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PREDICTIONS AND THAT
RESULTS/FIXTURES HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON
18/6/11 v Seaside Siren Roller Girls 281-16 6/8/11 v CAMBRIDGE ROLLERBILLIES 141-132 15/10/11 v DUBLIN ROLLERGIRLS 158-115 18/2/12 v LRG BATTER C POWER 223-192 10/3/12 v Gent Go-Go Girls 169-140 14/4/12 v Cambridge Rollerbillies 304-60 26/5/12 v DOLLY ROCKIT ROLLERS 224-69 15/9/12 v Dublin Rollergirls 351-84 17/11/12 v BIG BUCKS HIGH ROLLERS 357-110 9/3/13 v LONDON ROCKIN’ ROLLERS 237-210 20/4/13 v Glasgow Roller Derby 111-310 25/5/13 v Kent Roller Girls* 207-120 25/5/13 v LRG Brawl Saints* 101-223 26/5/13 v Bristol Roller Derby* 175-251 21/9/13 v LEEDS ROLLER DOLLS 176-142 26/10/13 v Auld Reekie Roller Girls 89-349 23/11/13 v CENTRAL CITY ROLLERGIRLS 170-156 15/2/14 v RAINY CITY ROLLERGIRLS 174-163 15/3/14 v PARIS ROLLERGIRLS 178-174 10/5/14 v MIDDLESBRO MILK ROLLERS 123-230 26/7/14 v CROYDON ROLLER DERBY 163-151 20/9/14 v BRISTOL ROLLER DERBY 277-209 25/10/14 v Portsmouth Roller Wenches 221-159 7/2/15 v TEAM DRAGON ROLLER DERBY 21/2/15 v Seaside Siren Roller Girls*+ 21/3/15 v Bristol Roller Derby*+ 9/5/15 v Royal Windsor Roller Girls*+ 11/7/15 v PORTSMOUTH ROLLER WENCHES+ 8/8/15 v London Rockin’ Rollers*+ A-team open door only / Brighton score listed first capitals = home / * = neutral / + = British Champs
EDITOR/DESIGNER/PUBLISHER: Adam Peters CONTRIBUTORS: All of our lovely interviewees PHOTOGRAPHERS: John Hesse: front and back covers, pages 3, 5, 7, 12-13 (montage various), 16 & 20 (Hyde) // Rebecca Cornford: pages 12-13 (montage various) // Shirlaine Forrest: pages 11 & 13 (Gin) // Katie Gwilt: page 8 // Chris Bell: page 20 (background) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR LOVELY ADVERTISERS – THEY KEEP THIS MAG FREE
“You’ll all be devastated [delighted] to learn we have no reams of statistics, percentages etc for today’s main game, since Team Dragon are an unranked challenge side. Whilst Brighton ought to beat LRG Rec League, who TD’s core skaters play for, the Dragons have guests here with World Cup experience from England, Belgium and Spain. Brighton are also very much a team in transition at the moment. Recently elected captain Swann and vice Gin Atomic weren’t even Rockers the last time [mid-2014] those positions were voted on. In summary: Eep!” MISTER ADAM, TURN LEFT EDITOR “Brighton are taking on a very strong roster from Team Dragon, with some familiar faces from London Rollergirls, such as Lucy who is a very nippy jammer, and Lola Vulkano who is a double threat to watch out for. I saw Aline Decat play at Eastbourne Extreme last year, and she really impressed me. I Eat is a fast and agile jammer and Rusty Stiletto can give some big hits. Brighton will have an advantage – in that the team are used to playing together – but Dragon will certainly give them a tough game. I think the score will be quite close.” THE PHILOSOFEAR, TEAM NO FUSS SKATER “On paper, I think it should be a pretty close game. No Fuss took a marginal win (50-ish I believe) against Dragon, but they’ve been playing together a lot more since then, and have a couple of super advanced (if recently retired) skaters joining them. Whilst the Rockers are missing a couple of key veterans, and will likely be playing short today, they have the advantage of training together. There’s a similar spread of skill. Both teams have excellent jammers and skaters used to playing against high level opposition. I think it’s going to come down to who can adapt their strategy first, and which team has got the endurance to survive 60 minutes against the other.” POLKA DOTTY, TEAM NO FUSS BENCH COACH
FEB 21ST... LONDON CALLING This is an exciting year for the Rockers, the latest UK league accepted into world governing body WFTDA’s Apprentice programme. If today’s game leaves you wanting more, you’re in luck – Brighton are back in action two weeks today! They kick off their British Championships league programme on the 21st against Southend’s Seaside Sirens. Check the top of the column on the left to see what happened the only other time these sides met! The game isn’t at home, but nor is it all the way out in Southend. Newham Leisure Centre in East London is the location. The venue is a brief bus ride from Plaistow tube (District line from Victoria or Blackfriars). Tickets are £12 in advance with doors at 2pm. Hosts LRR face Bristol at 2.30 and then the mighty Rockers face the Sirens at 4.20-ish. Check out our Champs feature (pages 16-18) and we’ll see you there. Yay!
