Sunday, December 16, 2012

Final Rankings for 2012

TeamWinsLossesRank Pts
1London Rollergirls 20234.8
2Glasgow Roller Derby 71157.8
3Central City Rollergirls 64128.4
4Rainy City Roller Girls 32125.2
5London Rockin Rollers 62115.1
6Leeds Roller Dolls 44109.4
7Auld Reekie Roller Girls 57107.0
8London Rollergirls [B] 3098.4
9Tiger Bay Brawlers 6383.9
+110Big Bucks High Rollers 4448.1
-111Brighton Rockers 5147.7
12Hellfire Harlots 6246.7
+113Hot Wheel Roller Derby 8442.1
-114Middlesbrough Milk Rollers 6241.8
15Birmingham Blitz Dames 4436.7
+516Southern Discomfort 9034.0
+617Quad Guards 7233.3
-118Lincolnshire Bombers 2633.2
-319Sheffield Steel Roller Girls 2532.4
-220Dublin Roller Girls 6230.1
+521Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder 3029.9
-322London Rollergirls [C] 1229.9
-323Royal Windsor Rollergirls 4227.8
+324Dolly Rockit Rollers 3821.5
25Newcastle Roller Girls 5521.5
-226Bristol Roller Derby 8321.3
+627Tyne & Fear 6421.1
-628Croydon Roller Derby 3420.6
29Leeds Roller Dolls [B] 2319.9
30Glasgow Roller Derby [B] 5219.9
-331London Rockin Rollers [B] 0319.9
32Manchester Roller Derby 6419.5
+233Expendables 4418.8
-334Kent Rollergirls 3217.9
+535New Wheeled Order 5717.8
-236Central City Rollergirls [B] 2415.8
+637Inhuman League 51014.7
-238Dundee Roller Girls 5112.3
+339Granite City Roller Girls 1412.1
-240Auld Reekie Roller Girls [B] 2211.5
41Cork City Firebirds 0211.3
-542Liverpool Roller Birds 1611.3
-443Rainy City Roller Girls [B] 339.6
44Seaside Sirens Roller Girls 438.7
+445Crash Test Brummies 178.6
-146Imposters Roller Girls 238.5
-147Romsey Town Rollerbillies 357.9
48Severn Roller Torrent 066.8
-249Plymouth City Roller Girls 336.7
+150Cardiff Roller Collective 505.9
-151Newcastle Roller Girls [B] 815.5
52Sheffield Steel Roller Girls [B] 445.4
+553South West Angels of Terror 405.2
54Hulls Angels Roller Dames 065.0
-255Lincolnshire Bombers [B] 144.9
-156Belfast Roller Derby 344.6
+457Jakey Bites 054.0
-158Dolly Rockit Rollers [B] 324.0
59Wolverhampton Honour Rollers 123.8
60Central City Rollergirls [C] 303.6
-561Tiger Bay Brawlers [B] 313.4
+362Bruising Banditas 222.8
63Liverpool Roller Birds [B] 122.7
-264Milton Keynes Concrete Cows 512.6
+765Bristol Roller Derby [B] 302.5
+166Nottingham Roller Girls 022.4
+167Dublin Roller Girls [B] 312.4
-468Swansea City Roller Derby 342.4
+169Mean Valley Roller Girls 322.2
-470Furness Firecrackers 141.9
-271Rebellion Roller Derby 431.9
+172Portsmouth Roller Wenches 301.6
+173Middlesbrough Milk Rollers [B] 021.5
+174Limerick Roller Derby 021.5
-475Oxford Roller Derby 361.4
76Norfolk Brawds 221.3
+177Fair City Rollers 041.3
-178Wakey Wheeled Cats 121.2
79Fierce Valley Roller Girls 121.2
+180Wiltshire Roller Derby 031.1
+481Birmingham Blitz Dames [B] 120.9
-282Hell's Belles 150.9
+183Shoetown Slayers 030.8
-284Bedfordshire Roller Girls 230.8
-285Preston Roller Girls 110.8
-->86Kernow Rollers 020.7
-187Manchester Roller Derby [B] 230.7
-188Vendetta Vixens 050.5
-->89Dorset Roller Girls 110.5
-290Evolution Rollergirls 130.4
-291Wirral Whipiteres 030.2

Enjoy your holiday break, everyone, and I hope we all do better without those pesky minors.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

December 15 & 16 bout guide

This weekend is the LAST for minors in the UK!  Boy, am I a happy man about that one!

