Richter City Roller Derby is a women's 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 based in Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in 2007, the league currently consists of three intraleague teams, and two interleague teams. The league's colours are orange and purple. Richter City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

History

Richter City gained early publicity by performing demonstrations at the 2008 Dance Your Socks Off! Festival. Their first bout in March 2009 sold out the basketball hall used as the venue. In late 2009, the league held its first season of intraleague competition, which saw crowds averaging 950 people.Hadyn Green, "Skate Highway One: New Zealand's First Interleague Bout!", ''Blood and Thunder'' #15, pp.36-38 In mid-season the league moved its bouts to TSB Bank Arena as spectator crowds were exceeding the capacity of the previous venue, a basketball hall.Stacey Wood,
Whipping their sport into shape
, '' The Dominion Post'' In 2011 the league won the Air New Zealand Personality of the Year Award at the Wellington Sports Awards, beating Lower Hutt boxing identity Billy Graham, All Black Piri Weepu, and veteran sports broadcaster Keith Quinn in the popular vote. In July 2012, Richter City was accepted as a member of the

Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice 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. ...

Programme,WFTDA Accepts 35 Apprentice Leagues
", WFTDA, 16 July 2012 and became a full WFTDA member in December 2013.

Intraleague Competition

Tuff Bikkies jams at Richter City Final 2011

In 2009 and 2010 two teams contested the intraleague competition; Brutal Pageant (pink & red/beauty pageant theme) and Smash Malice (leopard print/trailer trash theme). By mid-2010, a bout attracted a crowd of more than 3,500 people. In 2011 the intraleague competition was expanded to include a third team; Comic Slams (blue & silver/super hero and Comic Sans font theme).Word on the Street
"The Fright Before Christmas"
Retrieved 11 December 2011. Comic Slams made the season final, but were beaten by Smash Malice in the title bout.The Dominion Post, ww.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5299195/Smash-Malice-win-roller-derby-final "Smash Malice win roller derby final" Retrieved 11 December 2011.

Domestic Interleague Competition

Richter City has two interleague teams. The A Team are called the All Stars and the B team are called the Convicts. In late 2009, Richter City hosted New Zealand's first intercity bout, against

Pirate City Rollers Pirate City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Auckland. Founded in 2006, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). History and organization Pirate City founded by Black Dahlia, who ha ...

' All Scars, losing 88–174 in front of a crowd of 1,200 people. In December 2010, the All Stars faced the All Scars again, this time in Auckland, with the Pirate City team victorious again.Word on the Street
"Taking it Trans-Tasman"
Retrieved 11 December 2011. In 2011, both of Richter City's interleague teams faced multiple opponents:

All Stars

WFTDA rankings

Convicts

International Competition

In June 2010 several Richter City skaters attended the

Great Southern Slam The Great Southern Slam (TGSS) is the largest competitive roller derby event in the Southern Hemisphere, contested by teams from New Zealand and Australia. It is held bi-annually in Adelaide in South Australia. TGSS was created and continues ...

, the Asia-Pacific region's first roller derby tournament, skating as guests of

Western Australia Roller Derby WA Roller Derby (WARD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Perth, Western Australia. Founded in 2009, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). History WA Roller Derby was founded in August ...

. The league itself did not compete. Roller Derby (22)

In March 2011 Richter City hosted New Zealand's first international roller derby bout, pitting the All Stars against the Sydney Roller Derby League's Assassins. The All Stars lost the bout 164–128. In November 2011 the Richter City All Stars traveled to Sydney for the away leg of their home and away tie against the Sydney Assassins. Again the Assassins proved too strong. In October 2011, Richter City skater Merryn "Tuff Bikkies" McAulay and former Richter City skater Michelle "Perky Nah Nah" Jackson were selected to play for

Roller Derby Team New Zealand Team New Zealand Roller Derby is the New Zealand national women's flat track roller derby team. It was founded in 2011 to compete in the inaugural Roller Derby World Cup. There was a brief name change to Aotearoa Roller Derby for the 2018 Rol ...

at the inaugural

Roller Derby World Cup The Roller Derby World Cup is an international women's roller derby tournament formerly organized by ''Blood & Thunder magazine'', and currently organized by the Roller Derby World Cup Committee. Teams of amateur skaters from around the world ...

, played in Toronto in December 2011.Newswire.co.nz
"Roller derby skaters get serious for worlds"
Retrieved 11 December 2011. The New Zealand team placed 8th out of 13 teams.

References

{{reflist Roller derby leagues in New Zealand Sport in Wellington Roller derby leagues established in 2007 2007 establishments in New Zealand