THE MIXED OPENER
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MAGICIANS V CLOWNS
We catch up with players and bench coaches for info about today’s first game... “We’re going to put a spell on both our clownish opponents and also friends, family and fans that have come out to watch. We’ll dazzle them! One of the most intimidating aspects of derby is playing your first game. If you play it with your home team then veteran skaters can lead you out on the track and help you along. If you skate your first bout in a mixed entry level opener, everyone is at a similar skill level. This makes it scarier, but personally I found it offered the opportunity to put into practice everything you’ve been learning at training. Most skaters discover they know more than they think and come out of these games with a real sense of accomplishment. That’s what I love about coaching and benching rookies. It also breeds camaraderie with the new skaters out on the track. I have fond memories and good friends that I made as a result of my first mixed opener.” MISTRESS, MAGICIANS BENCH COACH
“Mixed openers are great for skaters as they allow them to take risks they might not be able to within their own leagues, and generally involve less pressure because they don’t count towards ‘The Rankings’. I personally love benching mixed games because it means pulling together the strategies of fourteen different people into one successful cohesive strategy. Less pressure doesn’t mean less competition though, and whilst the Magicians may pull some tricks out of the bag, the Clowns have got some antics of their own. It is a well known fact that Clowns are scarier than Magicians. After all, who would you rather come across on a dark night – the creature from It or Paul Daniels? <Insert Creepy Clown Laugh Here>” POLKA DOTTY, CLOWNS BENCH COACH
“I’ve played a couple of bouts and I’m super excited! We have an amazing bench coach and we’re really lucky to have Rocky Bashova as our line-up because good magician’s assistants are highly sawed after. I’m sure it’ll be magic. My London Rockin’ Rollers buddy Sian is a great blocker and she’s proper ’ard. If she jams we’ll try a swarm, surround her and make her disappear in a puff of smoke. We need to stay focused and if we make mistakes we won’t be pulling our hare out. TBH Sian is my main girl on track, taking out the opposition when I’m jamming so I’ll be sad not to have her on side, but obviously the Magicians are going to totally kick Clown ass.” GINGER SNAPS, LRR MAGICIAN
“I’ve been scrimming nearly every week with my team, the LRR Wreck League since last Feb. I’ve also done a few mixed scrims and remember a particularly brutal occasion at Croydon where I had to run to the toilet mid-jam to be sick. I’m really excited for this one and the theme is great. I usually do offence for Snaps when she is jamming, so playing against her will be odd, but I’m certainly not going to hold back because I know someone. If Snaps shows me her front I will hit it as hard as possible :)” SIAN PAIN, LRR CLOWN
“I started Rockers Fresh Meat in May and before that my skating was limited to the 1990s (when it was my main form of transport). The thing I found hardest in FM was learning to stop and I’ve still got a long way to go – whacking into a wall, tree or car just doesn’t cut it on the track. I’ve never played in a game so this is my cherry popper, but I have scrimmed a few times with lots of skaters from both teams today. I’m hoping that I learn a few things, get to practice a few new moves, not let my team or the crowd down, and escape relatively injury free. We’ve got a lot of tactics and tricks up our sleeves. Of course we have, we’re magicians!” SKATE BUSH, ROCKERS MAGICIAN
“I taught myself to skate in a car park a month or so before Fresh Meat. That started back in Feb 2014, so I guess this scrim marks my one year anniversary with the Rockers – and a damn good year it’s been! We normally scrim for a bit at the end of each practice, so I’ve been doing that roughly once or twice a week since my FM course finished. This’ll be my third proper full length scrim, and even though it will be more challenging than previous rookie scrims, I’m fully expecting to score a whole bunch of points against the Magicians – and maybe knock a few over! Skate Bush has a habit of taking you by surprise, so I’m gonna get in her way and keep an eye on her as much as possible. She’s not pulling any disappearing tricks on me!” CHLOE COLOSSUS, ROCKERS CLOWN
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THE FIRST TIME
THE SECRET DERBYER
To tie in with today’s mixed opener, our new columnist THE SECRET DERBYER (like The Secret Footballer in the Guardian, but for derby) talks about cherry popping... Do I remember my own first open door game? Of course. I was really nervous. I’d never played before (not even in a scrim) and one of the experienced team members had to take me round the track and explain where everything was – this is the penalty box, this is the point of no return [a line that passing means having to re-circuit before you can sit in the penalty box] and so on. It was nice that the team thought I could be thrown in at the deep end like that, but it was also a bit terrifying. Playing games is really important. You can memorise things (rules, tactics, etc) but they only really sink in when you actually do it. There are certain rules or situations that don’t make sense on paper, but when they happen to you on track, they then stay in your brain forever. I actually think it’s important that rookie skaters themselves hunt around and find opportunities to scrim/play in mixed teams. It’s nice if the league put people forward and organise group trips and so on, but rookies who want to progress/develop as fast as possible should also find their own scrims/games to play in. It’s so important as a new player to play with people of the same level from other teams. Every team plays and coaches in a unique way, so you get really used to getting past (as a jammer) or linking up with (as blocker) the people in your league; you learn their foibles and you get into a pattern, a routine, you get complacent. Playing alongside and against people from other leagues pulls you out of that. Having said that, it’s really good in a mixed game to have at least one of your own league team mates with you, as being the only person from your team in a mixed game is a bit scary! Often you pair up in training, so if you play a mixed opener with someone you’re used to being in a pair with anyway, then that’s a great benefit. For those Magicians and Clowns who are playing in front of a crowd for the first time ever today, I think it will be really exciting. It will be nerveracking too, but that comes with the excitement. There’s all the stuff around the game. At the start you get to skate around as your name is called, then at the end you get to hand-slap the crowd, and you’ve never done that before – suddenly you’re the King of the World! All that stuff is really exciting. I’m sure they’ll be absolutely terrified as well. That’s inevitable.
One big thing about the mixed openers as a player is they’re good practice for dealing with referees! Because you are so nervous and trying to play the game, and then you’ve got a penalty and someone is shouting your colour and your number, and you’re so focused on the game you can’t remember what colour you’re wearing or even what your number is. When I got called out in my first game I wasn’t even sure how to get off the track – you know you have to go that way, but then you get in a tizzy the first time you get a penalty called on you. Sometimes you can’t hear that you’ve picked up a penalty (refs are either side of you, often calling out different numbers at the same time) so getting used to that is good practice. Mixed games often end up a bit chaotic. Even with the best Bench Coach and Line-Up it often ends up as “go somebody go, four people on track now” and whoever hears that are the people on track. I think also there’s a problem where people who stand out as a jammer in their first game then always get picked as a jammer, and the same with standout blockers. So people maybe don’t get a chance to try other roles that they might actually like. It’s difficult once you’ve been pigeonholed as a blocker to then say, “actually, can I have a go at jamming?” That pigeonholing probably begins from your very first open door game. How can a spectator tell if a rookie in the mixed opener is a possible future star? With jammers it’s kind of easy to spot, with the jumping and diving through the pack, making space, etc. With blockers it’s about if they are aware of the people around them (their packmates) and are moving and adjusting their position based on that and what is going on around them. If someone is just standing there on track looking at the ceiling, that doesn’t mean they are not going to become a good blocker – in even the top games, there will be plenty doing that! – but that awareness early on is great. As a fan, I’d say ignore the jammers as they circle and watch what the packs are doing.
