It’s so close now … in only a few days time the BEST teams in the MRDA will converge on Salem, Orgeon for the 2018 MRDA Championships. Can’t make it to the venue? Tyranny of distance got you down? It’s ok sports fans, we’ve got your back! Click on that link below, get your watch pass, gather your pets, prepare a beverage (adult or otherwise) and settle in for a weekend of derby action.
Watch the 2018 MRDA Championships Live!
MRDA continues to work internationally to ensure we’re providing as safe an environment as possible to be involved in roller derby with our member leagues. This safety isn’t just about skaters on the track playing a full contact sport, but extends to everyone in our community attending MRDA events and MRDA members who are attending other roller derby events. Recently, the MRDA membership voted to adopt a full Sexual Harassment Policy, using language collaborated on by St Louis Gatekeepers and Sydney City SMASH.
The policy sets out expectations of behaviour, and actions that can be taken if a breach of the policy occurs. MRDA members can access the updated Policies and Procedures document, including this new policy, via the “Important Links” menu in MRDA Central.
MRDA is excited to announce Autumn Rankings for our member leagues, along with the tournament brackets for the upcoming MRDA Championships hosted by Bridgetown Roller Derby in Salem, Oregon.
1 St. Louis Gatekeepers
2 Bridgetown Roller Derby
3 Southern Discomfort
4 Roller Derby Toulouse
5 Manchester Roller Derby
6 Vancouver Murder
7 Texas Men’s Roller Derby
8 Magic City Misfits
9 Philadelphia Hooligans
10 Shock Exchange
11 Mohawk Valley Roller Derby
12 Austin Anarchy
13 Denver Ground Control
14 Tyne and Fear Roller Derby
15 Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder
16 Puget Sound Outcast Derby
17 San Diego Aftershocks
18 Race City Rebels
19 Toronto Men’s Roller Derby
20 Drive-By City Rollers
21 Mass Maelstrom
22 Minnesota Men’s Roller Derby
23 Your Mom Men’s Derby
24 Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby
25 Lane County Concussion
26 Chicago Bruise Brothers
27 Carolina Wreckingballs
28 Manneken Beasts
29 Barrow Infernos
30 Wisconsin Men’s Roller Derby
31 Chinook City Roller Derby
32 Dakota Men’s Roller Derby
33 Casco Bay Roller Derby
34 Pittsburgh Blue Streaks
35 Houston Men’s Roller Derby
36 Atlanta Men’s Roller Derby
37 Collision Men’s Derby
38 Wheels of Mayhem
39 South Wales Silures
40 Cleveland Men’s Roller Derby
41 Nottingham Roller Derby
42 Flour City Fear Men’s Roller Derby
43 Harm City Men’s Derby
44 Detroit Men’s Roller Derby
45 Capital City Hooligans
46 Crash Test Brummies
Not Eligible for Ranking This Period
Brisbane City Rollers 1
Capital City Derby Doods 3
Cincinnati Battering Rams 2
Derby Club le Crès Lattes Montpellier 2
Granite City Brawlers 4
Men’s Roller Derby Japan 0
Montreal Men’s Roller Derby 4
Panam Squad 4
Pioneer Valley Roller Derby 0
Sioux City Korn Stalkers 0
Sydney City SMASH 2
Thunderquads Roller Derby Masculino 2
Varsity Derby League 1
Victoria Men’s Roller Derby 0
West Swedish Roller Derby Society 4
Wirral Roller Derby 0
Hiatus
Capital District Trauma Authority
East Anglo Smacksons
Milton-Keynes Roller Derby
New Orleans Brass Roller Derby
Tampa Bay Men’s Roller Derby
Tampere Rollin’ Bros
The Inhuman League
The Skaters Grim
Vermont Men’s Roller Derby
Qualifiers are over and teams are gearing up for the 2018 MRDA Championships in Portland, Oregon.
Meanwhile in Aberdeen, Scotland…Granite City Brawlers are preparing for their first MRDA endorsed tournament; the Silver City Cup. This tournament will see six MRDA teams take to the track on 22-23 September to take home the cup. The teams are Crash Test Brummies, Derby Club Le Crès Lattes Montpellier, Nottingham Roller Derby, South Wales Silures Roller Derby, Tampere Rollin’ Bros and of course hosts Granite City Brawlers.
We caught up with the tournament hosts and representatives from some of the participating teams to find out what their goals are and what they’re most looking forward to.
