Nantes Roller Derby is a women's flat track

roller derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played on an oval track by two teams of five skaters. It is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leaguesA Roller Derby league is synonymous with an individual club or team in other team sports, as ...

league based in

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Founded in 2010, the league consists of three teams, and two mixed teams which compete against teams from other leagues. Nantes is 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. It sets the international standards for rankings, rules, and competition in the sport, and provides guidance and ...

(WFTDA).

History

The league was founded in October 2010 by Katie Bourner, an English student, who later captained the A team as "Psychokat". Within weeks, she and her friends had recruited thirty trainees, and by early 2012, the league had 65 skaters.Rock, sueur, tatouages et Roller Derby
, '' 20 minutes'', 19 March 2012 Nantes held its first public exhibition games in May 2011, mixed scrimmages with Rouen, Brest and Rennes, and by 2012 was regularly playing sell-out bouts. In October 2013, Nantes were accepted as a member of the

Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice The Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice was 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. Nantes became a full member of the WFTDA in October 2014.

Team A : The Duc.hesse.s de Nantes

The Duc.hesse.s de Nantes are the A team of the Nantes Roller Derby club, founded in 2010. This non-profit sports association, based in Nantes, comprises several teams, including the Duc.hesses (A team). The club is affiliated with the French Roller Sports Federation (FFRS) and has been a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) since 2013. The Duc.hesses played their first match in November 2011 and have since participated in hundreds of matches across France and Europe, including friendly matches, the French Elite Championships, and WFTDA competitions. They were the runners-up in the French Championships in 2023 and 2022. Currently ranked among the top 3 European teams, they hope to continue climbing the rankings, with the ambition to compete in the WFTDA Global Championships in Portland, Oregon (USA) on November 1, 2, and 3, 2024. They also participate in local tournaments such as the West Track Story and the Hangar Games, which energize the local area. The team values include creating a safe environment, respect, team spirit, and solidarity.

WFTDA rankings

References

{{reflist Roller derby leagues in France Roller derby leagues established in 2010 Sport in Nantes Women's Flat Track Derby Association leagues 2010 establishments in France