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BDAY BASH
BRIGHTON ROCKERS ALL-STARS
As the Rockers kick off a very exciting 2015 season, THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BASH previews today’s games and more... First of all, happy fifth birthday to the Rockers. What have been the highlights of your first half decade? Thanks. Wow, I can’t believe it’s been five years. To be honest a lot of the highlights are meeting the people I have and making truly strong friendships. The days of GYSO (the warehouse) were pretty cool. We always knew having your own affordable venue is priceless. Now that we don’t it has really added pressure to our training, schedule, etc. Our first loss after a solid 13 wins was amazing. Losing a closed door by three points to one of the top teams was probably the best way to do it – we partied pretty hard! Playing Dublin away a couple years back was awesome; the game, the old skool dorms, the track suits, our hosts DRG, Dublin and the after party. We still talk about our Dublin trip now, it was that funny. This year you’re taking part in Champs and have just been accepted for WFTDA Apprenticeship. Are these big steps for the league? They are massive steps for us. WFTDA has taken a lot of time and effort over past months. Many people have put work in, but special thanks has to go to Derby McGee for getting it off the ground, putting in endless hours and sending it in. Champs is a bit of an odd one – we were quite torn about whether to do it as we have played quite a lot of the teams in our division. I think we plateaued last year, so I’m really hoping playing regularly will help our team. Whilst we have a few rematches we know some will be quite tough games, so a good chance to try and better those past performances. What do you know of today’s opponents, Team Dragon, going into the game? Absolutely nothing. I’m actually on a break at the moment, so have not put in any research for this game. I’m sure the other coaches have done their homework. Should we expect a big score from the Brighton team today? I never care to predict the result. You just don’t know how each team is going to play on the day. Today we will play hard to win. We have a couple of our usual ‘standout’ players not playing, which should make room for some different players to take the lead, and also you may see a few new faces.
There’s also a mixed opener (Magicians v Clowns) today. Will there be many Rockers taking part in this? What other leagues are likely to be represented? I’ll pass you over to Swann, who sorted out the skater rosters for that... “The opener has seven Rockers represented in total: Irish Mist (who fans may have seen skating previously) will be taking part, as well as Sutherland, Lab Wrath, Chloe Colossus, Van Hayley, Skate Bush and Polly Darting, who are all popping their bout cherries. All the South East leagues are well represented. We have skaters from the Bourne Bombshells, Portsmouth Roller Wenches, Southampton City Rollers, Croydon Roller Derby, London Rockin’ Rollers and Kent Roller Girls, as well as some rogue representatives from Wolverhampton Honour Rollers and the Evolution Rollergirls.” What should we expect from that mixed opener? All the players are relatively new. What to expect would be a somewhat slower game which may be really good for any first timers watching today. There will most likely be some up-and-coming skaters with good footwork and jamming skills, and maybe some big hits from fresh new blockers. There will be quite a few playing their first game, so cheer hard – it gets pretty nerve-racking even when you’ve been playing for years, let alone your first time in front of a crowd. Finally, what dream birthday present would the Rockers like? Our own venue! For training and playing. It would be amazing. If any of you know of somewhere feel free to let us know :)
TEAM DRAGON ROLLER DERBY
WINGIN’ IT
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Today’s opponents are something of a mystery proposition. Dragons bench coach MOTHER lets us in on the secret... First of all, who exactly are Team Dragon? We’re a challenge team predominately made up of recreational skaters or players who have recently taken a break from derby. It’s a crack squad of players who don’t get the opportunity to bout regularly, plus a few buddies from here and there. We formed last June and our highlight so far was playing our first open game against the Wrexham Rejects in August. It was good to get a proper game under the belt and to win was a great bonus and a nice way to start out as a team. The bench crew is myself and Skorokoro. We’re both refs with the London Rollergirls Recreational League, although Skorokoro is a far more seasoned ref and the font of all wisdom. I’m the volume. Why Dragons? Are you all Welsh? Or Game of Thrones fans? Or...? It was Gnome Criminal’s idea. I just posted in the group saying we should really think of a name and she said “Team Dragon.” And that was that. She just likes dragons. Two shakes of a lamb’s tail later Lil Bow Creep (our resident jamming superstar and graphic maestro) had the perfect logo and there was no going back. About six months later a Welsh challenge team sprung up called Team Real Dragon, so we’ll have to play them sometime and make it an official dragon-off! And yes, coincidentally we are also massive nerds and Game of Thrones fans... 2014 saw a huge increase in the number of derby challenge teams, with several appearing in the South East alone. Why do you think that was? I blame Eastbourne Extreme for it. Myself and Polka Dotty [who is benching the Clowns in today’s opener] benched against each other with pick up teams there and decided it was so much fun we should do it again. Small problem was neither of us had a team! So I created Team Dragon and she created Team No Fuss. I think challenge teams are a great way for players and bench staff to get experience from competitive games. I also had a lot of buddies fiending for more bouting opportunities, so why not? We played No Fuss and narrowly lost in November. We’re really excited to have a rematch against them on the Sunday of this year’s Eastbourne Extreme. It’s an awesome event and it’ll be good to duke it out in front of a crowd!