MRDA: Tell us a little bit about the tournament
GCB: This tournament was specifically targeted at unranked teams or teams that hadn’t passed the 40th rankings (by the spring rankings!). We really wanted to host something that would help give opportunities to teams in these positions and give them 3 sanctioned games in one weekend. Ultimately to help provide more eligible teams for 2019 european qualifiers.
Bringing higher level derby and sanctioned games to Aberdeen is great for our local community also. Showing visiting teams our city and shire and what we can achieve up here in the north of our wee island!
MRDA: What is your goal for the tournament?
TRB: This tournament is really a kickstart for Rollin’ Bros. We’ve been on hiatus and the team has changed a bit since the last time we played. We just want to get back into it basically. We also have a few skaters making their debuts. But we’re not coming there as tourists and we’re up for a fight, that’s for sure! Still it’s always hard to predict how we will do.
NRD: Our experience at MEQ has helped us to really bond as a team, we’ve got a lot closer and it feels even more like we’re all pushing to get to the same place. We want to start harnessing that energy and using it to help us pick up the wins we know we can achieve. One of our goals will be to even the score with the Brummies after their win against us on September 1st.
CTB: Our main goal is to play together as a team. We’ve had a tough year with a lot of turnover and had to play games short against some really strong opponents. We’ve lost some players and support team and thankfully we’ve gained some fresh faces as well as levelling up our existing ones. Now we’re finally in a place where we can say “This is the Crash Test Brummies”.
GCB: Our goal is to put into practice everything we’ve worked on for the last year; working as a unit, communicating and being effective. We want everyone to experience the excitement of a tournament and hopefully inspire the team to want to do more tournament style events!
MRDA: What are you most looking forward to?
CTB: Personally, I’m looking forward to playing against Kamiquadz. I’ve never played them before, so it will be exciting to see what they can bring.
TRB: There is so much. I’ve always wanted to play SWS so it’s nice to meet them finally. Also seeing new teams (for me) like Smash Brollers and Granite City will be so cool. We’ve played Montpellier and Brummies in the past and it’s going to be nice to catch up. Finally I’m making my debut as a blocker so it’s sure to be an exciting event on many fronts!
GCB: We’re really looking forward to putting on a good event and hosting these teams in our city. From a gameplay perspective though we’re really looking forward to seeing Brummies. We played Beta Test Brummies almost two years ago which had a lot of their regular players but playing in different positions. It will be great to see them at full capacity with their new team! And although I’ve seen skaters from Kamiquadz and Tampere play at MRDWC, I’ve never seen the teams play so definitely looking forward to that too.
NRD: I’m personally most looking forwards to stopping at a Tim Hortons in Glasgow on the way up AND the way back, because no matter how well my diet and gym routine are going, a boy needs his timbits and large dark roast double-double.
From a derby point of view I’ve not seen SWS play in ages so it’ll be good to see them and I’ve been a fan of the Tampere uniforms for ages, so hopefully they’ll have some there to pick up.
If you want to know who answered the questions…
Granite City Brawlers; Pudz & MoMo (skaters)
Crash Test Brummies; Doom (skater)
Nottingham Roller Derby; Cupid Stunt (bench coach)
Tampere Rollin’ Bros; Kenny Superpowers (skater)
More information on the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/616684768693015/
Meet the announcers selected for the coming 2018 MRDA Championships in Portland (Oregon, USA) from October 12th to 14th. Congratulations to all of them who were selected.
The MRDA, the international governing body of men’s roller derby, has added two new leagues to its ranks.
The first league is from Glasgow, Scotland; Glasgow Men’s Roller Derby (https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowMensRollerDerby). The league formed in August 2016 as a group of skaters that wanted a more competitive focus within roller derby. They are looking forward to more growth in roller derby and the MRDA as well as the leagues within it and seeing the competitive pool of talent rise.
The second are from Adelaide, Australia; Light City Derby (https://www.facebook.com/LightCityDerby). The league was established in July 2011 and we look forward to their contribution to men’s roller derby.
More information can be found at: www.mrda.org
Following two epic MRDA Qualifiers, we’re now on countdown to the main event which will be hosted by Portland Men’s Roller Derby (Portland, Oregon) on October 12th through 14th 2018.
It’s been an amazing season which would not have been possible without the countless hours that our volunteers and officials have put in and we’d like to thank everyone who has applied thus far.
