Rugby on skates: Women’s roller derby

Whip It, Jack, Murder and Von Bitch show off their uniforms. Photo Credit: Saad Mustafa

They’re part of a team, or league, called the London Rockin’ Rollers here for a routine Roller Derby practice session, which is one of Britain’s fastest growing grass root sports. It’s been around in the United States for decades and only arrived in Britain four years ago—but there has already been impressive growth with the emergence of twenty four clubs across the UK. And new teams are popping up almost every month across Europe.

The Rockin’ Rollers began skating in 2007 and their members have doubled since. Teams skate around an oval track trying to score points by getting one of their players, the jammer, to pass through the pack of other skaters. There are five players from either side on the floor at a time, including the pivot, blocker, inside and outside. But the rules aren’t that simple. Things can get a little messy. One of the team members Linda Ericsson (‘Kit Kat Power’) described it as “Rugby on skates” – without the ball of course.

Concussions, broken limbs and torn muscles are just some of the injuries roller derby players have suffered. But the Rockin’ Rollers say that injuries are just a part of sport. One of the team’s most experienced members Jayne Plackett (‘Bloody Valentine’) explained legal blocking maneuvers as anything between the shoulders and knees—almost anything goes.

But everyone wears protective gear like helmets, mouth guards and elbow and knee pads—and players aren’t allowed to skate until they do so. Jayne says that people don’t have to be expert skaters to join the sport. The team has a ‘newbie’ program which runs from 10-12 weeks that teaches the basics of skating.

Refreshingly, this is primarily a female dominated contact-sport, but if you look around closely, you can spot the lone male somewhere in the room. In fact men are allowed to help out as referees—with interesting names like ‘Pissed and Broke’.

The names are probably one of the more invigorating aspects of the sport. There is one organization in the US where players can register their name and number, which is unique to them. Some put a crazy twist to their own names, while others just make up intimidating titles like the ‘Von Bitch’.

Finances though still remain a problem for the fledgling sport and teams mostly have to promote events themselves through the internet and word-of-mouth—the equipment doesn’t come cheap either. But some equipment manufacturers are beginning to sponsor sides. While players in the states may be able to earn a sizeable amount playing the sport, the Rockin’ Rollers all rely on day jobs.

According to the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation three percent of women participate in team sports compared to seventeen percent of men—so why are more women joining one like roller derby? Linda says there are a number of reasons—the most important being the need to break free from the daily routine and add some much-needed excitement.

Dr. Victor Thompson, a clinical sports psychologist, says that the pressures of daily life drive both men and women to have physiological stimulation and rushes of the ‘feel good’ hormone, endorphin. But Dr. Thompson puts the increasing participation of women down to the changing dynamic of society where they occupy increasingly dominant roles. He says their more aggressive roles allow them to express themselves in a similar manner in sports. Dr. Thompson says that Roller Derby, like other active sports, also has health benefits. It helps improve cardiovascular health and has real social advantages for those involved.