Week 18: The Roller Derby World Cup.
I go on and on about how important Roller Derby is to me, and how much it has changed my life. I’ve heard similar stories from my friends and team mates, but it was never so apparent how powerful this sport is until I went to Manchester this weekend.
the 1st to the 4th of February saw the 3rd Roller Derby World Cup arrive here in the UK, with 40 teams from across the world due to compete. I was mildly excited to attend when I got my ticket for Christmas, but by the time the week before rolled around I was pumped, having seen so many exciting stories from the teams across their social media pages.Not only was I excited to see the sport played at the highest possible level by some of the biggest names, I was also going to be in a room filled with like-minded people, a space where queer women in particular would dominate the attendance ratio, and where everyone from all walks of life would be truly welcome.
Al and I were staying about 20 minutes from the venue in a rather beat up hotel, so it was an early start for us on the Thursday morning. We arrived to join the short queue that was amassing to collect wristbands in the biggest warehouse style space I had ever seen. The atmosphere was buzzing, and various teams started to trickle in around us as we waited for the booths to open.
We quickly orientated ourselves, locating the four different tracks and most importantly the merch stalls, before taking up seats on the main track for the opening game: Team Indigenous vs Italy. The games on the first day were only half an hour, with no half time, so it was a great chance for us to see loads of teams across all four tracks. Each team played two games, one morning and one afternoon, so we were able to catch almost every team, including England taking on Korea, and Sweden vs the West Indies. I found a quick fondness for Team Mexico, who played with a strong heart and an incredibly strong set of jammers, whilst Al fell for the small but mighty power of the korean team.
The representation was strong at the World Cup.
A little bit of Spain vs Brazil
After spending a small fortune on t-shirts and patches, we ventured out into the Trafford Centre midway, to clear our heads as they were buzzing with whistles and shouting and the screeching of wheels. It was an intense day, but so exciting and easy to watch. A lot of the games were badly balanced, with some teams scoring enormous differentials, but what I loved most was that everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoining themselves. Despite losing 59 to 189, team Greece screamed with joy when one of their blockers were able to get Lady Trample, one of the biggest jamming names in derby, from the track, and Trample smiled and high-fived her after the jam. The sheer joy of seeing women supporting other women filled me with so many emotions that I was unsure I’d survive this weekend without sobbing...
Things started to get a little more serious on day two, as games were now the full hour. Big names such as Canada had some tough matches like France, who were pushing them to their limits with strong walls and speedy jammers. other teams continued to score highly, with Germany smashing through the Czech Republic 600-99, and Sweden rinsing Team Russia 635 to 6.
Canada watch on as France push hard to stop them scoring points.
Al and I rotated around the stands, catching up with friends along the way and catching the odd snippets of games. The day finished with a nail-biting game between Argentina and USA. In classic British style, the underdogs Argentina were the crowd favourites, drawing huge screams from the crowd when they broke from the pack to score, or were able to hold the likes of Scald Eagle and Bonnie Thunders for a whole two minutes. The final score was 361- 49, but Argentina put up an honourable fight that was exactly what the close of day needed, as we prepared for the quarter finals.
The crowds built quickly this weekend as people were arriving for the last two days of the cup. Sporting our Killa Hurtz team colours, Al and I ditched the main track in favour of watching Team West Indies vs Ireland, both of whom had huge support from the public throughout the weekend.
Ireland and West Indies got the crowd singing before a fun action-packed game on track 2.
The morning was largely the end of the playoffs, with the quarter finals due to start in the evening. The day saw lots of strong teams flattening some of the smaller and younger teams, but there were some brilliant moments across the hall.
We also caught up with some fellow teamies! Our Head NSO, ANIAMAL, was helping out with the stats work, and also had the opportunity to NSO the Junior game that was happening on Sunday.
