Live! Roller Derby! Auld Reekie Roller Girls’ Home Season starts on Saturday 16th February 2013, 2-5pm when Skatefast Club will take on the Cherry Bombers at Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh. More details on tickets on the ARRG website 2nd Home Season Bout: Cherry Bombers vs Skatefast Club
Then on Saturday 9th March 2013, 2-5pm the Leithal Weapons play Skatefast Club at Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh All details of this match here on the ARRG site 3rd Home Season Bout: Skatefast Club vs Leithal Weapons
The following month on Saturday 6th April 2013, 2-5pm there will be a HOME TEAM FINAL at Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh and again more details here Home Season Final! – Doubleheader
Tickets: £5 plus booking fee online, £7 on the door.
Available from: Eventbrite
Free for children aged 14 and under!
ARRG have this to say:-
“The next bout takes place on Saturday 16th February 2013 when the Cherry Bombers take on the Skatefast Club. Will they be able to recover from a shaky start and fight their way to a win? The Skatefast Club fought hard in last year’s home season, ending up in the final against the Leithal Weapons – they’ll definitely want to repeat that performance, and a win against the Cherry Bombers would send them on their way. Come and watch the second bout of the Home Season, and see for yourself the sport that everyone’s talking about.
Our clued-up commentators will keep you in the loop about what’s happening on track, so don’t worry if you’re a derby novice. You’ll also have the chance to buy our t-shirts, badges and stickers to show your support for Edinburgh’s one and only roller derby league and its three home teams. Does your heart belong to the Leithals, the Bombers or Skatefast? You’ll know after attending a bout. There’ll be stalls galore in our ‘vendors’ village’ – be sure not to miss the famous cakes, lovingly made by the Auld Reekie Roller Girls community. Whether you’re a derby virgin or a roller veteran, don’t miss the chance to see Edinburgh’s top skaters take each other on. You won’t have seen anything like this!”
What is modern roller derby?
Roller derby is an all-female sport that involves teams competing on an oval track in a series of ‘jams’ – two minute periods that see teams of five players each battling to score points. During each jam, one player on each team is designated as the ‘jammer’ who scores a point for every member of the opposing team she passes.
The sport requires a punishing array of agile and athletic skills, from zig-zag blocking moves to body slams to all-out speed-skating. To perfect these manoeuvres, skaters commit to several hours of practice every week, paying for gear and practice space out of their own pockets.
While it has its roots in sports-entertainment-style exhibition bouts going back as far as the 1930s, modern roller derby has reinvigorated the game with a grass-roots DIY ethos that puts the passion for athleticism front-and-centre.
The trend finally reached Edinburgh in 2008, when a small group of women founded ARRG. The Edinburgh league now averages at over 80 skaters, and is run purely on the volunteer efforts of its members. Auld Reekie Roller Girls recently became full member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
