FVRG Intraleague: Revenge of the Fallen

Last June, Fierce Valley Roller Girls embraced all things Grease-related in their first intraleague bout, Summer Shovin’.

This year’s intraleague on Sunday 25th May will have a Transformers theme: Revenge of the Fallen. Skaters from FVRG will split into the AutoBlocks and DeceptiQuads for one day only to battle it out on track. The line-up will showcase six of the leagues newest skaters: Tri-Sarah-Tops; Bambi; Tiny Tearaway; Johnny Hangover; WhoopAsh and Elburnzo. This will also be the debut outing for ref Wendy Snarling!

The FVRG bout will be held in Grangemouth Sports Complex. Tickets are charged at £5 in advance, and under 14s go free with a paying adult. Due to the limited seating at this venue, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis – and from Brown Paper Tickets only.

Join the Facebook Event to keep up to date with the latest news.

Poster design by Chaos Faerie

The Jakey Bites: One Year On

To celebrate the recent birthday of The Jakey Bites – Scotland’s first Men’s Roller Derby team – we caught up with team skater, Duff McKeggar, to hear about their year so far and their plans for the future. The Jakeys will play their first headline bout at home this coming weekend, so this is a perfect opportunity to learn more about the team before heading along to Grangemouth to show them your support!

In just over a year, The Jakeys have gone from being a “ragtag collection of male referees” from the existing female leagues, to a dedicated team of 22 skaters who travel all over the UK to compete.  They’ve come a long way since heir first training session in a cold airport hanger in Perth in January 2012!

First Training Session: Alan Watt, Marco Vezzani, Martin Willox, Chris Riggeling, Iain Elstone, Dan Blake, Jazza Crawford, Gregg Pearson, Graeme Clark

When the news of a men’s roller derby team in Scotland broke out, enthusiastic male skaters emerged from the derby community to join the 9 refs - a mixture of husbands of female skates, friends of skaters, or those who had watched a bout a thought “I want to try that!”.

The newly-formed team didn’t waste any time in lining up their first bout, despite having barely enough skaters to fill the roster and only recently having passed their minimum skills test. So on 21st April 2012, The Jakey Bites traveled to Newcastle to take on their men’s team: Tyne & Fear. With their bright orange t-shirts, a Rab C. Nesbitt team logo, and a bus-load of supporters, The Jakeys made quite a first impression! The team never won their first bout but that didn’t matter – this was their exploration into the unknown territory of Men’s Roller Derby and getting a glimpse of what the future could hold for them.

Tyne and Fear vs The Jakey Bites, photo courtesy of Tyne and Fear

As well as the brightness of their uniforms that day, the team’s merchandise for sale also raised a few eyebrows. Emblazoned across the back of the t-shirts were the words “Scottish All Stars”. When I asked Duff McKeggar where this name came from, his answer was far less controversial than many had assumed! Duff explains, “It’s pretty much an in-joke. The Jakeys have always based ourselves on the featured team from the movie Rollerball (I must admit I’ve never seen it!) and apparently they are known as ‘The Houston All Stars’ so when we were designing our first t-shirt print run, Scottish All Stars was jokingly mentioned as a possible back print and it stuck!”. Simple!

Coincidentally, there has been a lot of talk recently about standardizing National Team Selection on the UK Roller Derby Association (UKRDA) website, so we were keen to hear if The Jakey Bites had any plans to live up to their All Star title and become the official national team. I must admit, I was disappointed when Duff said the The Jakeys would never be officially recognised as the ‘Team Scotland’ of men’s derby, but he did reassure us that – when the time comes – the roster will hopefully feature a large number of Jakeys.

But before we look too far into the future, let’s look back at what The Jakey Bites have achieved in their first year. By far their most memorable moment was playing in their first public bout against Tyne and Fear after only a few months in existence, explains Duff. The Jakeys also organised and hosted the hugely successful Sur5al tournament in December last year – a knock-out competition of mixed teams of 5 skaters from teams all over Scotland.