Are there any particular Team Dragon players that people in the crowd should keep an eye out for? We raided the derby retirement village last month and are happy to have some very well respected players in the roster. It’s great to have Lisa Wright in the team; she started her derby life in the LRG Rec League, before rising to the Team England training squad. She retired last year but is back on skates for Team Dragon. She’ll be joining Lola and Lucy in bringing some big game experience to today’s team. Do you know much about your opponents, the Brighton Rockers? Care to predict the result? Swann played for Team No Fuss against us and was a real thorn in our side. She was a nightmare to deal with and someone we’ll have to keep on a short leash. She also knows our players and our game, so we don’t have the element of surprise. I wouldn’t want to predict a result. Brighton are the clear favourites and they’re on home soil but we’re here to play and surprise people. We’re amped for this! Today’s double header – which also sees a mixed opener – celebrates the Rockers’ fifth birthday. What birthday present would Team Dragon like to give the hosts? I’d say we’d give them a win, but if they want that they’ll have to pry it from our cold dead talons! I benched Eastbourne’s mighty Bourne Bombshells a couple of times last year, so I’ll be cheering on their Vonster and Jumpin’ Jack Smash in the first game. They’re both fantastic blockers. Finally, any chants you’re hoping to hear from Team Dragon fans in the crowd today? No fan chants yet, but the team has a terrifying turkey war chant that you should keep an ear out for ;P
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OBLIVIATOR
COMING THROUGH
A name is missing from both the Rockers and Team Dragon squads today. That skater is the fast-rising OBLIVIATOR...
Can you tell us a bit about your skating background? How many scrims and games have you taken part in so far? I owned a pair of rollerblades when I was eight, but my feet grew after six months and I didn’t put on skates again until my Fresh Meat tryouts. I actually started with the LRG Rec League and did my Fresh Meat with them, which took four months. Shortly afterwards I moved to sunnier climes (well, Brighton) and I’ve been with the Rockers ever since. I did various mixed scrims with the Rec League and I’ve played two mixed level games with the Rockers, as well as a fair few games with Team Dragon. Those Rockers games were away in Manchester and Lille last year. What did you learn from those experiences? Jamming against Team England training squad member Vic Tori Bee must have been tough? These were great experiences for me! Playing is very different from scrimming and early on you improve so quickly by playing. It was great to get to work with A-team players, seeing what makes them so good on track – I’d never realised how key communication was! And yes, in Manchester I was on the receiving end of some very tough jammer-onjammer action from Tori, and had no clue what to do. Just stop pushing, apparently. How easy have you found the transition from Fresh Meat to pulling on a Rockers shirt for public games? What advice would you give to someone going through that now? The transition has been fairly long for me, as I joined at a time when the Rockers B-team had just been disbanded, but I obviously wasn’t ready for A-team games. The advice I would give is that it is worth putting in the hours at training and being patient with yourself. You will get there in the end and it feels amazing when you do! You also skate for today’s opponents in the main game, Team Dragon. How did that come about? How does playing for a challenge team like TD differ from skating for the Rockers? Some of my old team mates from the Rec League told me about TD at London Pride last summer. I immediately messaged Mama Dragon – I think I sent him about four
Facebook messages asking to join! Playing with them is a very different experience as we don’t really have a chance to train together, so in the first few jams we are always finding our feet. It’s always fun. I get to see friends I haven’t seen for ages and the Dragons are some of the most positive people I know. We understand you won’t be playing in today’s game. If you were, would you be wearing a Rockers or Team Dragon shirt? I have cunningly avoided having to decide! My first loyalties would always have to be to the Rockers, but I am sorry to miss this game playing for either side. I think it’ll be a great watch. I reckon you’ll see some great teamwork on both sides, along with hard hits and nippy jamming. Today’s double header includes a mixed opener with newer skaters from lots of different leagues. Have you played in any games like that and how important are they? I’ve played one mixed opener but wish I’d done more. All experience is good experience and bouting really helps with the transition to A-team. Look out for the amazing T-shirt designs in today’s opener! I never got one that cool. You won the Rockers’ Skater of the Month award a couple of months ago. What are your roller derby ambitions for 2015 and beyond? Well, that would be telling... Right now I just want to earn my place in the A-team, play as often as possible, keep on improving and have fun. Not much to ask for!
ROCKERS REVIEW OF 2014
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LAST
THAT’s SO
A cluster of BRIGHTON ROCKERS share their memories of last season with us...
, January saw many New Year’s Resolutions, including a fitness push for the Rockers as we linked up with Brighton’s CrossFit Connect for some hardcore off skates training. After the first session I ached in places I never knew existed. We also settled into our new training venues – The King Alfred leisure centre and Moulsecoomb leisure centre – after sadly losing our beloved GYSO warehouse. (Emma the Condemner) February was the month we celebrated our fourth birthday by playing at home against Rainy City. It was a hard-fought match where we trailed closely behind Rainy for the whole game, until the final few minutes. It was tense for us playing; must have been even harder watching and constantly seeing the points differential. The month also saw the start of our first Fresh Meat intake of the year. A year later we only have one remaining – Chloe Colossus! (Kapow) With just four weeks between our birthday game and March’s home contest against Paris, there was little time to lose pace in training. Ten of the Rockers were also gearing up for the Warrior Run obstacle race at the end of the month. According to the stats, the Paris game was supposed to be an easy win for us, but at half time it was about 74-140 to them [42-131 - Ed]. Such a nerve-racking game and, somehow, we pulled the score back to win 178-174. The Warrior Run was a muddy success, with Team Black crossing the line first as together we raised about £700! (Kapow) After the excitement of the previous two months, April was a bit easier on the nerves and saw our second batch of Fresh Meat begin their training. And what a good batch it was! You’ll be seeing several of them doing us proud today as both Magicians and Clowns in the mixed opener. (Kapow)
