In just four busy years, the Victorian Roller Derby League has gone from an unranked, unknown team to fourth in the world, with the sport taking the Preston based league to the USA to compete in top teams from across the globe.
The Victorian Roller Derby League (VRDL) is a skater owned and run women’s flat track roller derby league, founded in Preston, early 2007. What began with a handful of dedicated female skaters teaching themselves the basics of roller derby via Youtube, has now expanded beyond their wildest dreams to include four home teams, three travel teams, and a current top four international ranking.
Now with more than 100 members comprising some of the best skaters, coaches and officials in the world, the VRDL has a lot to be proud of.
Roller derby is fast becoming a powerhouse sporting movement, as the fastest growing sport in the country and the fastest growing female sport in the world.
It is a complex game, played on quad roller skates. Its level of sophistication grows with each passing year as the international Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) continues to mould and shape this intense, athletic sport. Gone are the days of fishnets and booty shorts: roller derby has evolved into a physical, dynamic event with skaters training up to five nights a week to ready themselves for competition.
To create a home team season, played before an avid fanbase, the league’s four home teams play double-header games throughout the year. The Dead Ringer Rosies, Dolls of Hazzard, Toxic Avengers, and Rock Mobsters are made up of players with varying skill levels – from developing skaters, to world champions who have represented the country on Team Australia in the Roller Derby World Cup.
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Mel Buttigieg