Details:

#14 Hot Wheel look to settle yet another score against #25 Newcastle, who hold a 1-0 record in head to head competition.  A big win could see Hot Wheel overtake #13 Middlesbrough, or Newcastle overtake #24 Bristol.

#33 Tyne and Fear host #26 Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder in the first meeting of the two teams.  Lincolnshire here with an opportunity to finish 2012 with an unblemished record.

#58 SWAT challenge #47 Plymouth City in the SWUK tournament.  SWAT are currently undefeated, but their ranking took a nose dive when one of their early bouts expired.  Look for them to try to earn back that top position within the tournament, currently held by PCR.

Also in that tournament, Dorset and Kernow both have their 2nd bout.  This means that both will make their debut on the chart this Monday, and one will have a win to boot.

Finally, the #65 Bruising Banditas host #50 Newcastle [B] in the absolute FINAL minor-penalties bout in the UK EVER.  Luna, captain of the Banditas said that she hopes her team will "make this game a memorable swansong for the 2010 rule set."


Enjoy the derby, and cheer for every minor you see!!!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

UKRDA & the off-season

The UK is lucky, in one sense, because there's a voluntary, democratic national governing body for roller derby, the UKRDA. Not many other countries have taken this step. This is a huge potential benefit for the future of the game throughout the UK.

However, so far the mission of the UKRDA appears to be to collect signatures and name leagues as members on their website. They have run tournaments in the past, and I have heard that they do an excellent job of it. But it takes more than that to be a useful governing body.


Now, I've heard through the grapevine that the UKRDA is planning on doing rankings and sanctioning bouts in the future. At first, I scoffed at the idea. There are already 5 rankings that cover UKRDA leagues, listed in increasing order of coverage:
  1. Mine, which covers all UK & Ireland travel teams
  2. European Roller Derby Rankings, which covers all leagues in Europe
  3. EuroDerby, which also covers all Euro-leagues
  4. Flat Track Stats, which covers all reported bouts and leagues
    AND
  5. DNN Power Rankings, which covers all leagues, worldwide, who are big enough to merit ranking
Thus, a UKRDA ranking would be the 6th scheme to rank member leagues. Not much added value, or so it seems.
Sanctioning, as well, seems a near pointless exercise at first. Just how much extra does it mean for a bout to be 'sanctioned' as opposed to 'unsanctioned'? Will fans pay more? I doubt it. Will unsanctioned bouts not count for the record or something?

AH-HAH!!!

A way of getting rid of that pesky closed-bout problem, maybe? Allow teams to play 'friendlies' that don't count, then bout for rankings in sanctioned contests...

UKRDA are on to something here...


This brings me to my second point in the title. More than a few skaters and coaches have stated the need for an off-season in derby. It would reduce the number of stress-related injuries, it would reduce derby-burnout and early retirement, it would give skaters and leagues a chance to get back to basics in training rather than advanced tactics.

The problem is that leagues which observe an off season don't always observe the same ones. LRG's seems to follow the calendar year, whereas CCR's is tuned to football season.

Here's where UKRDA have the opportunity to help the UK derby scene take a massive step forward:

Only sanction bouts between [March] and [September].

I put the months in brackets because the timing is not the point. The point is that UKRDA can offer an incentive for member leagues to observe the same off-season, and thus clean up one issue facing the game. They can simultaneously demonstrate wisdom and good leadership. And they can ensure that their ranking and sanctioning system will have an important place in the UK derby scene.


This is one of those opportunities that don't come around very often.  This is one of those times for a true continental shift in the game. UKRDA, the lack-of-a-ball is in your court. Use it wisely.


Also, let me say, just because UKRDA exist doesn't mean there shouldn't be a Scottish RDA or a Welsh RDU, or even an East Midland Derby Alliance. The South West UK tournament acts similar to the Football League, as does the End of the World Series. These are de facto governing institutions and cooperative unions for their respective leagues.  

It makes a large amount of sense for local area leagues to unionise to share bout planning, venue hire negotiation, council negotiation, etc.  We all want the sport to grow, let's keep working together to make that happen.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Results & Table for 10 December

What a day of bouts.  Junior derby now underway in Wales, what a wonderful era we live in now.

Also, #9 Tiger Bay lost a close one to #2 Glasgow, 113-107.  Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to move them up to #8, but did move them up 10 ranking points, over 30 clear of #10.

#70 Mean Valley slipped 162-196 to #85 Birmingham Blitz Dames [B], moving the two closer to each other on the table.