May was the end of spring and the end of our winning streak at home. As part of the Brighton Fringe Festival, we took on Middlesbrough. They were strong from the starting whistle, and unfortunately for us, we couldn’t find that second wind that had saved us a few times before. In the end they had us comfortably at 123-230. Of course though, it was great game to play in, and we learned lots from the experience. (Kapow) In June we ventured under the water with a mixed level team to take on Switchblade in Lille. Despite the away team uniform of unitards (humiliation in lycra), human trafficking (naming no names), and losing the game (I’ve wiped the final score from my memory) it was a fantastic trip. The weather was hot enough to imagine we might be abroad; the cocktails flowed, the food was delicious, and the hosts got all our votes as ‘most hospitable team ever’. (Anti-Gravetty) In July we welcomed the transfer of iconic skater and all-round lovely person Swann from our South Coast neighbours the Bourne Bombshells. With a handful of our most valuable players on hiatus from the league, this could not have come at a better time! July also saw a home game against Croydon where, despite a very tough game, our All-Stars team managed to narrowly steal the victory with a final score of 163-151. The game marked the derby retirement of Rockers legend Mistress. We also launched a range of fancy new merch; T-shirts, badges, bottle openers etc – go on, you know you want to! (Chloe Colossus) In August Shambolic held a very successful fundraising piercathon at Punktured, decorating many a punter with an array of studs, bars and rings... Talking of rings, August also saw the marrying off of Rocker Racey to her boyf Chris! I was honoured to make her
ROCKERS REVIEW OF 2014
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YEAR wedding dress, and our rookie Roll-Lex was official photographer. Good team effort all round. (Emma) With August being a chilled-out month in terms of training and bouting, we got back into the swing in September with a match against Bristol Roller Derby! This was actually the sixth home game in a row, but our A-team showed no signs of becoming complacent and beat Bristol 277-209. This win evens the score (after we lost to Bristol in a UKRDA tournament in 2013) which has made both sides keen for a showdown when we meet again at Champs! (Chloe) October saw our only A-team away game of 2014 at Portsmouth Roller Wenches. Off to a hairy start as we all got stuck in traffic en route, only just making it in time for warm ups, but a happy ending with a 221159 win for the Rockers. Let’s hope we can hold on to our winning form against Portsmouth when we play them at home in the 2015 Championships. (Emma) In November a mixed level squad took a road trip to play Manchester Roller Derby. Unfortunately the game ended in defeat (243 -115) but it was a great opportunity to chuck new transfer Gin Atomic (from Croydon Roller Derby) in at the deep end. She came away with MVP, and we also saw excellent work from upcoming players Obliviator and Irish Mist. Chaka Carnage also excelled in booking us the most incredibly weird hotel. Think half Fawlty Towers, half The Shining and a dash of retirement home. (Emma) In December we hosted a Christmas scrim, with guests from Croydon and Eastbourne coming to join in the festive fun – coincidentally my first full-length scrim, so most of my memories are of being knocked to the ground! Finally, we bid adieu to 2014 with the Rockers Christmas party. Food and drink were consumed in abundance, and with the British Champs fixtures finalised, we set our sights on 2015... (Chloe)
New Rocker GIN ATOMIC tells all... Hi there. You spent most of 2014 wearing the purple and grey of Croydon Roller Derby. What’s your background in derby, was it hard leaving CRD and what drew you to the Rockers? Leaving CRD was a huge deal for me. I’d been with them for nearly four years, they taught me how to skate and how to play derby and are an amazing bunch of ladies and gents. I’ve been living in Brighton for two years though, and it came to the point where I just couldn’t afford the twice weekly commute to training anymore. I’m very lucky to have a team as badass as the Rockers on my doorstep and I’ve been friends with a lot of them for years, so it made the decision to transfer a little easier and they’ve been really welcoming. Brighton’s 2014 was dominated by five home games (against Rainy, Paris, Middlesbrough, Croydon and Bristol). Did you follow the results or attend the games at all? I think the Brighton vs Croydon game was one of my all-time favourites to play in! Before I joined the Rockers I did follow them quite closely, and if I ever missed a game I’d always catch up on the day’s war stories at the after party. You made your Rockers debut in a mixed level team away to Manchester. How did that go as a game and experience? Is the MVP Award you picked up going to be the first of many? Ha! I’ll definitely try. It was a fun game and a good way to get to know my new team mates on track. We also stayed up in Manchester that night which was good fun. Finally, you’re making your home debut today. Nervous? What are your hopes for the game and for your Rockers career going forward? My nerves don’t usually kick in until just before the first whistle so we’ll see! I’ve played at the Dolphin centre a few times as a CRD skater, so it will be a bit strange rocking a different colour shirt, but I’m excited. I’m just hoping to be a strong part of the team dynamic, both as a jammer and a blocker.
ROCKERS REVIEW OF 2014
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2014 BRATS AWARDS
What’s an annual review without the dishing out of some awards? Hundreds of BRATS members (OK, five people in a pub) chose these winners. MISTER ADAM reports... CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR: JOHN HESSE Our magazine and website wouldn’t exist without dozens of contributors: 20+ Rockers interviewees and a similar number from other leagues; ace interview wranglers like Mistress, Racey and Kapow; illustrators like Paul Stapleton; and many, many photographers. As the snapper responsible for 50% of last year’s fanzine front and back covers, John clinches this prize. ADVERTISER OF THE YEAR: PUNKTURED Similarly, this mag wouldn’t exist without the lovely advertisers who cover most of our print bill. They are all ace, but extra kudos to Punktured for their longterm sponsorship of the Rockers themselves. TEAM OF THE YEAR: BRIGHTON ROCKERS Who else could it be? A special non-Sussex TOTY award to England women as the first side to score 100 against the USA (and in a World Cup Final to boot). Also cap doffs to WFTDA Semi-Finalists LRG, to the eight players of Argentina’s men’s team, and many more... but this one goes to the awesomes of BRRD. OPPOSITION OF THE YEAR: PARIS They may not have held on for the win (only Middlesbrough managed one of those against the All-Stars last year), but a blistering first half that saw them lead by nearly 100, some of the nippiest jamming we’ve ever seen, and general Gallic flair gives this to Paris. OPPONENT OF THE YEAR: ELLA STOREY That MMR victory can’t go without an award. The M’boro side were strong in every department, but the strongest cog of all was England’s thrilling Storey. JAM OF THE YEAR: CHARIOT SOPHIA v PARIS You absolutely know the one we mean. One of the final jams of the second period. Brighton 26 points down with less than five minutes left to play. Breathtaking pace from Sophia, absolutely rock solid defending from the Rockers pack and it’s 176-167 to us. 35 points on a power jam would be amazing enough, but Paris had their jammer in play for the whole thing. Wow! GAME OF THE YEAR: BRIGHTON v PARIS Obviously. Because see above.
