradually, through hard-fought wins, late goals, moments of individual brilliance and a collective resilience that’s become a hallmark of Sunderland’s approach to these derbies.
The earliest match in the recent sequence came in December 2021, when Sunderland travelled to Maiden Castle and claimed a 2–1 win. It was a match that set the tone for what would follow. Durham had been strong at home and had built a reputation for being difficult to break down, but Sunderland approached the game with confidence and clarity.
They pressed with purpose, controlled key moments and took their chances. The goals came from a combination of sharp attacking play and disciplined structure. It wasn’t a dominant performance in the way later matches would be, but it was a significant one, showing that Sunderland could go to Durham and impose themselves — amd it planted the first seed of what would become a sustained period of superiority.
The following season brought another tight encounter — this time at Eppleton — where Sunderland secured a 1–0 win in a match defined by defensive organisation and patience.
Sunderland didn’t overwhelm Durham but they controlled the tempo and waited for the right moment, and when the chance arrived, they took it, with the goal coming from a well-worked move that reflected the team’s growing maturity.
It was a narrow victory but it reinforced the idea that Sunderland were beginning to understand how to manage these derbies. They were learning how to frustrate Durham; how to limit their attacking threat and how to strike decisively.
The next meeting, and a 5–3 win for Sunderland, marked a turning point — the first time in this run of fixtures that Sunderland not only won but did so with attacking flair and confidence.
The match was chaotic at times, full of momentum swings and defensive lapses, but Sunderland’s quality in the final third shone through as they scored five goals with a mixture of composure and creativity. The performance suggested that Sunderland were no longer content to simply edge these matches. Instead, they were ready to take control of them.
The win also demonstrated the depth of their attacking options and their ability to respond when the match became unpredictable. It was a statement that Sunderland could outscore Durham, even in a game that lacked structure.
The fixture then returned to Durham, where Sunderland claimed a 2–1 win in a match was more controlled than the 5–3 encounter as the Lasses managed the game with intelligence, dictated the pace and limited Durham’s chances.
The goals came at important moments and the team showed a level of composure that had become increasingly familiar. The win extended Sunderland’s run and added to the psychological weight that was beginning to build on Durham’s side of the rivalry. Sunderland were no longer scraping results — they were winning with consistency and with a clear sense of identity.
The next meeting ended a 2–0 win for Sunderland at home, further cementing their dominance.
It was a match that showcased Sunderland’s defensive solidity and their ability to break down Durham’s structure. The goals were well taken and the performance was controlled from start to finish.
Sunderland looked assured, confident and fully in command, whereas Durham struggled to create meaningful chances and found themselves repeatedly pushed back by Sunderland’s organisation and intensity. The clean sheet was significant, showing that Sunderland weren’t simply capable of outscoring Durham but also of shutting them out entirely.
The pattern continued with a 2–1 win for Sunderland in September 2025, and this was another example of Sunderland’s ability to manage key moments.
Emily Scarr opened the scoring with her third goal in as many games — a sign of her growing influence in the squad — before Katie Kitching doubled the lead with a stunning strike that reflected the attacking quality Sunderland had developed.
Durham attempted a late comeback, but Sunderland held firm for a win that took them to the top of the table and reinforced their position as the stronger side in the derby. It also highlighted the individual talent within the squad and the confidence with which they approached these fixtures.
The most recent meeting — a 3–2 win for Sunderland away at Durham on Friday night — encapsulated the entire story of the rivalry in a single match.
This was a tale of two halves, with Durham dominating the first, pressed aggressively and deserved their 1–0 lead. They even struck the crossbar and could’ve extended their advantage as Sunderland struggled to settle and looked second best. Yet the second half revealed the gulf that’s developed between the two sides in terms of resilience, adaptability and attacking quality, as Sunderland emerged from the interval transformed.
They played with intensity, confidence and purpose, and Katy Watson, who’d looked dangerous throughout, stepped up a level. Her pace, strength and dribbling ability caused constant problems for Durham and she linked up superbly with new loan signing Caragh Hamilton, whose intelligence and movement created space for Watson to exploit.
Watson’s assist for Kitching’s equaliser was a moment of real quality, driving down the right, beating her marker and delivering a perfect cross that Kitching finished with composure. It was the moment that shifted the match and reflected the threat Watson had posed all evening.
From there, Sunderland took control as debutant Mared Griffiths scored a sensational goal from outside the box — a strike of pure technique and confidence.
Marissa Sheva then added a third with another long range effort before Durham pulled one back late in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough. Sunderland had once again shown their ability to respond to adversity and to produce moments of brilliance when needed.
Throughout these matches, a clear pattern has emerged as Sunderland have developed a level of consistency, confidence and tactical maturity that Durham have struggled to match.
The results are not isolated — they form a narrative of growing dominance. Sunderland have learned how to manage the emotional intensity of the derby; how to control the tempo, how to exploit Durham’s weaknesses and how to impose their own style of play.
They’ve also developed a squad with the depth and quality to influence matches in different ways. Whether through defensive resilience, attacking flair or individual moments of brilliance, Sunderland have found solutions in every meeting.
Durham, by contrast, have struggled to adapt. They’ve had moments of promise — particularly in the most recent match, where they controlled the first half. — but they’ve been unable to sustain their performances across ninety minutes where’s Sunderland’s ability to respond, to adjust and to raise their level has repeatedly proved decisive.
The psychological aspect of the rivalry has also shifted, and Sunderland now enter these matches with belief.
They expect to win. They trust their structure, their talent and their ability to handle pressure. Durham, meanwhile, face the weight of recent history. Each defeat adds to the challenge of breaking the cycle, and each match reinforces Sunderland’s authority.
The River Wear derby remains a fiercely contested fixture, but the balance of power has changed. Sunderland haven’t only won repeatedly — they’ve done so in different ways, under different circumstances and with different players stepping up at key moments. Their dominance isn’t accidental. It’s the product of growth, development and a clear sense of identity.
As Sunderland look ahead to the rest of the season, the challenge becomes not only maintaining this level of performance but carrying the same conviction into every derby they face.
The rivalry with Durham has shown what this team is capable of when they play with belief, structure and a refusal to be intimidated by the occasion. It’s showcased their ability to rise to the emotional demands of a derby, to stay composed when the match becomes chaotic and to produce the moments of quality that separate good sides from great ones.
There’s also a greater sense of significance.
Sunderland supporters know that the club’s identity has always been shaped by derbies. The battles with Durham have become an important part of the modern landscape, but the deeper history of the region means that every Sunderland fan carries an instinctive awareness of the rivalry that sits further up the road. If the Lasses can bring the same dominance, resilience and the same fight to future meetings with Newcastle, it would be a powerful statement about the direction of the club.
The performances against Durham have shown what this team can do when they trust their ability and embrace the occasion. Replicating that level of authority in the Wear-Tyne derby would be something truly special for both players and supporters alike.