Dublin [A]#18 & [B]#68 both defeated Manchester [A]#32 & [B]#86, lifting the A-team further up the chart.  Manchester end the short tour winless, but undoubtedly learned a few lessons to work on over the holidays.

#14 Hot Wheel "settled their score" in serious fashion, 296-71, over #27 Dolly Rocket.  However, neither move, indicating that it was the expected performance.


Full Table:
TeamWinsLossesRank Pts
1London Rollergirls 20237.8
2Glasgow Roller Derby 71159.2
3Central City Rollergirls 64129.8
4Rainy City Roller Girls 32124.0
5London Rockin Rollers 62116.6
+16Leeds Roller Dolls 44110.7
-17Auld Reekie Roller Girls 57108.5
8London Rollergirls [B] 30100.2
9Tiger Bay Brawlers 6385.5
+110Brighton Rockers 5151.0
-111Big Bucks High Rollers 4450.6
12Hellfire Harlots 6247.0
13Middlesbrough Milk Rollers 6241.9
14Hot Wheel Roller Derby 7441.2
+115Birmingham Blitz Dames 4438.0
+216Sheffield Steel Roller Girls 2533.6
17Lincolnshire Bombers 2633.2
+218Dublin Roller Girls 6231.9
+219London Rollergirls [C] 1231.3
+220Royal Windsor Rollergirls 4229.8
-621Southern Discomfort 9025.1
+222Croydon Roller Derby 4424.4
-423Quad Guards 7224.3
+124Bristol Roller Derby 8323.8
+125Newcastle Roller Girls 5423.1
-326Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder 2022.4
27Dolly Rockit Rollers 4822.3
+528London Rockin Rollers [B] 0321.0
29Leeds Roller Dolls [B] 2320.6
+130Glasgow Roller Derby [B] 5220.1
-131Kent Rollergirls 3219.5
32Manchester Roller Derby 6519.0
-533Tyne & Fear 7317.9
+134Central City Rollergirls [B] 2416.6
-135Expendables 4413.5
+236Dundee Roller Girls 5113.2
+437Liverpool Roller Birds 1612.7
-138Auld Reekie Roller Girls [B] 2212.5
+339Rainy City Roller Girls [B] 3412.0
-440New Wheeled Order 5812.0
+241Cork City Firebirds 0211.9
-242Granite City Roller Girls 1411.7
-443Inhuman League 51011.2
44Seaside Sirens Roller Girls 4310.5
45Imposters Roller Girls 238.8
+246Romsey Town Rollerbillies 358.6
-147Plymouth City Roller Girls 328.3
+148Severn Roller Torrent 067.1
-249Crash Test Brummies 176.3
50Newcastle Roller Girls [B] 716.1
51Cardiff Roller Collective 506.0
52Sheffield Steel Roller Girls [B] 445.6
53Lincolnshire Bombers [B] 145.0
54Hulls Angels Roller Dames 064.7
55Belfast Roller Derby 344.5
56Tiger Bay Brawlers [B] 314.4
+257Dolly Rockit Rollers [B] 324.1
-158South West Angels of Terror 304.1
-159Wolverhampton Honour Rollers 123.7
+160Central City Rollergirls [C] 303.6
-161Jakey Bites 052.9
62Milton Keynes Concrete Cows 512.9
+163Liverpool Roller Birds [B] 122.7
-164Swansea City Roller Derby 342.6
65Bruising Banditas 212.5
+266Furness Firecrackers 142.5
+267Nottingham Roller Girls 022.4
-268Dublin Roller Girls [B] 312.4
+169Rebellion Roller Derby 432.2
-370Mean Valley Roller Girls 321.9
71Oxford Roller Derby 351.8
72Bristol Roller Derby [B] 201.8
+273Portsmouth Roller Wenches 301.6
-174Middlesbrough Milk Rollers [B] 021.5
+375Limerick Roller Derby 021.4
+176Norfolk Brawds 221.4
-177Wakey Wheeled Cats 121.4
-478Fair City Rollers 041.4
79Fierce Valley Roller Girls 121.2
80Hell's Belles 151.0
+181Wiltshire Roller Derby 030.9
-182Bedfordshire Roller Girls 230.9
+183Preston Roller Girls 110.9
-184Shoetown Slayers 030.8
+385Birmingham Blitz Dames [B] 120.8
-186Manchester Roller Derby [B] 230.8
-187Vendetta Vixens 050.6
-188Evolution Rollergirls 130.4
89Wirral Whipiteres 030.2

Thursday, December 6, 2012

December 8 Bout Guide

Here's what to look forward to this Saturday out on the track:
  • #67 Mean Valley host #88 Birmingham Blitz [B] in a bid to continue their climb this season.  BBD did not field a B-team in bouts for almost 16 months, and this will be their third bout since their reintroduction.
  • Manchester Roller Derby send both A and B teams over to Dublin for a double header. #85 MRD[B] are 2-2 right now, and can finish the 2012 season with a winning record if they can take down #66 DRG[B], who also need a win to finish 2012 above even.