EVENT OF THE YEAR: MISTRESS’ RETIREMENT There were many big non-game Rockers ‘events’ in 2014, from Racey’s wedding to Warrior Run heroics and more. Our pick is the retirement of the league’s Canadian legend. Back from injury to take to track one last time (v Croydon) – face masks, tears, etc... OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR: LASERHAMMER By ‘official’ we mean non-player and there are so many to choose from, from Brighton’s awesome bench crew, Mass Janeycide and Maude Fondeo, to the hordes of game day volunteers, NSOs, zebras and more. In the end we plumped for Mr Hammer, who took on the league’s Head Ref role this year with much gusto. DEBUTANT OF THE YEAR: SWANN This category covers anyone who appeared for the first time in a Brighton shirt in 2014. Which includes rookies (eg Obliviator, Irish Mist) and transfers like Gin Atomic and Harriet Hotter. None made quite the instant impression of ex-Bombshell Swann. Thrown into action soon after joining, she took Best Jammer awards in two of her first three games, bagged the league’s 2014 MVP Award, and is now team captain. BLOCKER OF THE YEAR: EMMA CONDEMNER There wasn’t room for her full name (with ‘The’ in) above, just as there isn’t room on track for many rival jammers when Emma’s in the pack. Icons like Bash and Hairy Fairy may pick up more game day blocker awards, but the supremely tough Condemner wins ours for a raft of strong performances over the year. JAMMER OF THE YEAR: KAPOW! Again, there might be more obvious choices for this award (such as Rose or Sham) but we’re factoring in progression as well as overall play here, and Kapow’s battling contests to get past bigger, meaner opponents have been a real highlight of the Rockers in 2014. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DR WHOOLIGAN Our overall prize goes to a stalwart of the Brighton defence who this year forced her way into the jamming rotation. Initially tentative in the star, she ended 2014 as arguably Brighton’s most adaptable triple threat. As well as the BRATS pub jury’s Player of the Year.
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015
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CARRY ON CHAMPING
The inaugural British Championships tournament is underway. Here we preview the National South Division in which the mighty BRIGHTON ROCKERS are competing... Are you looking forward to taking part in the Championships? Dr Whooligan: Very much so. I know that every paper and magazine I’ve spoken to about derby always asks where we are in the league. It will be nice to finally have an answer! It’s also a great excuse to get to know all of the Southern teams better on and off the track. I’m obviously hoping for straight wins across the board, but failing that I hope that every game is hard fought and helps us improve the skills and plays we are working towards perfecting. You need to put together a 20-woman squad for your National South campaign. Does that mean some skaters we might not have seen before getting a chance in the A-team? Cake Or Death: We are lucky enough to have recently gained Gin Atomic who is a superb player and coach from Croydon so we are very happy to have her on the roster. Other than that we have several upcoming newer skaters, such as Obliviator and Chloe Colossus – they will have to work super hard to get on the bout rosters but if they continue as they have been recently, we could see them smashing their fair share of opponents soon. Brighton are at present the highest ranked team in the division. Is that a fair representation of the Rockers’ current strength, and is first place the season’s aim? Cake: First place is always our aim. Win, learn, fun (in that order) has always been our motto. Why not aim for the top? If you learn and have fun along the way it doesn’t matter if you don’t always make it. If we are at the top of our game for every match I truly believe we will take first place. I’d bet a red velvet cake with chocolate frosting on it.
PRE-TOURNAMENT RANKINGS
KEY: DIV 1 PREMIER DIV 2 NORTH DIV 2 SOUTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Auld Reekie Roller Girls (731.7) Glasgow Roller Derby (727.4) Tiger Bay Brawlers (715.8) Rainy City Roller Girls (681.1) Middlesbrough Milk Rollers (672.4) Leeds Roller Dolls (670.6) Hot Wheel Roller Derby (662.5) Central City Rollergirls (655.3) Brighton Rockers Roller Derby (643.6) Royal Windsor Roller Girls (643.2) HEREFORD ROLLER GIRLS (624.6) Newcastle Roller Girls (623.5) London Rockin’ Rollers (622.1) Hellfire Harlots (619.7) CAMBRIDGE ROLLERBILLIES (609.8) PLYMOUTH CITY ROLLER GIRLS (607.6) BIRMINGHAM BLITZ DAMES (601.2) MANCHESTER ROLLER DERBY (599.3) Portsmouth Roller Wenches (596.3) Seaside Siren Roller Girls (593.4) Hulls Angels Roller Dames (590.5) Sheffield Steel Rollergirls (587.4) Lincolnshire Bombers (576.9) SWANSEA CITY ROLLER DERBY (571.6) Bristol Roller Derby (571.2)
These UKRDA placings are as of 23rd Jan 2015. See flattrackstats.com for the most recent table.
