Weekend Highlights: 19 October 2019
This is a surprisingly really exceptionally busy weekend, so we're definitely going to split this update into two bits (and even then, we'll be unable to cover all the things deserving of highlights this Saturday.)
We're not even mentioning the Short Track Roller Derby events this weekend to save space - they're all in this roundup post if you want to catch up with them (although we've marked them on the map). They're all highlights, but this is a super busy weekend, so something has to give.
The 3rd fixture of the Chilean national tournament happens this weekend, as does the final of the New Zealand Top 10 Championshops 2019; as well as a number of large tournament events (perhaps the largest being in Sydney, Australia, and Lille, France). There's charity derby in Teesside, and even an international roller derby bootcamp up north in Iceland!
The rules are, as usual: highlights limited to 1 event per country, with an "extra" event allowed for a different kind of fixture (so, 1 tournament and 1 bootcamp), or if they involve Scottish leagues (since we are the Scottish Roller Derby Blog). Other notability might also allow the extra event - great posters, notable teams, etc. (League birthdays may count as "special" enough, at our discretion ;) )
We've bent the rules a bit this time, because it's important to highlight derby in regions which need more attention.
In a bid to make this list as useful as possible, we've avoided links to Facebook except where noted. (Links to Teams are to non-Facebook resources - Instagram, or actual team pages - we'd strongly recommend that Teams get themselves an actual webpage [we can help host one if you need help]).
Locations are roughly organised East-West (with things before the weekend out sequence at the start).
Sat-Sun: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Swamp City Roller Derby [link to Facebook] host the 2019 finals of the New Zealand Top 10 Champs, their national tournament series. As the name implies, this final runs as a 10 teams single elimination tournament, with two tiers ("Cup" and "Shield") of prizes (effectively the winner and loser brackets, if this were double-elimination). This event will be livestreamed on YouTube .
- Dead End Derby (Christchurch) versus Pirate City Rollers (Auckland)
- Moana Roller Derby (Mt. Maunganui) versus Whenua Fatales Roller Derby (Horowhenua)
- Whakatāne Roller Derby versus Richter City Roller Derby (Wellington)
- Bay City Rollers (Napier) versus Sulphur City Steam Rollers (Rotorua)
- Dunedin Derby versus (winner of 2)
- Swamp City Roller Derby (Palmerston North) versus (winner of 4)
(then placement bouts on Sunday)
Event starts: 0900 Saturday (first whistle)
Venue: Central Energy Trust Arena, 61 Pascal Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Sat: Maryborough, QLD, Australia
Fraser Coast United Rollers [link to Facebook] host a Bootcamp (and concluding scrimmage) for Juniors and Adults, coached by Hebegb (World Skate Australian Men's team), Open To All genders. We assume that this is World Skate (née USARS) rules, but there's a disappointing lack of detail.
Event starts: 0900 Saturday
Venue: Aldridge State High School, 47 Boys Ave, Maryborough, QLD, Australia
Sat-Sun: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Sydney Roller Derby League host their own two-day tournament, a four teams round-robin over the weekend, the Sydney Skate-Offs.
- Teams:
- Sydney Roller Derby League
- Blue Mountains Roller Derby League
- Northern Beaches Roller Girls
- South Central Rollers
Event starts: 1000 Saturday (first whistle)
Venue: Dunc Gray Velodrome, Carysfield Road, Bass Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Sat-Sun: Perth, WA, Australia
Perth Roller Derby host the 6th and final edition of their Home Teams season, before the Grand Final.
- The Bloody Sundaes versus The Apocalipstiks (Perth Home teams)
Event starts: 1830 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Herb Graham Recreation Centre , 38 Ashbury Crescent, Mirrabooka, WA, Australia
Sat: Västerås, Sweden
Västerås Roller Derby hosts an exciting Swedish double-header, as the Swedish season really starts to wake up.
- Västerås Roller Derby versus Uppsala Roller Derby
- Västerås Roller Derby versus Sundsvall Roller Derby
Event starts: 1100 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Kristiansborgshallen, Västerås, Sweden
Sat: Vienna, Austria
[FACEBOOK LINK] [FTS LINK 1] [FTS LINK 2] [FTS LINK 3]
Vienna Roller Derby are waking up for a new season with an international triple header round robin!
