Watch LRG on Blue Peter!

If you missed out on seeing London Roller Girls earning themselves some Blue Peter badges, check out the footage HERE!!

Awesome coverage girlies, am very jealous ;)

Jet Stepper xxx

It's Official!!!

Texas Rollergirls Bootcamp comes to London!!!

That’s right ladies and gents, its on!!

London Rollergirls is proud to announce that in conjunction with the Texas Rollergirls, we are bringing you your very own local version of the awesome Texas Rollergirls Bootcamp. Not only that, but the venue is HUGE! That’s right, ExCel London has been lassoed in for both the boot camp and the bout.

When? Saturday March 20th and Sunday March 21st, 8am to 4pm and 9am to 7pm

Where? ExCel London, E16 1XL

What do you get?

* 2 days (Sat 20th, Sun 21st) of track time with the TXRG.

* One trainer for every 13 skaters.

* Multiple tracks and a huge space.

* The WFTDA head ref running the ref bootcamp.

* Helpful bout footage critiques.

* Workshops on all aspects of derby

* Chat time with the Executive Director of the WFTDA, Bloody Mary.

* A chance to pre-buy a ticket to the bout before it goes on sale to the general public!

Some of the topics covered for different levels include…

* Beginner camp:

* T stops

* turn-around-stops

* snow plows

* cross overs

* basic form

* basic game play

* rules for flat track derby

* land drills to build core and leg strength

* light scrimmaging with minimal contact

Intermediate/Advanced camp:

* pack control

* work on lane coverage

* work on frontal blocking

* mastering assists

* more advanced game play strategy

* land drills for strength and fitness

* and of course…scrimmaging!

Referee Camp:

* Review of WFTDA rules, hand signals

* Go over the steps you need to take to become a WFTDA certified ref - including review of test material

* Discussion of reffing situations and how to call scenarios

* On skates reffing of drills and scrimmage

How Much?

Boot Camp and Bout Ticket - £115

Boot Camp Only - £100

Ref Boot Camp and Bout Ticket - £65

Ref Boot Camp Only - £50

REGISTER NOW AT: http://www.londonrollergirls.com/

and check out the Facebook Event HERE

Stop Press, Save The Date

SAVE THE DATE!

Don't buy the t-shirt yet, but keep the cash handy...

On the weekend of the LRG vs TXRG Hustlers game (March 20/21)  there is a STRONG possibility that there will also be a genuine Texas Rollergirls Bootcamp!

The Texas Rollergirls are the mothers of flat track roller derby, their travel team is currently ranked #2 in WFTDA, they have cool Texas accents, AND their boot camps are famous for being super awesome.  We really hope to be able to bring this chance for everyone in Europe to take part.

Why the wait you ask?

As per usual, it's all down to venues.  We are simply waiting to confirm if we are able to get a venue big enough to do the event justice.  We are talking multiple tracks of awesomeness and room for everyone to get some quality skate time with the TXRG showing you their ropes.

So....please signal your interest by filling out our save the date form.  It will help us determine how much room we might need, how many days we can include, and it will also ensure that you are first on the email list for when/if it goes on sale in the near future!

Get your skates on!

FILL OUT THE FORM:  http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHZaWGpaZjVUWW9DSDlUVFlCZW9xX0E6MA

Club Tropicarnage Tickets on Sale Now ...

Who? LRG Intraleague Bout - Suffra Jets vs Ultraviolent Femmes

When? Saturday February 6th, 5pm - 9pm

Where? Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, London

The Suffra Jets take on the Ultraviolent Femmes in the second bout of the 2009/10 London Rollergirls season!

The Ultraviolent Femmes are looking for their first win of the season after going down to the Steam Rollers in December's season opener, and the defending champion Suffra Jets make their 2010 debut missing some key players from last season but with some promising new skaters. Which way will it go? Find out with us on Feb 6th at Tottenham Green!

Doors 5pm, bout 6pm. Tickets £10 advance or £12 on the door, including afterparty. There'll be all the usual fun, cupcakes, an awesome charity raffle, audience races at half time and of course the best roller derby action you'll see this side of the Atlantic!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! http://www.londonrollergirls.com

Roller Derby in the Christmas Press ...