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NATIONAL SOUTH DIVISION
THE UKRDA NATIONAL SOUTH DIVISION: DAY BY DAY DAY ONE JAN 24TH @ WINDSOR Royal Windsor RG 252-130 Portsmouth Wenches London Rockin’ Rollers 372-162 Seaside Sirens The Rockers sat out the first divisional game day. Hosts Windsor beat a battling Pompey, whilst LRR sit atop the initial table after a big win over Southend. DAY TWO FEB 21ST @ EAST LONDON Seaside Sirens v BRIGHTON ROCKERS London Rockin’ Rollers v Bristol RD Brighton’s campaign kicks off in earnest two weeks today at Newham Leisure Centre, the home of friends LRR. The Rockers played the Sirens way back in 2011 away in Southend and won that one by a HUGE margin (281-16). Betsy Bourbon: Ah, heady days! It was our first ever open door bout so we were bricking it, convinced we’d be soundly thrashed. There were only nine of us playing – the ‘Power 9’ it came to be known. Although we were ahead from the start, the coaches decided that we weren’t going to take it easy as it was our first public game, hence the scoreline. My parents came to watch and were very confused. Derby isn’t something you understand the first time you see it! DAY THREE MAR 21ST @ SOUTHEND Bristol RD v BRIGHTON ROCKERS Seaside Sirens v Royal Windsor RG Curiously all four of Brighton’s non-home games in Champs are at neutral venues rather than against the hosts. Bristol are no strangers to the Sussex side, having knocked them out of UKRDA’s Southern weekend tournament in 2013. Brighton got revenge at Haywards Heath a few months back. Hyde ‘N’ Shriek: We’ve played Bristol twice now and we’re 1-1, so I guess this has got to be the decider. We joked about the rematch in the locker room last time, but this is it... There’s a score to settle and I don’t think either of us are gonna give it up easily. Bristol are a tough, competitive team with great players like The Blizzard and Vile Shadow. We’ll be keeping an eye on all of them! DAY FOUR MAY 9TH @ BRISTOL BRIGHTON ROCKERS v Royal Windsor RG Bristol RD v Portsmouth Wenches On paper this looks the toughest match-up in the division, with just one place in the rankings currently separating Brighton and Windsor. Could this game be an early title decider? Hyde: I think this will be an interesting contest. We’ve only met them in a closed door game before. That was a number of years ago, back when Cake, Whooligan and myself were part of
our Fresh Meat program, so we didn’t even get to play. I think as a league they have progressed loads since then, but obviously so have we. It’s a bit of an unknown, and like you say, the rankings place us pretty close together – we’ll just have to wait and see. DAY FIVE JUN 20TH @ HAVANT Seaside Sirens v Bristol RD Portsmouth Wenches v London Rockin’ Rollers Unfortunately for the Rockers’ travelling support, two of the nearest non-home venues are the game days the Rockers sit out. By this stage the league table is likely to have started settling down and Brighton should know what’s required of them from their final matches. DAY SIX JUL 11TH @ HAYWARDS HEATH Royal Windsor RG v London Rockin’ Rollers BRIGHTON ROCKERS v Portsmouth Wenches Sometimes home games are announced at fairly short notice. Not this one! You can put it in the second half of your 2015 diaries now, Brighton will meet the Portsmouth Wenches (who they beat in an away game in November) as part of the Sussex league’s home double header. Cake: Obviously RIP McMurphy is terrifying. We knew she was good but her speed, agility – and more precisely, juking – really shook us at the Havant game. Harold Bashup is another player to watch... strong, sturdy, with a killer hit. But Portsmouth’s strengths lie in their teamwork. They know each other well and therefore work together well. However, this is Brighton’s strength too. I’m sure they are working towards ways to defeat us, but we learnt a lot from the last game, so we will be well prepared too... DAY SEVEN AUG 8TH @ VENUE TBA London Rockin’ Rollers v BRIGHTON ROCKERS Bristol RD v Royal Windsor RG Portsmouth Wenches v Seaside Sirens The final day of the divisional programme sees all six teams in action, fighting it out for those all important slots to take on the top National North sides in the play-offs. Theoretically Day 7 is going to be at a neutral venue, and although there are a few of those which spring to mind – the Spectrum in Guildford makes geographic sense, for example – we understand that several of the teams taking part in this division have applied to host. Dr W: The Rockers LOVE LRR! Every time we play them we have a great time, win or lose. We always learn something from LRR (whether training, coaching or game tips) so we relish the chance to spend some time with them in the summer.
BRITISH CHAMPS 2015
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BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS: THE HISTORY & FUTURE? British Champs Media Director ANDY HARRIS explains the 2015 tournament to us... Can you give us a quick summary of the evolution of Champs? The tournament began in 2012 as the End Of The World Series. Six women’s teams decided to form a local competitive tournament for the year, to encourage growth of their teams and move away from rostering guest skaters. Each team hosted a double header, with many teams hosting their first ever bout during the tournament, with a final day triple header. In 2013, the tournament was rebranded as the Heartland Series and doubled in size to two divisions of six teams, East and West, culminating in a Playoff day featuring the top two teams from each division. In 2014, the tournament doubled in size again to 24 teams in four divisions. This year we decided to take the plunge and go national. The tournament was open to all women’s A-teams and in the end, 72 women’s leagues from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland signed up and were divided into four tiers to find the British Champs. UKRDA are heavily involved with Champs. How did that come about? We approached them as it was felt the national expansion of the event should be in consultation with the national governing body of the sport. Their member leagues voted overwhelmingly in favour of involvement. The 2015 Champs is structured so UKRDA can have direct oversight of the top two tiers, which are wholly made up of their members. Can you see the women’s tournament expanding beyond 72 teams in future years? When planning this year’s tournament, we contacted every team that was bouting in 2014 or planning to bout in the near future. Some said they were excited about the tournament but unable to join this year as it was too early in their development or that they had a temporary lapse in team members, so there are still teams that are looking on joining in 2016, in addition to any new teams that may establish themselves in 2015. We can certainly see the numbers expanding, depending on the growth of the sport. As to total numbers, who knows? It depends on whether women’s derby is anywhere near its peak as yet, but in terms of the numbers of players, it just seems to keep growing.
Champs includes a twelve team men’s tournament too. Is that something else that might grow over the years? The men’s scene doesn’t have the numbers of the women’s as yet, but there are already strong, well established teams with years of history, and the success of the Men’s World Cup and Euros shows the vibrancy and health of the men’s game. I would expect the men’s tournament to grow significantly in the next few years as more teams establish themselves, more skaters develop and more teams are able to field full rosters. There are a few men’s teams who almost participated this year, who just need a little extra time to build up their rosters, who we hope will be part of the tournament next year. We haven’t considered co-ed or junior league tournaments at this stage, but it’s entirely possible they could be added at some point in the future. One noticeable absence from the tournament is the London Rollergirls. Might that change in future years? We had many conversations with LRG about the Championships and they were very keen to be involved. We just couldn’t get to a point which met all our requirements and their requirements for this season. Partially this is due to sanctioning requirements for WFTDA and effect on rankings, and the requirement for A-teams to participate in the British Champs. We both tried very hard, but in the end, it just didn’t work out for this year. However, LRG remain very excited about and supportive of the Champs, and we remain hopeful that we can work something out in the future. Our schedule is drawn up with events such as ECDX, Spring Roll, WFTDA D1 and D2 and Champs and others taken into consideration (and also national mainstays like Eastbourne Extreme and Tattoo Freeze), so that we can maintain a national competition alongside international. We’ve also been communicating with WFTDA and MRDA with our plans, and trying to align with their calendar. Other sports can manage domestic, international and national team competitions in the same calendar – there’s no reason why roller derby can’t do this as well. FOLLOW THE ACTION AT BRITISHCHAMPS.COM
ROCKERS vS DRAGONS
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Do you have any special game day rituals or superstitions?
