London Roller Derby is a flat track
roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
league and a member of the
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Co ...
(WFTDA). The league were founding members of the
United Kingdom Roller Derby Association
The United Kingdom Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) is the National Association for roller derby in the UK. The association was formed in 2010 with 15 member leagues, and was recognized by the British Roller Sports Federation soon after.
The U ...
(UKRDA).
The league has four travel teams which play competitive roller derby across the UK and the world: London Brawling (A), Brawl Saints (B), Batter C Power (C) and Dream Team (D).
League history
Founded as London Rollergirls by Courtney Welch (
derby name
A derby name, roller derby name or skater name is a nickname used by a skater while playing or officiating roller derby.
Derby names can be seen as an opportunity to adopt an alternative on-track persona. Many derby names are puns, and in some c ...
Bette Noir), Lauren Langston and Danielle West, London is the oldest roller derby league in the United Kingdom.
Since London Rollergirls began in April 2006, the league has grown to include over 60 members, plus referees and support crew.
The London Rollergirls held the first public women's flat track roller derby bout held in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2007, to a sold-out crowd of over 500 people. The London Rollergirls held their first British inter-league bout in March 2008 against the
Glasgow Roller Girls' Irn Bruisers, and their first international bout in June 2008 against
Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to:
Canada at multi-sport events
* Canada at the Olympics
* Canada at the Paralympics
* Canada at the Commonwealth Games
* Canada at the Pan American Games
Canada's national sport teams
* Canada me ...
.
This was a team made up of skaters from
Toronto Roller Derby
Toronto Roller Derby (ToRD), is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formed in 2006, the league started play in 2007, and held its tenth season in 2016. Operated and managed by its skaters and members, ToRD has f ...
,
Oil City Derby Girls,
Terminal City Roller Girls,
Calgary Roller Derby Association, and Saskatoon Roller Derby.
In July 2009, the London Rollergirls hosted Europe's first roller derby tournament, "Roll Britannia", featuring twelve teams from the UK and Germany. The tournament was held at the
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre was a major international exhibition and events venue just west of central London. At its peak it is said to have generated a £2 billion turnover for the economy. It replaced exhibition and entertainment grounds, ...
at
Earls Court
Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...
. London won the tournament, and became the first champions of European roller derby.
On 4 November 2009, London Rollergirls joined the
WFTDA Apprentice Program
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice is the program affiliate of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). In operation from 2009 until early 2019, the Apprentice Program served to onboard new member leagues into the WFTDA. ...
, and graduated to full membership in June 2010. London was the first league outside North America to become a member of the WFTDA.
London won the
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...
Great Britons competition later that year, providing them with free tickets to fly to
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in April 2010 to train with and play some of the top leagues in the world including
Gotham Roller Girls.
Since 2020, spurred on by the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
movement and world events, the league have been working wit
Resist and Renewto move towards becoming an anti-racist league with equity for all.
In 2021, London Roller Derby teamed up wit
Wild Card Breweryto create three unique beers themed around roller derby team positions.
League organisation
In 2010, London started a recreational league, which offered a training ground for skaters new to roller derby. Tryouts were required for recreational league skaters to enter the main London Rollergirls league and skate competitively. At the beginning of the 2019 season, the recreational league was disbanded and skaters of that strand were absorbed into the main league, leading to the creation of the D-team.
In August 2019, London announced a rebrand as London Roller Derby.
The league's legal entity London Rollergirls Limited is a
private company limited by guarantee
In British, Australian, Bermudian, Hong Kong and Irish company law (and previously New Zealand), a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily (but not exclusively) for non-profit organisations that require legal pe ...
, and a
not-for-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. The aims and objectives of the
skater
Skater may refer to:
Sports
*Someone who practices skateboarding
*Someone who practices roller skating
*Someone who practices inline skating
* Someone who practices ice skating
*An ice hockey player who is not a goaltender
*Skater (subculture), ...
-owned and run league includes promoting athleticism, charity, teamwork and confidence in women, and aims to represent the diverse London area in regard to body shape, occupations, sexual orientation, race and nationality. The name "London Roller Derby" and their associated logo are registered
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
s owned by London Rollergirls Limited in the United Kingdom and Europe.
London Roller Derby is a
D.I.Y.