Sur5al Tournament, photo courtesy of Claire Brunton of Zenspirations

On a personal note for Duff, he recalls his biggest achievement with The Jakey Bites: “I was delighted to play in the Tyne and Fear bout after only a month of skating which was made all the sweeter by getting the Best Jammer award!  Playing in Scotland’s first men’s derby and co-ed bouts was also a great achievement”.

After their first bout in April 2012, it was full steam ahead with The Jakeys playing 4 more bouts away from home; opening a double-header event for Glasgow Roller Derby in June; and joining force’s with Dundee Roller Girls in the first co-ed bout in Scotland.

The Jakey Tayzers vs The Silvery Bites, photo courtesy of The Jakey Bites

2013 already looks to be very busy for The Jakey Bites – and we’re only in April! There is talk of a Men’s European Roller Derby Tournament taking place later this year, and Duff hopes to see The Jakey Bites in the line-up to showcase the Scottish talent. If we know the The Jakeys, they should have a busy bouting calendar lined up, and hopefully more of these played at home. Duff also ranks their “elusive first win” as a huge priority for the coming year!

With so many more bouts in the pipeline, the question on everyone gent’s lips is: “How do I become a Jakey Bite”? The answer is simple: Duff recommends that you contact the team via their Facebook Page to get more information about their training commitments. Even if you train with the team, your place still must be earned by a rigorous team selection process, with the final decision being with the Captain.

If the prospect of jumping right into a bouting team  isn’t quite what you’re looking for – any one of the regional men’s teams would be happy to sign you up and put you through your paces. Duff explains that The Jakeys “have fully embraced the new leagues and are happy to see men’s derby in Scotland growing so quickly. As the Jakeys are more of a collective than a league we’ve never really had a consistent fresh meat program whereas now the local leagues all have first rate fresh meat programs so ongoing we have a wider pool of talent to choose from”. Duff himself is one of the founder members of Capital City Roller Derby in Edinburgh, and many of his fellow Jakeys are involved with the new leagues in one way or another.

For now, Duff and his teammates are focusing all their efforts in organising and training for their first headline bout that will be played at home on Saturday 6th April.  We’re intrigued to see The Jakeys in action again, especially since Duff lets on that “anyone who hasn’t seen us for a while will be very pleased with how far we have come in such a short time”. He is looking forward to having a loyal home crowd behind them, and hoping that they will put on a good show!

The coming year promises to be very exciting for The Jakey Bites – and Men’s Roller Derby in Scotland – and we can’t wait!

The Jakey Bites play South Wales Silures on 6th April in Grangemouth. Tickets are available to buy online – visit the Facebook Event for more details so you don’t miss out on the action!

 

Mad Smacks: Newcastle Roller Girls vs FVRG

In homage to the remake of Mad Max, Newcastle Roller Girls are hosting ‘Mad Smacks’ on Saturday 30th March: a double-header bout  featuring Fierce Valley Roller Girls.

NRG’s Whippin’ Hinnies will take on FVRG’ s Parma Violents in the first bout of the day, from 12:15 pm. Both teams are keen to hold onto their winning streak, but only one will be victorious!

Tickets can be bought online in advance for £6, or for £7.50 on the door.

Visit the ‘Mad Smacks’ Facebook Event for further details.

Image courtesy of Newcastle Roller Girls

Capital City Fresh Meat

Edinburgh’s first Men’s Roller Derby team are recruiting! On Sunday 21st April, Capital City Roller Derby will hold their first Fresh Meat intake from 7pm – 9pm at The Crags Community Sports Centre, Edinburgh.

CCRD are looking for skaters aged 18 and over of any level (novice to expert) who are dedicated, enthusiastic and want to be part of their awesome team.  They are also looking for potential referees or NSO’s (Non-Skating Officials – both male or female) to register for their Fresh Meat program.

Equipment for this session can be loaned by existing members of CCRD, but they ask that you please register beforehand to avoid disappointment. Email newskaters.ccrd@gmail.com with your contact details and a member of CCRD will confirm your place.

For further details, please see the CCRD’s Fresh Meat Event on Facebook.