- VRD Oysters (Vienna) versus The Royal Army (Stockholm)
- Swansea City Roller Derby versus The Royal Army
- VRD Oysters versus Swansea City Roller Derby
Event starts: 1215 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: AHS Theodor-Kramer, Theodor Kramer Straße 3, Vienna, Austria
Sat: Prague, Czech Republic
[FACEBOOK LINK] [FTS LINK 1] [FTS LINK 2]
Prague's two leagues, Prague City Roller Derby and the Hard Breaking Dolls co-host a double header with a difference: both teams will be defending the honour of their City against Turin's Bloody Wheels!
- Hard Breaking Dolls (Prague) versus Bloody Wheels Torino (Turin)
- Prague City Roller Derby versus Bloody Wheels Torino
Event starts: 1330 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Sportovní areál Třebešín - Na Třebešíně 3215/1, Rague, Czech Republic
Sat-Sun: Innsbruck, Austria
[FACEBOOK LINK] [FTS LINK 1] [FTS LINK 2]
The Fearless Bruisers of Roller Derby Innsbruck host an international double header for their A and B teams.
- Fearless Bruisers B (Innsbruck B) versus Freakshow Brno (Brno A)
- Fearless Bruisers A versus Les Flèches Revêches (Dijon)
Event starts: 1400 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Landessportcenter Tirol, 10A Olympia Straße, Innsbruck, Austria
Sat: Stuttgart, Germany
Stuttgart Valley Roller Derby host a Bundesliga Division 1 bout, against Munich's Rolling Rebels!
- Stuttgart Valley Roller Derby versus Rolling Rebels (Munich)
Event starts: 1800 Saturday (first whistle)
Venue: Mtv Stuttgart Halle West, Bebelstraße 24, Stuttgart, Germany
Sat-Sun: Essen, Germany
Ruhrpott Roller Derby host their first ever Ruhrpott Bootcamp; a two-day Open To All genders bootcamp aimed at beginner/intermediate skater levels (min-skills + up to 10 bouts). This edition is coached by Evilaurious (Team Germany), Supergrobi, and Ninja's Nemesis. The bootcamp will cover both on-skates skills, and strategic training; plus a crosstraining session. The strategy training includes strategic spectating (discussion with the coaches during the game) of the Ruhrpott B versus Suckerpunch Roller Derby game on Sunday.
Event starts: 0930 Saturday
Venue: Wohnbau Hockey Arena, Raumerstraße 51, 45144 Essen, Germany
Sat: Gent, Belgium
GO-GO Gent Roller Derby host a single header against international against Paris Rollergirls' Quedalles!
- GO-GO Gent Roller Derby versus Les Quedalles (Paris B)
Event starts: 1830 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Sporthal Sint-Gregorius, Jules Destréelaan 67, Gent, Belgium
Sat-Sun: Lille, France
[FACEBOOK LINK] [FTS LINK 1] [FTS LINK 2] [FTS LINK 3] [FTS LINK 4] [FTS LINK 5] [FTS LINK 6]
Roller Derby Lille host a "double triple header" - two days of triple headers for the start of the French 2019/20 season. The Saturday will be a triple header of WFTDA-gender derby, whilst the Sunday is MRDA-gender.
- Saturday:
- Switchblade Roller Grrrls (Lille) versus Les Faux Soyeuses (Lyon)
- DCCLM Allstars (Montpellier) versus Les Faux Soyeuses
- Switchblade Roller Grrrls versus DCCLM Allstars + bonus Scrimmage People
- Sunday:
- Barbiers de Sévice (Lille) versus LugdunHom (Lyon)
- LugdunHom versus Panam Squad (Paris)
- Barbiers de Sévice versus Panam Squad
Event starts: 1200 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Halle de Glisse, 80 rue de Marquillies, Lille, France
Sat: London, UK
London Roller Derby host a 2 hour "mini-bootcamp" focused on individual blocker skills, specific coaches and level not mentioned.
Event starts: 1300 Saturday (registration)
Venue: Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, 1 Philip Lane, Tottenham, London, UK
Sat-Sun: Caen, France
Roller Derby Caen are hosting a bootcamp to warm everyone up for the new French season; this is open to all levels of skaters (including pre-mins), as this bootcamp is intended as a refresher course for the basics. For mins-passed skaters only, it will culminate in a scrimmage with Caen B, Les Petroleuses.