So, as predicted, the arrival of Whip It! to UK screens, has heralded an influx of coverage of the sport in the national press. 
Apologies, as due to an Xmas break, the R'U'B' is a little bit behind, but if you haven't already read them, check out the recent articles in the TIMES and the Observer.  The first is frankly almost a waste of space for how little info it includes, but the Observer piece is a great round-up of Whip It! by LRG's Jessica Holland (anyone know her Derby name?) ... which was in quite a similar vein to the review we posted of Whip It! here at the Round-Up Bout in October.

Enjoy!

Winter Wonderslam Round-Up

Photo by Mike King

Steam Rollers 147 - Ultraviolent Femmes 55

Mention London RollerGirls to anyone in the UK Roller Derby community and you can be sure they’ll have an opinion. Then mention that you have an LRG Season Ticket (crafty marketing there ladies!) and watch them turn green…

Having never witnessed any of the LRG Teams in action before, news of their second intra-league season (in addition to their tournament bouts alongside Birmingham Blitz Dames at Tattoo Freeze, Jan 17th, 2010) had me salivating. Even the prospect of ten butt-numbing hours of National Express drudgery (per bout) couldn’t dim my enthusiasm.

Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, LRG’s home turf, is a tight squeeze for players and fans alike, making for an intimate experience. Whilst the programme states that having a rollergirl in your lap is a privilege, it neglects to mention that it’s also a virtual certainty!

Following Referee and NSO introductions, the teams performed their skate outs. The Ultraviolent Femmes immediately endeared themselves to me by skating out, en masse, to a song by Slayer (which seemed strangely appropriate, despite their Clockwork Orange-inspired team persona) whilst, in contrast, the Steam Rollers skated out individually, one clockwise, one counter-clockwise. Could this be indicative of anything – a solid team against a group of individuals? … Or was I just over-analysing?

Everything that happened afterwards is a bit of a blur…

No, I’m being serious! That’s how fast the bout was played!

And trust me when I say the score line doesn’t do this bout any justice either.

Within two or three jams the Steam Rollers had already stamped their authority on the bout, racking up a dozen plus points and denying the Ultraviolent Femmes any in the process. Consistently superior pack-work coupled with dynamic Jammer strategies saw the Rollers pile on the points at will, whilst the Femmes struggled to break through the pack with any regularity.  There were Jamwiches galore throughout the first period, the majority of which had a Femme filling.

The tension within the Femmes camp spilled onto the track on a number of occasions as the suicide seats played host to a number of players (Quad Ophelia lays claim to five squatters during the course of the bout, and I played host to a couple). Outside Pack Ref’ Henry The Sk8th was taken out at one point, as was one of the many photographers (his tripod may never be the same again!). The sin bin also became over-subscribed towards the end of the period, as both teams cleared their Minors and played short. However, even with three Rollers in the penalty box, the Femmes weren’t able to close them out and bring the scores anywhere near level, further compounding their problems come the end of the first period.

I can’t supply half-time scores for stat’s fiends I’m afraid – but, as Dominic Toretto once said: “It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning's winning.”

(If memory serves, the score was 3/1 in favour of the Rollers (roughly 120 – 40). And, for the record, the half-time intermission included fans racing around the track on space hoppers!)

The second period started in much the same vein as the first, with the Rollers locking out the Femmes at every opportunity, whilst continuing to press home every scoring advantage. Fox Sake and Sky Rockit put another twenty points on the board for the Rollers without any real response from the Femmes within the first few jams. (Apologies to any of the other Steam Rollers Jammers who scored during this period and who I haven’t mentioned by name – Fox and Sky really stood out to me.)

To the Femmes credit, they took this in their stride, and made every effort to hamper the Rollers’ scoring efforts thereafter without jeopardising their own. It was slow but steady work on their part, bordering on death by inches, which might have paid dividends had the half-time score been more favourable. Kamikaze Kitten, Ninjette, and Vagablonde chipped away, jam by jam, to more than double their first period score – indeed, the last few jams saw the Femmes finally get their groove on in a big way (again, sadly not reflected in the final score).

And so, the first of this season’s LRG’s intra-league bouts ended with a decisive victory for the Steam Rollers (147) and a humbling defeat for the Ultraviolent Femmes (55).