CCRD Fresh Meat Poster – image courtesy of Tequila Jammer

‘This Is How I Roll’ – The Scottish Premiere

Mean City Roller Derby are proud to present the Scottish Premiere of This Is How I Roll! The movie screening will be shown at Maryhill Hub, Glasgow on Saturday 2nd March from 7pm.

Tickets are available on the door and priced as follows: Adult VIP – £12.50 (Includes Entry, MCRD T-Shirt and Sticker); Adult - £5; Child (under 16′s): £2.50. Capacity at the venue is limited, but you can reserve a place directly from MCRD via their Facebook Event.

The Jakey Bites vs South West Silures

On Saturday 6th April, The Jakey Bites – Scotland’s All Stars – will take on South Wales Silures at Grangemouth Sports Complex.

Although The Jakey’s have played in a few bouts now, this will be their first Scottish Headliner! Their previous bouts have seen them travel to Newcastle in their debut; they opened Glasgow‘s Home Seasons Tournament in 2012 with a bout against The Inhuman League; and have also played in a co-ed bout with Dundee Roller Girls.

Tickets will be available for £6 online – link to follow. Keep an eye on the Facebook Event for more details.

Field of Screams – Bairn City Rollers vs South Wales Silures

On Sunday 7th April, the Bairn City Rollers will play host to the South Wales Silures in Grangemouth Sports Complex.

This will be the debut bout for both The Bairns men’s team, ‘The Skelpies’, and the Silures – so it’s not to be missed! Tickets are available online from Brown Paper Tickets.

See the Facebook Event to keep up-to-date with the bout details.

Roller Derby: It’s Not Just for Girls!

The Scottish Roller Derby community has traditionally comprised of female-only teams. Well, 2013 is the year where all that will change!

We gave you a sniff of Men’s Roller Derby last year with the introduction of The Jakey Bites – Scotland’s All Star Men’s Team, and as seems to be the way with the sport, this single team has inspired other competitive skate-loving people to get involved! Four offspring leagues have now been born, covering Glasgow & the West; Edinburgh & the Lothians; the Forth Valley; and Tayside & the North East. We expect to see a lot more from each of these leagues over the coming year, so now is your chance to swat up on Who They Are and Where They Come From!

We caught up with reps from each league to learn a bit more about them and how you can contact them if you’re interested in joining their ranks.

Capital City Roller Derby

An interview with Tequila Jammer

When was your league founded, and by whom?

Officially Capital City Roller Derby was launched in December 2012 (making us the newest men’s league) but informally it’s been around for a little longer. It was founded by a bunch of Jakey Bites players (Judder Jam, WKDeid, Genuine Miller Daft, Tequila Jammer, Duff McKegger and Panda). I guess the birth place of Capital City was in Deans Community High School car park on a cold Sunday morning after training, Bairns and Mean City were established and we thought… why not. All of us had skated for a long time with the Jakey Bites and were up for the challenge of starting our own regional league.

What area of Scotland do you cover?

We cover mainly the Edinburgh and the Lothians but we have some seriously committed skaters who travel from Fife, the Borders and the Falkirk area.

What made you decide to start up the league?

Men’s Roller Derby in Scotland was beginning to take off in a big way with the formation of Mean City, Bairn City Rollers and The Tayminators – it made sense to have a league in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is already well established in the derby community and having strong links to other leagues is important to us. I guess we just want to be part of that spirit and prove we are a capable league who take the sport seriously but know how to have a good time as well. The founders have a clear passion for the sport and, honestly, we can’t get enough of it!

Tell us about your plans for 2013, and where you would like to be by this time next year?

2013 looks to be a busy year for us. We have started regular training and are looking to recruit new members and Fresh Meat. From that we hope to gain new members and start to develop a seriously kick ass team as playing some hard hitting, epic men’s derby is our ultimate goal.

Like we said before, building links with other leagues is very important to us as well as promoting men’s derby. Hopefully this time next year Capital City will have gone from a small bunch of Jakeys to a cohesive team of awesome individuals. Also skating (and winning) a bout or two would be pretty sweet.

How can people contact you if they would like to join your league?

