Girls rolling in the derby

Roller derby is making its mark in the world of full contact sports. Played by teams of women who wear quad roller skates, the outcome of the game is determined on points scored by lapping members of the opposition.

Currently the Sydney Roller Derby League has about 30 skating members. Spokeswoman for the Sydney league, Miss Biff, said the sport doesn’t hurt any more than other full contact sports, but all players must wear full protective gear.

Roller derby is popular with women of all sexualities. It attracts strong dynamic women who are keen to be active and develop this great alternative sport all around the world, she said.

All skaters must meet certain criteria before participating in contact drills during training and are assessed further before participating in bouts in accordance with their skating skills and attendance at training.

Currently the competition is divided into two teams, the Sydney City CBD’viants and the Screaming Assault Sirens. The sport is one of the fastest-growing in the world.

Roller derby is also definitely a spectator sport. With its fast pace and constant spills and thrills there’s always something exciting happening on the track, Miss Biff said.
Our biggest goal for this year was starting our first season but we are also keen to find a new training venue so we can up our training to three nights a week and ensure we have a stadium venue to host all our bouts.

info: For more on the sport and playing times visit sydneyrollerderby.com or email [email protected].