Tattoo Freeze will show whether the Femmes can move beyond this, and allow them the chance to try out any new ideas and build upon what they did towards the end of Winter Wonderslam ahead of the next intra-league bout on Feb 6th, against the Suffra Jets (whom the Steam Rollers will face in a closed bout on Feb 27th).


El Toupee

A Host of Winter Wonderslam Pics for you ...

Check out more of Freddie Fraggles' photos here ....

... and Steve Newton's photos here ...

and Mike King's here!

WFTDA Rule Change may affect your numbers ...

December 1st marks an update in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Rules.

For full details on the changes, check out the WFTDA News Page, but one key change has derby girls around the world panicking.

From December 1st, 2009, uniform numbers of officially rostered WFTDA skaters must contain at least one number, and while they may contain letters, the combination of numbers or numbers and letters cannot exceed four digits.  For example XIX is no longer allowed, but X1X would be allowed.

There is some question as to how much this change will affect UK Leagues, as only London Rollergirls are currently affiliated members of the WFTDA, as mentioned last month when they were awarded Apprentice Program status.

But it's definitely something to keep in mind ....

Jet Stepper #83

Show some love for the Glasgow Roller Girls ....

We all saw earlier this month what the power of the Roller Derby community can do, with LRG's awesome win in the British Airways Great Britons competition ....

so let's use our community powers again! Glasgow Roller Girls have got a brand new fan page on Facebook, and have set themselves the challenge of reaching 666 Members by Xmas ....
here at The Round-Up Bout I reckon we can go even better than that.

To date there are 574 Fans ... let's see how quickly we can get them past 1000!

CLICK HERE to become a fan if you haven't already

Jet Stepper xx

London Rollergirls join the WFTDA

This month London Rollergirls became the first ever league outside of North America to be accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.  
The girls have joined the WFTDA as Apprentice Program participants, and will be working within the organisation to achieve full membership in the coming months.

"WFTDA is delighted to begin collaborating with overseas leagues," says Juliana Gonzales, Executive Director for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. "We have a lot to learn from each other, and we're excited to see the strength of the flat-track derby community expand its reach outside North America."

Formed in 2004, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association is comprised of 78 full members and 24 Apprentice Program participants.  The WFTDA anticipates an influx of overseas applicants in the coming months.

Winter Wonderslam!

Who? Ultraviolent Femmes (LRG) vs Steam Rollers (LRG)

When? December 5th 5pm - 8pm

Where? Tottenham Leisure Centre, 1 Philip Lane, Tottenham, London

MORE INFO

London Rollergirls are back ....

With the first bout of their second league season. Last season the Steam Rollers and Ultraviolents ended up watching the Suffra Jets take the league championship - so this time they both have something to prove, and they have some new team members to help with the effort.

Who will start off with a bang and a win? Be there to see the hard-hitting roller derby action in person. Tickets will be for sale online soon

LRG win Great Britons Competition!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonrollergirls/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Congratulations LRG!!! Kamikaze Kitten and the rest of the London Rollergirls were awarded free flights to US to help them train with New York's Gotham Girls.


Here's what the girls had to say about it ....
Millions and millions of thanks from all of us here at the LRG for voting for us in the Great Britons competition! We just got official word that we won the public vote, and we will get 14 free flights to New York next April! This is such a massive boost for us and takes a lot of the pressure off fundraising for the tour. We promise to bring back what we learn!!

Check out their victory HERE and cheers to all of you who voted!

Bout Announcement - LRG v Texas Rollergirls - Hustlers

Photo by Bill Smotrilla

The London Rollergirls have finally announced the identity of their secret opponents!  On March 20th, LRG will be hosting the Texas Rollergirls' Hustlers 

The Texas Rollergirls are widely regarded as the godmothers of women’s flat track roller derby being the original league that got it all going back in 2002. The Hustlers feature several members of the fearsome Texecutioners, the TXRG all-star team (ranked #1 in the WFTDA South Central region and heading to Nationals in November as one of the top four seeds) as well as a couple of girls who have been playing derby right since the start.  In fact, 'Babe Ruthless' the namesake of Ellen Page's character in the recent roller derby film Whip It! now skates for the Hustlers!