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, wikt:modification, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individual ...
member-run organisation, with a board of
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
s and committees. League committees include: Administration, Bout Production, Events, Merchandising, Public Relations, Referees, Sponsorship, Coaching, Tech, and Venues. There are also visitor coordinators to provide hospitality to visitors from other roller derby leagues. League members are eligible to vote in league matters and participate on committees. London trains participants to roller skate and to play roller derby under a structured training programme. Although skaters are all women, non-binary or gender expansive people who feel that a WFTDA team best fits their identity, men are involved in all other league roles, such as skating and non-skating officials, support crew and announcers.
National team representation
Eleven members of the London Rollergirls were selected to skate for
Team England at the
2011 Roller Derby World Cup
The 2011 Roller Derby World Cup was an international women's roller derby tournament organized by ''Blood & Thunder'' magazine. Teams of amateur skaters from around the world were fielded to compete for their respective nations.
The inaugural 20 ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
: Fox Sake, Frightning Bolt, Grievous Bodily Charm, Juicy Lucy, Kamikaze Kitten, Metallikat, Ninjette, Raw Heidi, Shaolynn Scarlett, Stefanie Mainey (team captain) and Vagablonde. Ballistic Whistle was selected as Head Coach. In that year's competition, London skater Knickerblocker Glory represented
Team Sweden and Bad Faith and Sinister Mary Clarence represented
Team Ireland
Team Ireland was a stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series between 1991 and 1992. Owned by Irishman Martin Birrane, the team posted a best finish of thirteenth with driver Bobby Hillin Jr.
Winston Cup Series Car No. ...
.
For the
2014 Roller Derby World Cup
The 2014 Roller Derby World Cup is an international women's roller derby tournament organized by ''Blood & Thunder'' magazine. Teams of amateur skaters from six continents compete for their respective nations.
The 2014 Roller Derby World Cup is ...
, there was again a strong representation of the league in the
Team England lineup: Frightning Bolt, Goregasm, Grievous Bodily Charm, Hell Vetica Black, Jen Sykes, Juicy Lucy, Kamikaze Kitten, Kitty Decapitate, Lexi Lightspeed, Lorrae Evans, Olivia Coupe, Raw Heidi, ReLisa Kracken, Shaolynn Scarlett (team captain), Sophia Ann Loathing, Stefanie Mainey (vice-captain) and Total Frey-hem. Ballistic Whistle returned to the coaching team, joined by Stefanie Mainey. Sinister Mary Clarence was team coach for
Team Ireland Roller Derby
Team Ireland Roller Derby represents Ireland in women's international roller derby, in events such as the Roller Derby World Cup. Affectionately known as the "Green Machine", the team was first formed to compete at the 2011 Roller Derby Wor ...
, while Sarah Oates was on the
Team Scotland Roller Derby roster.
The
2018 Roller Derby World Cup
The 2018 Roller Derby World Cup was the third international women's Roller Derby World Cup, taking place on February 1–4 at EventCity, in Manchester, United Kingdom, with 38 teams competing. An international roller derby tournament, it was orga ...
Team England lineup featured the league's Gaz, Jack Attack, Just Jess, Katie Hellvetica Black (vice-captain), Kid Block, Kristen Lee, Onyeka Igwe, Rogue Runner, Shaolynn Scarlett (team captain), Stefanie Mainey and Trisha Smackanawa. Hester Wu was on the
Team Ireland Roller Derby
Team Ireland Roller Derby represents Ireland in women's international roller derby, in events such as the Roller Derby World Cup. Affectionately known as the "Green Machine", the team was first formed to compete at the 2011 Roller Derby Wor ...
training squad but didn't make it to the final team.
USA Roller Derby featured London skater Juke Boxx.
WFTDA competition
London Rollergirls became the first non-USA team to break the
Derby News Network (DNN) top 20 power rankings in May 2010, after a successful North American tour where they beat
Providence Roller Derby
Providence Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 2004 as the first all-female, flat-track roller derby league in New England, Providence is a founding member of the Women's F ...
, the
CT RollerGirls
Connecticut Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Naugatuck (Greater Waterbury), Connecticut. Founded in 2006, the league reached its 10th anniversary in 2016. Connecticut Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat T ...
, and lost by one point to the home team Philthy Britches from
Philly Rollergirls
Philly Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
League history
First organi ...
.
In April 2011, London Rollergirls hosted the first WFTDA tournament outside of North America, and played host to
Charm City Rollergirls
Charm City Roller Derby (CCRD), is a flat track roller derby league in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2005, Charm City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History and league structure
The league was established in ...