Nope. The outcome of the game is decided on the track, not by what pants I’m wearing or what I ate for breakfast.
Not apart from eating an epic carby breakfast, but Team Dragon have a big emphasis on making sure we all feel like a family before the game, as well as all feeling individually awesome.
Is there any special song/music that motivates you for a game?
I didn’t think so, but now you’ve asked that, I think I usually pick something by Gogol Bordello. Something loud!
‘Turn Down For What’.
What skates/wheels do you play in and how long have you had them?
Antiks with Radar Tile Biter wheels in 96a and 94a.
I have two pairs of wheels. They’re Sure-Grip Rollout 88a and Atom Stroker 97a.
What’s your greatest achievement in roller derby?
Teaching myself to skate aged 30 and surviving feeling like a total prat at children’s roller discos to get there.
Getting subbed in for my first A-team game with Sheffield Steel Roller Girls, a week before we flew out to play Toulouse, and then getting best jammer!
Do you have a particular ‘special move’ you’re known for? Clubs and can openers.
After this game I will be known for epic pegassists.
Do you have any pets? If so, do you think you could teach them to play derby?
I don’t actually have any pets… Which animal do you think would be most receptive?
Yes, I count many of my team mates among my pets.
What’s your personal target for today’s game? Just to play well and enjoy it.
Stay calm, efficient and effective.
What’s your favourite part of a derby track? Inside – it’s shorter!
When I’m jamming, the inside line.
What did you find the hardest element of Minimum Skills to pass?
Err... hopping, I think? That’s a few years ago now – it’s hard to remember! I’ve got a memory of having to leap through a gap between two skaters and totally clattering them. (Sorry Mistress!)
I passed whips last and I’ve never used them since.
When Bash told me in the pub that she’d forgotten it was my first open door. I obviously didn’t disgrace myself.
A thirty point power jam!
What was your highlight of the first open door game you played in? What’s the best derby related birthday present you’ve received?
Decent knee pads. Worth their weight in gold!
The snail sticker on my helmet.
Who is your own roller derby hero and why?
That’s a really tough one. There are so many talented skaters I admire for different reasons but I think New Skids’ Lil Mama. She’s retired now, but she was always really entertaining to watch – with the bonus of added neon!
Shortstop of the Canberra Roller Derby League, Pygmey of Helsinki Roller Derby, Admiral Attackbar of Auld Reekie Roller Girls... to name just a few inspirational short people.
FOR A FULL REPORT ON TODAY’S GAMES, TOGETHER WITH PREVIEWS OF UPCOMING MATCHES (SUCH AS THE CHAMPS GAME ON FEB 21ST) KEEP AN EYE ON OUR TAWDRY WEBSITE BRIGHTONBRATS.COM
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HEADING INTO B-TOWN
Brighton is now home to two derby leagues, as B-Town Brawler FINN THE HUMAN explains...
It’s strange Brighton has only ever had one derby league, when many much smaller towns have several. What will the Brawlers offer that differs from what the Rockers offer? I think the main difference between all current UK derby leagues and the B-Town Brawlers is that they define gender in some way, shape or form (men’s, women’s, co-ed). This sucks for people who are transgender, non-binary or agender, who have to pigeonhole themselves to fit into a league’s gender (according to current UKRDA rules). At the Brawlers, we don’t discriminate on entry to the league based on gender and you can be any gender to join. You could even have no gender at all! How did the B-Town Brawlers come about? We originated via a Facebook conversation between me and my friend Jak, when we decided that Brighton needed a men’s team. I realised as a transgender person that I didn’t feel comfortable in an exclusively female or male league and recognised that there was a huge need for gender inclusive roller derby. In cahoots with my partner Elly and Jak, the con-
MEET THE BRAWLERS cept steamrollered very quickly and we found lots and lots of dedicated people who made it grow. We’re very close to the Eastbourne leagues who have been extremely supportive, and the Rockers who have also been great. Both have offered to lend us skaters and officials, and offered holy advice. I guess we’re kind of like the Rockers’ queer little sibling and Ebo’s younger cousin! We currently have skaters who originate from the Eastbourne leagues, the Rockers and Cambridge. Who can get involved with the new league? What stage are you at currently? We currently have an age limit of 18+ but there have been talks of a gender inclusive youth league in the pipeline, so watch this space! We aim to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, shown in our motto that we “Never leave a person behind”. This has made our practices somewhere really positive to be. Our league has skyrocketed in a matter of a couple of months! We now have over 50 people involved in skating and non-skating roles, and that number is increasing daily. Our first Fresh Meat program started on Sunday (1st Feb) and who knows what the future holds for us. If we carry on growing with the dedicated and passionate Brawlers that we have already, we’ll be unstoppable! People can get in touch by emailing Btownbrawlersrollerderby@gmail.com
RANDOM QUESTION CHALLENGE
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What’s your preferred morning after an after party hangover cure – and does it work? I’m yet to be drunk at an after party, really, so I guess my ‘cure’ is taking preventative measures. It works pretty well! What’s the last place you were thrown out of and why? Myself and a group of friends were sternly asked by the police to remove ourselves from inside a town centre Christmas tree several years ago. Who is the best dancer in the Brighton Rockers? And the worst? Rose’s dancing is my favourite. I’m almost certainly the worst (and the most reluctant). If you could choose any theme for a derby game what would it be? I’d like to see a RuPaul’s Drag Race themed game, where jammers lip synced against each other for points, and blockers just threw around catty remarks about the quality of other skaters’ weave.
If you appeared on Mastermind, what would be your specialist subject? Almost definitely Disney. Which Rocker’s wardrobe of clothes would you most like for yourself? Derby McGee showed up at our Christmas party with a hideous, shiny sports jacket, which I really, really wanted, so probably hers. Is your derby helmet made out of real gold? Yes, and I’m actually looking for a replacement, so if anyone wants to pick up a definitely real gold helmet for a bargain price, you know where to find me...