Potential awesome Fresh Meat can contact us through our Facebook Page, e-mail us directly (capitalcityrd@gmail.com) or if you see one of our friendly faces at local bouts don’t be afraid to come up and say hi. Also, if people love men’s derby but playing doesn’t appeal to them, there are lots of ways of getting involved. Leagues wouldn’t exist without an awesome NSO and Ref crew.

Bairn City Rollers

An interview with Mega Blocker

When was your league founded, and by whom?

Bairn City Rollers was founded in September 2012 by myself and iHorror (Anthony Sweeney). We were the first men’s league to be established outside of the Jakey Bites Scottish All-Stars.

What area of Scotland do you cover?

As the name suggests, we are based in Falkirk area but that stretches to all of Central Scotland. We have had some enquiries from Edinburgh and Glasgow but we tend to point these guys to Capital City or Mean City, and that has also been reciprocated.

What made you decide to start up the league?

I wanted a ‘Fresh Meat’. I had went along to the Jakey Bites NEDS (non-experienced derby skaters) but I couldn’t keep up. They are a great bunch but it wasn’t what I needed. I had not long taken up skating and had heard great things about the FVRG Fresh Meat programme and thought that it sounded perfect for me, so BCR was born. iHorror and me had a few people interested – in the main people who had never skated so we set about getting things together. We held a launch party and had our Fresh Meat the week after. It’s been awesome!

Tell us about your plans for 2013, and where you would like to be by this time next year?

Well, our first bout – the first male league bout ever in Scotland – is happening on April 7th at Grangemouth Sports Complex, Skelpies against South Wales Silures. That is exciting and terrifying in equal measure but the help we have had from other leagues has been awesome. We also have another couple of bouts lined up but I’ll keep them close to my chest at the until they are signed up.

The other huge thing that happened very late last year was that we went co-ed. The girls in the league are awesome and they are going to have some big news very soon – they would kill me or at the very least flatten me on track if I told though!

The next 12 months are going to be very busy. We will be looking to grow our skating pool, we have Fresh Meat this Sunday (3rd February), and are busy getting the boys bout ready. We have a brilliant social night coming up at Stenhousemuir Cricket Club with Magic Pete on 1st March, new Skelpies t-shirts and then a big charity event in April.

We’ve had brilliant support from the derby community and will hopefully repay that by supporting other leagues as they bout, so you can expect to see us at bouts supporting FVRG, DRG, GRD, ARRG & Mean City to name but a few!

How can people contact you if they would like to join your league?

Via our Facebook Page or Twitter is the easiest. If people are interested, it doesn’t matter if you can skate – all that matters is that you want to join the most awesome sport and bunch of people ever!

Mean City Roller Derby

An interview with BruiseDog

When was your league founded, and by whom?

August 2012 by BruiseDog 6 (Jason Crawford) & Stan Lee Knife 7 (Colin Selfridge)

What area of Scotland do you cover?

Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

What made you decide to start up the league?

I had always wanted to play Roller Derby, however there were not options for men to play in Scotland at the time. So I became a referee as Partick Skateman for the then Glasgow Roller Girls (now Glasgow Roller Derby). I met Three Majors (Colin) whilst reffing and he mentioned that there was interest from many referees and derby widows in setting up a men’s league, perhaps not enough to cover Glasgow but on a wider scale across Scotland.

We both became founding members of The Jakey Bites (Scottish All Stars); we always had the intention to form a Glasgow Men’s league but we realise it may take a little longer to raise the profile of Men’s Roller Derby in Scotland. We knew that there were a lot of misconceptions regarding men in the sport and we needed to let the female leagues know we were serious about this and we were going to treat the sport with the respect it deserves.

After The Jakey Bites had grown, we had gained a lot of bout experience and players – a lot of whom could not face the long drives to Perth where The Jakey Bites trained. We decided it was time to start the first regional league and formed Mean City Roller Derby with some of our teammates from the Glasgow area.

We now have 10 skating members and 1 non skating member due to injury, but that has not put him off. We have regular hall space and three 2 hour practices per week. We are very active in the derby community and often visit other leagues to train, and we also host co-ed skating skills sessions.