There could, however, be only one dream team; headed up by THR Oh Grr and THNSOs Dragon Harass and Butt Force Trauma; and all under the watchful eye of GTO Loco Motive, your officiating dream team is…
Oh, and just when you thought that this announcement couldn’t get anymore gargantuan, your Crew Heads are Bambi, Ninja, Darth Bling, Mortricia, Chiro-Fracture and Tenacious D Cup!
With just over a month to go, the cogs are falling into place and the anticipation is palpable; watch this space for all your MRDA news and announcements.
Can’t be in Halifax this weekend for European Qualifiers? Watch all the action from the comfort of your own home –
We’re just about recovered from the North American Qualifiers here at MRDA HQ, but there’s little time to relax just yet as we hurtle toward the European leg of the competition.
Hosted by Manchester Roller Derby, the European Qualifiers will take place between 18th and 19th August at the centrally located North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax and will determine who places in October’s championship playoff finals in Portland, OR.
The teams competing are, in no particular order, Manneken Beasts, Barrow Infernos, Tyne and Fear, Nottingham Roller Derby and Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder; we’ve taken the opportunity to catch up with each of them and pose those all important questions that you’ve all been dying to ask.
Here we chew the fat with Tyne and Fear’s Sixty Quad Bit who is currently wearing number 64 and blocking, and his teammate Dog who skates as number 82; we can’t print his preferred position, what with this being a family publication…
What does it mean to be a part of MEQ?
SQB: A Couple of years ago I thought I was never going to be able to play roller derby again due my health getting worse (due to Ulcerative colitis being diagnosed). So the fact that I’m back playing again means everything!
D: It’s like all my wildest dreams have come true!
What will you be working on during the tournament?
SQB: Working with my team from a new perspective as I had been jamming since 2012-2016.
D: Tyne and Fear will be working on a lot of stuff during the tourney; I can’t say what that is though atm.
Who are you personally looking forward to facing on track?
SQB: The mighty roller polar bear – we have unfinished business from 2012…
D: Toots – we have, like, massive beef.
Who is the one to watch on your team?
SQB: Not sure I can answer that one, been away too long.
D: Sparky Jamie, he’s a bit new (for us).
What has been your MRDA highlight of 2018?
SQB: NWO
D: I dunno, it’s all coming to a climax now, I’m sure the best bit is to come.
Bread: Settle an argument; is it roll, cob, bap…?
SQB: All invalid options. Stottie reigns supreme!
D: I’m on Atkins.
Finally, the question everyone’s asking, could you explain to our readers why Roller Polar Bear hasn’t made your roster for this tournament?
SQB: The one man meme machine deserves his own team.
D: He didn’t make our attendance requirement of one session.
We’re just about recovered from the North American Qualifiers here at MRDA HQ, but there’s little time to relax just yet as we hurtle toward the European leg of the competition.
Hosted by Manchester Roller Derby, the European Qualifiers will take place between 18th and 19th August at the centrally located North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax and will determine who places in October’s championship playoff finals in Portland, OR.
The teams competing are, in no particular order, Manneken Beasts, Barrow Infernos, Tyne and Fear, Nottingham Roller Derby and Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder; we’ve taken the opportunity to catch up with each of them and pose those all important questions that you’ve all been dying to ask.
In this instalment we are chatting to Manneken Beasts, blocker number 30, The Spaniard and Jammer, Trick or Threat who skates under number 88.
What does it mean to be a part of MEQ?
TS: This is a dream, I never thought that I would be playing such a high level tournament.
TT: It’s a big opportunity to prove that, even if we are a small team, we have what it takes to compete at this level.
What will you be working on during the tournament?
TS: I am pretty new in the team, so my main goal is to try to fit in to the walls and be useful for the team.
TT: Surprise.
Who are you personally looking forward to facing on track?
TS: All the teams are awesome, but I cannot wait to play Tyne and Fear!
TT: Lincolnshire.
Who is the one to watch on your team?
TS: Trick Or Threat.
TT: Murduck.
What has been your MRDA highlight of 2018?
TS: MRDWC was an incredible event, we all enjoyed it so much. Very happy to see many new teams in different countries.
TT: The team winning a Swedish tournament with less than ten players.
Bread: Settle an argument; is it roll, cob, bap…?
TS: Cob bread.
TT: *brain freeze*
Finally, the question everyone’s asking, could you explain to our readers why Roller Polar Bear hasn’t made your roster for this tournament?
TS: He had a bad year, his hometown was melted due to the global warming and now he lives on the streets….
TT: Everything is in the name :-p