All roads lead to Meadowbank this weekend when the Auld Reekie roller derby team host a major international tournament known as “The Homecoming”.
Clubs from Marseille, Madrid and London will be in town helping the Capital outfit celebrate returning to the former Commonwealth Games stadium after a near decade long absence..
Currently ranked 21st in Europe the Auld Reekies had a long association with Meadowbank until it was closed for extensive redevelopment in December 2017.
After re-opening was delayedthe club found a temporary home at Dalkeith Community Campus. Now, after an eight-year wait, Auld Reekie are thrilled to be welcomed back to Meadowbank to host a world-class, two-day tournament featuring four elite European teams across six games
The event promises to be a high-speed, strategic showcase of top-level roller derby.
Re-charged from a winter break, and following a landmark victory over fierce rivals Dublin for the first time since 2016, the Auld Reekie All Stars will be determined to triumph on home ground.
Captains Sasha de Buyl and Caitlin O’Carroll said: “2025 was a great year for our club. We had a fun and challenging season with tough games and wins against some of Europe’s top teams. We’re so excited to bring roller derby back into the city, showcase our sport, and share that energy with our home crowd. We hope to inspire others to get involved.”
Auld Reekie Roller Derby first played at Meadowbank Stadium in 2009, when the club was just a year old and relied on visiting skaters from London to help form its early inter-club teams, Celtic Chaos and Highland Heathens. Since then, both the club and the sport have grown significantly, with Auld Reekie skaters now travelling across Europe to compete and coach.
Team Coach and founding member Lianne ‘Legs’ Little, who skated with ARRD for 16 years, remembers that first ever game fondly.
“It was called Fishnet Burns and brought together a tiny but passionate community to make it happen,” said Lianne, adding: “We had two teams, officials, jeerleaders, and absolutely no idea what we were doing on track! That game became a catalyst for the club’s growth. This tournament is about celebrating our community, our resilience, and returning to the venue where our story began.”
The Homecoming tournament will also feature off-track entertainment, including a vendor village with food, drink and marketplace stalls, plus halftime performances. Further announcements will be made via Auld Reekie Roller Derby’s social media channels.
· Action starts at 10.30am on Saturday, running through to 7pm. On Sunday the start time is 8.30am with the event concluding at 3.30.