(Baltimore),
Montreal Roller Derby
Montreal Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal Roller Derby became the first non-U.S. Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member league in January 2009. In 2019, Montreal Roller De ...
, and
Steel City Derby Demons
Steel City Roller Derby or SCRD, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006, the league celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016. Steel City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Associat ...
at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London. In September 2011, London participated in the
WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament
The WFTDA East Region Playoffs or WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament was one of four annual roller derby regional qualifying tournaments for the WFTDA Championships.
The Tournament was organised by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). ...
, 'Nightmare on 95'. They entered the competition as the tenth seed, and finished in fifth place – then the largest jump by a bottom-ranked team in WFTDA playoff history.
In September 2012, London Rollergirls again qualified for the WFTDA East Region Playoffs, entering the tournament as the sixth seed, and finishing in fourth place, again bettering their seeding and establishing themselves as the top non-US team worldwide. The first European Roller Derby Championships were held in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
in November 2012. London entered the tournament as the top seed and won the tournament, defeating hosts the
Berlin Bombshells
Bear City Roller Derby (BCRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Berlin. Founded in 2008, Bear City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History
The league was founded as the Berlin Bombshells, although it ...
in the final.
A second North American tour in June 2013 saw London head to the west coast to take on five American and Canadian teams. Wins over
Terminal City Rollergirls
Terminal City Roller Derby (TCRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Vancouver. Founded in January 2006 as Terminal City Rollergirls, TCRD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History and organization
Termi ...
,
Jet City Rollergirls and
Rat City Rollergirls
Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC, the league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat C ...
, and narrow losses to
Rose City Rollers
The Rose City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Portland, Oregon, operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). Established in 2004, the Ro ...
and
Oly Rollers
The Oly Rollers are a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Olympia, Washington. Founded in February 2006, the Oly Rollers have won both the WFTDA Championship and the USARS National Championship. The Oly Rollers are a member of the Wom ...
set London in a position to comfortably qualify for the 2013 WFTDA Playoffs. The London Rollergirls took part in the 2013 WFTDA
Division 1 Playoffs, hosted in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. At Fort Wayne, London took on Rose City Rollers,
Denver Roller Dolls, and Montreal Roller Derby. London Brawling beat Rose City and Montreal, but lost to Denver. They entered the Playoff tournament as the fourth seed, and finished the tournament in third place, qualifying for that year's
WFTDA Championships as the first team outside of North America to do so. In London's first Championship visit, they were eliminated after their first game when they lost to the
Atlanta Rollergirls, 184–169.
Rankings
*Please note that rankings were suspended in March 2020 in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
* ''CR = consolation round''
Teams
London Roller Derby has an all-star travel team, London Brawling, whose name is inspired by the song ''
London Calling
''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records.
The C ...
'' by UK
punk rock band
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
. Official travel team/league colours are pink and black. London Roller Derby's B team, or reserves team, is called the London Brawl Saints, who debuted in June 2009. London Roller Derby's C team is called Batter C Power, inspired by the London landmark the
Battersea Power Station, and debuted in autumn 2011. London Roller Derby added the D team, Dream Team, in 2019.
In summer of 2008, three permanent home league teams were formed: The Steam Rollers, The Suffra Jets, and the Ultraviolent Femmes. A fourth team, Harbour Grudges, had their debut in 2010.
*2009 Season Champions – Suffra Jets
:2nd – Steam Rollers, 3rd – Ultraviolent Femmes;
*2010 Season Champions – Suffra Jets
:2nd – Ultraviolent Femmes, 3rd – Steam Rollers;
*2011 Season Champions – Steam Rollers
:2nd – Harbour Grudges, 3rd – Suffra Jets, 4th – Ultraviolent Femmes;
*2012 Season Champions – Harbour Grudges
:2nd – Ultraviolent Femmes, 3rd – Steam Rollers, 4th – Suffra Jets;
*2013 Season Champions – Ultraviolent Femmes
:2nd – Steam Rollers, 3rd – Suffra Jets, 4th – Harbour Grudges.
Notable bouts
7 September 2007: "The Great Rock n' Rollerderby Swindle"; first UK Roller Derby bout, intra-league bout; Team Pink 77 v Team Black 100.
29 March 2008: "Riots of Spring"; first LRG inter-league bout; London Brawling 163 v Irn Bruisers 31 (
Glasgow Roller Girls' Travel Team).