Tell us about your plans for 2013, and where you would like to be by this time next year?

2012 was very much about the foundation of the league. 2013 will mostly be about growth. We had our first Fresh Meat intake on the 26th of January at the ARC – a familiar location for those attending Scottish roller derby bouts. We will take on new skaters at any level of skating experience and give them an introduction to roller derby, plus teach them some of the basic skills needed to play the sport. This will be followed by a full newbie intake program for those that would like to stay on and learn the sport.

We hope to have some bouts scheduled in later in the year, starting with some of the local Scottish men’s leagues which have recently formed.

How can people contact you if they would like to join your league?

Anyone that is interested in skating with us can drop us a line at meancityrollerderby@gmail.com, or get in touch via our Facebook Page.

The Tayminators

An interview with Danimal

When was your league founded, and by whom?

The league is still in the process of starting up. It was founded by me, then shortly afterwards I had Phil (Optimus Grime) on board to get things going.

What area of Scotland do you cover?

We aim to cover all areas in the Tayside region and we are most likely going to be based in Perth and/or Dundee – although we have a few skaters wishing to be part of The Tayminators from as far as Aberdeen! So I guess we’re mostly the North East of Scotland.

What made you decide to start up the league?

The idea actually came from Stan Lee Knife (aka 3 Majors/Skol Krusher – a man of many names!), Bruise Dog of Mean City RD, and my Jakey Bites teammates. They suggested that I put the wheels in motion for a team to cover my area now that the local teams are coming together in Glasgow, Falkirk and Edinburgh.

Up until now there has only been one team in Scotland, the Jakey Bites. When we started a year ago we had to pull together from across the country to form the numbers and to bring the men’s game to the table. Now we are looking to expand and the local teams will most certainly do that. It doesn’t mean the end of the Jakey’s though! It’s just the beginning for Scottish Men’s Derby in general!

Tell us about your plans for 2013, and where you would like to be by this time next year?

2013 is definitely the year for Scottish Men’s Derby to step up and be counted!

For The Tayminators, 2013 is the year we are going to put in the legwork to form a dedicated team and train hard to be ready to take on all challenges presented to us! I’m excited to get going! This time next year we hope to have a bouting team, possibly with a game or two under our belts! (As well as the after parties!)

How can people contact you if they would like to join your league?

The most convenient way to get in touch is on our Facebook Page. If anyone is interested, we’d love to hear from them! We are going to have our first meetings and training sessions very soon.

Although we are a men’s team, all are welcome to train with us (male and female) so if anyone from any league fancies an extra chance to skate, they are welcome to join us to train and learn. Of course, we welcome anyone that can share their experience too.

FVRG Fresh Meat – 10th February 2013

After an extremely busy 2012, Fierce Valley Roller Girls are kicking off the New Year with a Fresh Meat intake!

Their taster session will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 10th February in Falkirk*. You will be buddied up with an experienced skater to go through the basics of skating (and stopping!) safely. You will also borrow their safety equipment and skates in this session – but please buy your own mouth guard (you can pick these up for under £5 from Sports Direct). There will be a couple of weeks rest after the taster, and then from Sunday 24th February you will start your dedicated 12-week training programme.

If you are interested in joining FVRG and are over 18 years old, please complete their Online Registration Form to reserve your place in this Fresh Meat intake.

*Times and venue for the taster session will be confirmed once you have registered online

Love Hurts: FVRG vs Preston Roller Girls

The first bout of FVRG‘s 2013 season will see the Parma Violents take on Preston Roller Girls! This will take place on Saturday 16th February, at The Peak Sports Village in Stirling.

The home team are setting themselves a challenge to make this event even bigger and better than their last visit to The Peak. Even though their previous bout clashed with pretty much every other Scottish Roller Derby team, Fierce Valley packed out the main hall in the sports centre and attracted lots of attention from the gym-goers and staff alike.

Doors open at 2pm, for a 2:30pm start. Tickets cost £5 in advance online via Brown Paper Tickets, or £7 on the door. Under 14s are welcome to attend for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Full details of the event can be found on the Facebook Event

Love Hurts Poster, designed by SeenGus