Academy League Magazine Issue 5 - July / August 2015 | Page 11

On a national scale, the All Stars are also three-time reigning champs of the biennial Australasian tournament The Great Southern Slam (TGSS), held in Adelaide.

Aside from the international representative A team, VRDL also consists of a B team; Queen Bees, and a C team; Sparkle Motion.

A far cry from being the underdogs, the Queen Bees are also proving themselves a force to be reckoned with, as one of the country’s top ranked teams. Adding to the trophy cabinet at VRDL clubhouse affectionately known as ‘The Factory’, the Queen Bees are champions of the 2013 Vic/Tas tournament, as well as last year’s inaugural Victorian Bendigo Rebellion tournament.

Queen Bees captain Amy Booth, known on track as Blondage, said the team was still on a high after significant wins at the Queen’s Birthday Royal Rumble tournament in Queensland, where they came up against some of the country’s best teams.

“We’ve got talented and dedicated women on these teams who have been working hard on gameplay and strategy,” she said.

Queen Bees teammate Jackie Collins, aka Florence the Machine, agrees, saying the sport has evolved from a novelty to an international phenomenon.

“Some people tend to think of roller derby as a choreographed spectacle like wrestling – it’s moved away from that and it’s a much more athletic sport now,” she said.

More details visit: facebook.com/victorianrollerderbyleague or vrdl.org

VRDL 2015 home season dates

* Sunday 23rd August

* Sunday 22nd November

Picture: Dave Arnold

The VRDL Queen Bees celebrate their The Great Southern Slam (TGSS) 2014 tournament victory

Picture: Dave Arnold

The Dolls of Hazzard attempt to block The Rock Mobsters jammer