7 June 2008: "Mutiny on the Mountie"; international inter-league bout; London Brawling 128 v
Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to:
Canada at multi-sport events
* Canada at the Olympics
* Canada at the Paralympics
* Canada at the Commonwealth Games
* Canada at the Pan American Games
Canada's national sport teams
* Canada me ...
45.
28 April 2009: "Grand Slam"; inter-league bout; Ultraviolent Femmes 171 v Barockcity Rollerderby 15; first UK intra-league championship bout, Suffra Jets 97 v Steam Rollers 73.
6 June 2009: "Double Trouble"; inter-league bout; London Brawl Saints (B team, debut bout) 156 v
Leeds Roller Dolls 47, inter-league bout; London Brawling 249 v
Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames 20.
18–19 June 2009: "Roll Britannia"; European tournament; London Rollergirls 1st, Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames 2nd, Glasgow Roller Girls 3rd.
20 March 2010: "A Fistful of Rollers"; inter-league bout; Hustlers (
Texas Rollergirls
Texas Rollergirls is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Austin, Texas. Founded in early 2003 and widely credited as the league that started the modern roller derby movement, the Texas Rollergirls were the first flat-track league in ...
home team) 84 vs London Brawling 63, inter-league bout; London Brawl Saints 79 v Irn Bruisers 19.
10, 17, 18 April 2010: "2010 East Coast Tour"; first UK team to play inter-league bouts in the USA. Philthy Britches (
Philly Rollergirls
Philly Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, Philly Roller Derby is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
League history
First organi ...
home team) 103 vs London Brawling 102,
CT RollerGirls
Connecticut Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Naugatuck (Greater Waterbury), Connecticut. Founded in 2006, the league reached its 10th anniversary in 2016. Connecticut Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat T ...
50 vs London Brawling 179,
Providence Roller Derby
Providence Roller Derby (PRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 2004 as the first all-female, flat-track roller derby league in New England, Providence is a founding member of the Women's F ...
60 vs London Brawling 157.
9–10 April 2011: "Anarchy in the UK"; first full
WFTDA-sanctioned bouts to be held in the UK. Four-way tournament featuring London Rollergirls,
Charm City Roller Girls
Charm City Roller Derby (CCRD), is a flat track roller derby league in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2005, Charm City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History and league structure
The league was established in 2 ...
,
Montreal Roller Derby
Montreal Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal Roller Derby became the first non-U.S. Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member league in January 2009. In 2019, Montreal Roller De ...
and
Steel City Derby Demons
Steel City Roller Derby or SCRD, is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2006, the league celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016. Steel City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Associat ...
.
16–18 September 2011: "Nightmare on 95";
WFTDA East Region Playoffs. First team from outside North America to play at a regional playoff tournament. Having initially been seeded tenth, London managed to finish the tournament in fifth place with Stefanie Mainey picking up the honour of tournament
MVP.
28–30 September 2012: "Sugarbush Showdown"; WFTDA East Region Playoffs. Entering the tournament as sixth seed, London defeated old rivals Montreal, before losing to Philly and Charm City to end the tournament in 4th place, narrowly missing out on a trip to Championships.
1–8 June 2013: "2013 West Coast Tour"; second major North American tour including first UK-Canada bout held in Canada, London defeating
Terminal City Rollergirls
Terminal City Roller Derby (TCRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Vancouver. Founded in January 2006 as Terminal City Rollergirls, TCRD is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
History and organization
Termi ...
of Vancouver. First win over a WFTDA Top Ten ranked team, defeating sixth-ranked
Rat City Rollergirls
Rat City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2004 as Rat City Rollergirls, LLC, the league has incorporated alternative cultural influences, and has inspired and mentored other leagues. Rat C ...
.
In April 2014: London played
Toronto Roller Derby
Toronto Roller Derby (ToRD), is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formed in 2006, the league started play in 2007, and held its tenth season in 2016. Operated and managed by its skaters and members, ToRD has f ...
's A-team, CN Power, at the Spectrum Centre in Guildford, defeating them 477–41.
References
External links
LondonRollergirls.com– London Rollergirls Ltd official website
Article about the London Rollergirls–
Times Online
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
, 12 July 2009
{{WFTDA Division 1
Women's sports teams in London
Sports teams in London
Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 1
Roller derby in England
Roller derby leagues in the United Kingdom
Roller derby leagues established in 2006
2006 establishments in England