LRG are incredibly proud and excited to host them in London, and acknowledge this will be their toughest test yet.

More info to come soon regarding venue, ticket info and other exciting derby events happening that weekend, but for now, save the date… if you’re in the UK and you love derby, London is where you want to be that weekend

VOTE to help London Rollergirls skate in the US ....

CLICK HERE to give your vote in the British Airways Great Britons competition to Kamikaze Kitten and the London Rollergirls.


What is the Great Britons Programme about?


As the official airline partner of the London 2012 Games, British Airways has launched a programme called Great Britons, which will help and inspire people in the UK to be the best they can be. This scheme will look for individuals who demonstrate the values associated with Olympic and Paralympic Games and who strive to be the best, whether their passion is in sport, music, fashion, performing arts, art and design, innovation, or community.
BA are giving 180 flights away this year to talented individuals and groups.
For many, this once in a lifetime chance gives them the boost they need for their careers to take off to the next exciting level.


What Kamikaze Kitten has to say about the competition ....



Winning would mean being able to push myself to a new level as a sportswoman, and help the fledgling women's sport of Roller Derby grow and be recognised throughout the UK. The London Rollergirls are working hard in order to raise enough funds to fly our All Stars team, of which I am captain, over to the US and take up the invitation to train with Gotham Girls Roller Derby in New York – the top ranked US Roller Derby team.
In July we hosted and won the inaugural European Roller Derby tournament in Earls Court, London. We brought together over 12 European teams for this weekend event which culminated in the London Rollergirls comfortably winning the title of European Champions. Training with the Gotham Girls will let us take UK roller derby to the next level. We are hoping to take full advantage of our trip across the pond and play at least four US teams along the East Coast of the US to maximise our learning. We are fundraising hard to raise cash for this trip – winning this competition would take us a big step towards achieving our goal.
This is more than just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and my team to play at the very top of our game; it's an opportunity for the sport of Roller Derby as a whole. Along with other members of London Rollergirls, I have been active in travelling around the UK and Europe, coaching other teams as far afield as Glasgow and Berlin. The skills we will learn taking on the titans of the sport will be passed on to benefit the entire UK Roller Derby community and this opportunity would mean really putting UK Roller Derby on the map. It’s not just one skater this would make a difference to, it’s over 400 roller derby players in the existing 23 leagues in the UK, and the hundreds that are waiting for a team to appear in their city or town. 


So ... show some Derby solidarity, and CLICK ON THIS LINK to vote for the girls to get free flights to New York.  It only takes a couple of minutes, and you can even link the site to your Facebook to make voting even easier.

The Derby Zine needs your questions .....

.... about boutfits and bout make-up!

Regulars to The Round-Up Bout will remember me posting a link to a new Derby-zine.  One of the Zine's columnists, Hula Gunn of the London Rollergirls , has specially requested the help of Round-Up Bout readers.

Hulz wants your questions and queries for a column on derby boutfits and bout make-up.  If you or your league have any questions you want answered, then email Hula Gunn HERE

Jet Stepper xx

Loch Mess

On November the 22nd Auld Reekie Rollergirls are having their second intra-league bout featuring the

Highland Heathens v. Celtic Chaos !!

This bout will feature guest skaters from the Glasgow Roller Girls.

 

The last intra league bout 'Fishnet Burns Night', which featured guest skaters

from the London Rollergirls, was a very close game with a score of

100-88 to the Highland Heathens!!!

 

Where? - Jack Kane Sports Centre, Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh

When?  - Doors open from 3pm, Sunday November 22nd
How much? - Tickets £7 or £4 concessions

Tickets available soon!!!
 

More info available HERE  and also check out ARRG's Facebook Fanpage

London Rollergirls hit BBC Breakfast News ....

Direct from the BBC News Website ...

Roller derby is a sport dominated by women, but many a man may be intimidated by this fast-paced and often aggressive game.

It has been a popular pastime in the US for decades and is now catching on around the world, including in the UK.

Mike Bushell got his skates on to meet the inaugural European champions, the London Rollergirls All Stars, ahead of the new league season. 

SEE VIDEO!!!