Event starts: 0930 Saturday
Venue: Halle Des Granges Rshc, 15 rue du carel, Caen, France
Sat: South Bank, Middlesbrough, UK
Teesside Skate Invaders host the 2019 edition of ProstSkate, their annual Open To All genders charity tournament, raising funds for The Movember Foundation. ProstSkate runs on a short-format ruleset similar to Roller Derby Sevens: 6 teams of 7 skaters play in a qualifying round of 2 groups of 3, in 20 minute, single period bouts. The third and second place teams in each group then play their opposite number in another 20 minute bout for placement; whilst the group winners form a 14 skater team to play Teesside Skate Invaders themselves in the final (as a 2x20 minute bout).
Event starts: 1100 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Eston Leisure Centre, Normanby Road, South Bank, Middlesbrough, UK
Sat: Leeds, UK
Leeds Roller Derby host their own annual tournament: the Great Yorkshire Showdown 2019; also a 6 teams tournament run as 2 groups of 3 into a Grand Final for the two group winners. In this case, group games will be run as single period, 30 minute games, with the grand final a full 2 period regulation bout.
- Group 1:
- Auld Reekie Roller Derby ASTROs (Edinburgh C)
- Furness Roller Derby (Barrow-in-Furness)
- Leeds Roller Derby B
- Group 2:
- Halifax Bruising Banditas
- Sheffield Steel Roller Derby Crucibelles (Sheffield B)
- Central City Roller Derby B (Birmingham B)
Event starts: 1000 Saturday ?
Venue: The Edge, University of Leeds, Willow Terrace Road, Leeds, UK
Sat: Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland
Belfast Roller Derby host an exciting international Roller Derby bout, as they host Kaiserslautern Roller Derby from Germany!
- Belfast Roller Derby versus Kaiserslautern Roller Derby
Event starts: 1230 Saturday (doors open)
Venue: Valley Leisure Centre, Church Road, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland
Sat-Sun: Reykjavik, Iceland
Roller Derby Iceland host "The Polar Express", a 2 day roller derby bootcamp coached by Freight Train (Texas Rollergirls) and Agent Maulder (Atlanta Roller Derby). This bootcamp is multi-level for attending skaters; and open to all genders over the age of 18. (We believe that one level is for pre-mins skaters, so min-skills are required.). Roller Derby Iceland is also providing (limited) free hosting with team members, to help international attendees.
Event starts: 1400 Saturday
Venue: Grótta Knattspyrna, Vivaldivöllur, 170 Seltjarnarnes, Reykajavik, Iceland
Sat: Pérez, Santa Fe, Argentina
Rosario Roller Derby host a "triangular" tournament in Santa Fe province. We think this might actually be a quadruple header, but the event details that are public make this ambiguous.
- 3 x WFTDA-gender (open subs) team round robin?
- mixed (Open To All gender?) scrimmage
Event starts: 1000 Saturday
Venue: Club Social y Deportivo Nueva Union, 2121, Pérez, Santa Fe, Argentina
Sat-Sun: Chillán, Chile
Chillanrolleras Derby Club host the (delayed) 3rd weekend fixture in this year's Torneo X, the Chilean national tournament. As with the previous fixture, this will be two full days of roller derby - 4 bouts on the Saturday, and 3 on the Sunday, as we work through the round-robin format. Our preview for this year's Torneo X is here .
- Saturday:
- Chillanrolleras vs Indomitas
- Metropolitan All Star vs Metropolitan Bayonetas
- Deskarriadas vs Tacones Bandidos
- Chillanrolleras vs Metropolitan All Star
- Sunday: [NOTE: these were cancelled on the day, due to the mass protests across Chile over the cost of living]
- Chillanrolleras vs Tacones Bandidos
- Metropolitan All Star vs Deskarriadas
- Metropolitan Bayonetas vs Indomitas
Event starts: 1000 Saturday (first whistle)
Venue: Gimnasio de Complejo deportivo Quilamapu, Chillán, Chile
Sat: Mexico City, Mexico
[FACEBOOK LINK (flyer)] [FTS LINK]
Quimeras and Minotauros co-host a double header of Roller Derby in Mexico City, with somewhat late notice..
- Minotauros (LRDCM M) versus Bastardos (San Luis Potosí M)
- Quimeras (LRDCM) versus Bastardos
Event starts: 1300 Saturday
Venue: Parque Rosendo Arnaiz, Calle Miguel Ángel Y Av San Antonino, Col. Mixcoac, Mexico City, Mexico
