So who are Limerick Roller Derby? We were founded by a handful of enthusiastic skaters (some of whom are still league members) in 2011. From nothing and through hard work, we grew into a WFTDA apprentice league in 2015 and have been full members since September 2016. Six LRD skaters have represented their countries at Roller Derby World Cups.
Any Limerick skaters or tactics the crowd should look out for? All of the Limerick skaters are forces to be reckoned with and every player brings their unique strengths and skills to this game. We hope that together as a unit we will be able to give it our best shot.
What’s the derby scene like in Ireland? It’s a very supportive and tight knit community as pretty much everyone knows each other. We help each other out with volunteers, officials and skaters wherever and whenever possible. This sense of camaraderie helps make being part of derby so special in Ireland.
Do you have any off track plans for your trip? We are definitely interested in checking out the nightlife after the game. If the weather is good, we wouldn’t be opposed to heading to the beach and Brighton Pier. There might even be time for a quick dip.
You hosted the Rockers in 2017. Any recollections of that? It was a challenging game at the time and a very close one as well. Brighton won by 16 points, so we’re definitely not going to underestimate the Rockers. We’re well prepared for this rematch!
Do you have a message for any Limerick fans in today’s crowd? Please shout and clap as loud as you can for us today. We really like a good chant and an audience who enjoys a great game of roller derby. TL
Can you tell us a little about Bristol Roller Derby? BRD was formed in 2010 and we’re the only roller derby league in Bristol. We’re a fully gender inclusive league, meaning we have both men’s and women’s teams, and an all gender team (the BRD All Stars) who are currently in MRDA Tier 1 South in British Champs.
Any particular players or tactics we should look out for from your Bees? We’re really looking forward to the game. It’s our first one in a while because we’ve been taking a wellearned summer break. It’s Tinker and Spicy’s first public game so make sure you give them lots of love when they take to the track. Also, at BRD we love food, hence we are using a specific dish to communicate our tactics to each other. You might hear them at jam starts, so keep your ears peeled!
How core is being all gender to what BRD stands for? Being a gender inclusive league is at the very heart of Bristol Roller Derby. We have skaters that identify as men, women and gender non-conforming. In fact, our captain today (Smash Ketchum) is non-binary, and BRD are very supportive of their transition. You’ve not met Brighton in a B-team game before. Any predictions? Our Beehive is constantly changing with some Bees being promoted to the A-team and new bees coming from drop in, but as a good beehive we work as a team and always aim to look after each other and have fun. The only thing we can predict is a tough game from the Rockerbillies. We’ll be digging deep, getting low and most importantly having fun on track.
Brighton and Bristol seem to share a similar ethos as cities (in areas like green issues, veganism, street art, etc). Do you have any off track plans for your trip down? We’re really looking forward to exploring Brighton before we head back. It’s all the things we love about Bristol – plus the seaside! Do you have a message for any Bristol fans in today’s crowd? WE LIKE SHOUTING! TL