Following the end of the knock out round, there was an Expo game from the new team Baltic and team Israel, who played a friendly bout together for the enjoyment of the crowd. It turns out that a lot of the girls were skating their FIRST EVER GAME, and the crowd completely lost their minds every time someone scored, blocked or even stayed up on their feet. I actually cried a little when I saw these girls representing the sport at it’s finest, as it must have been so daunting yet incredible to represent and play for the first time in front of thousands at a world cup. The game was made even better with the appearance of Vienna’s all male cheer-leading squad, who stole the hearts of the crowd with a kooky yet pristine half time show.
it was then a mad dash to make it to track four for the first of the quarterfinals, where England took on the powerhouse of Sweden. We were given a close, intense and impressive display from both teams, who showcased incredible talent on both sides, with England winning with just a hundred point lead. After a long day, this was an incredible game to finish on, and I left dreaming of the day that I would be good enough to even get up on skates, let alone play alongside the likes of my new heroes Delta Strike and Alex Wilde.
A bittersweet feeling descended on the Sunday, with the realisation that it was the last day of the cup, but would also would be a day of incredible derby as the big powerhouses of the sport made their way to the top rankings.
Only mildly sleep deprived, we secured some superb seats in the bleachers and stuck to track one all day, and we were not disappointed.
with my pal and number-sake hero from Central City Roller Girls, what a beautiful bunch.
We saw USA open the day by pushing Canada down to the bronze medal game, followed by Australia doing the same to England. Both games were intense and fast, with all the big names such as Miracle Whips, Sarah Chambers, Delta Strik and a personal fave Shania Pain drawing the crowd together in raucous chants and cheers.
We were also blessed with another expo from the Junior Roller Derby teams. My heart was in my throat as we watched some of the smallest yet fearless of skaters smash around the track from team Dolphin and team Kingfisher, with my soul crying out whenever one of them went down on the harsh concrete. It was completely inspiring to see young people getting involved in the sport, and even more lovely to see kids in the crowd next to us cheering for their friends of the track too.
The battle for the bronze medal position kicked of at 6, with the house lights going down and focusing entirely on an incredibly close game between England and Canada, which got the crowd on their feet. Losing only by 26 points, team England really did their home turf proud.
Then it was time: USA and Australia, a battle of two incredibly powerful teams. Australia were the underdogs, but the crowd knew they were not going to leave without a fight.
Something magical happened before the game. Australia lead Team Indigenous, made up of indigenous women from around the globe, onto the track, and allowed them time to talk rather than singing their national anthem.
The crowd fell silent as the women bore their community flags with pride, and talked openly about the persecution of indigenous women and how roller derby can be used as a platform to provide solidarity and love. I cried my heart out (and I am welling up whilst typing this) as we stood for a moment silence before someone haphazardly played the USA anthem (much to the confusion of the crowd). This strong message was exactly what roller derby should be- a strong sport for strong women who are able to support other women. It made me feel so positive and happy that I was able to be part of this strong, wholesome family.
Team Indigenous Invited to speak before the finals by team Australia. a full statement is available here.
The final was amazing. Australia really put the US through their paces with their jammers taking an early lead before US had really checked them, but then being pushed back as they came up against the strong opposing walls. The crowd were jovial, starting chants and waves and mimicking the bench coaches, whilst urging the underdogs on. The half time show was again filled with a longer show from the ridiculously entertaining Fearleaders, who left the crowd braying for more into the final half.
Despite their best efforts, Australia were just shy of passing america, who took the victory for a third year in a row. It was good to see a team that could really hold their ground against the US, however, and it is hoped that there will be more close games come the next world cup.
Folks, I am still on an emotional comedown. This weekend blew my mind, and more than ever I want to be a strong as possible member of this thriving community family, both as a skater but also as a member. Being surrounded by friendly, enthusiastic people from all walks of life has set a fire in my soul that I will not shake off. I want to get my minimum skills and skate my heart out in games, inspiring women, children and everyone around like these women inspired me this weekend. I want to take pride in what I do, and let it shine through into everything I do, in and around Roller Derby. A huge thank you to my beautiful Al for explaining things to me during the games (namely penalties), and for feeding me chips and getting me awesome merch and not complaining about my driving and for generally being the best all weekend.
Also I want thighs like Jack Attack, the footwork of Sarah Chambers, the stamina of Shania Pain and the smiles of team Greece... is that too much to ask?
Stay tuned for more rookie updates!
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