    The A-team bout features #32 MRD travelling to #20 DRG. The Irish side won their one previous meeting, and have managed to increase the distance between the two leagues on the chart ever since. However, according to MRD's SkullDozer, "This time it's a very different team, we have worked very hard on adapting to situations & reading the other team for their tactics. I think it'll be a tough game, but if they keep their heads & work hard I think they stand a chance!"

  • #27 Dolly Rockit are heading to #14 Hot Wheel for the third bout between the two leagues. Head-to-head, DRR have a 2-0 lead, and the two have traded the higher position on the rankings 3 times in the last 12 months. HWRD have been climbing into the teens, though, whilst DRR are still trying to climb back up after a disappointing July and August.

    I spoke with Jerry Atric from HWRD, who explained to me that it's part of his grand strategy to bout against difficult teams, then "settle the score" if they win the first time. Hence the back-to-back bouts against DRR and Newcastle, both with winning records over Hot Wheel. "Both the Dollies and Newcastle have both shown historically that they can play some solid roller derby and they are certainly not bouts to be taken lightly," he told me.  Saturday should show if they've made that turnaround.

  • In the headline bout of the weekend, #2 Glasgow, fresh off a great performance in Europe and an 11-month undefeated stretch in the UK, take on #9 Tiger Bay, looking to establish themselves as permanent members of the top-10 club. Both teams made significant climbs up the chart this summer, and even a good perfomance in a loss for the Brawlers should cement their reputation as one of the UK's power leagues.

    However, the reason this bout is my headliner isn't the two big-name teams taking the track second. It's the two junior derby teams taking the track first! I think this is the first time I'm excited for a bout that won't go into the ranking scheme, or produce stats, or anything like that. This time I'm excited because British derby will be taking a massive step forward, led by the Brawlers, with the public growth of the junior game.
Good luck to everyone this weekend, and the best to those under-18s skating in Wales!  Roll Britannia!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

See the future...

This weekend, the Tiger Bay Brawlers' junior derby outfit, the Tiger Cubs, take to the track for the first time.  This marks a quantum leap in British derby, as now the new generation of skaters will be learning derby as teenagers, not as young adults.

The first junior roller derby league was established in Tuscon, Arizona, in 2006.  By now, the Junior Roller Derby Association list over 40 leagues in 5 countries, of which only a few are JRDA members.


Why junior derby, though?

Someone once asked a great skater, I believe it was Suzy Hotrod, what she did to be the greatest skater in the game.  Her answer was simply that she had been skating derby longer than anyone else.  A junior derby team is that investment of time into the derby future.

It's the future of the league.  The Brawlers are, like other leagues, normally limited to recruiting over 18s, due to liability issues.  Generally speaking, these recruits have had no derby experience, and must be built up from zero.  Soon, the next generation of Brawlers will have been skating derby for years before even turning 18.  They'll already have all the basics: tactical know-how, equipment, skate skills, and perhaps even a derby name!

It's the future of the fans.  In the US, the growth of youth soccer in the 90s is largely responsible for the growth in fan support for the game.  The parents watch their kids play, get to like the game, then start watching it at the top level.  The same will likely be true in derby; parents will eventually come to bouts that do not even involve their children!

It's the future of Wales.  Two out of the four junior derby teams I've found in the UK are located there.  Perhaps unintentionally, the Welsh have set out to grow their national team from a virtual "M4 Derby Academy" with teams in Cardiff and Swansea.


If you go on Saturday, make an effort to show massive appreciation to these junior derby skaters.  Look around you.  You'll be seeing the future of British derby right there.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Recap and rankings for 3 December

Qualtiy derby this weekend!

Newcastle spoiled Central City [B]'s bid at an even 3-3 season with a solid 102-118 win, earning them a one-position improvement to #26 on the chart.

Bristol [B] debut on the chart at #72 with their strong 224-127 win over #58 Wolverhampton Honour Rollers.  Rainy City [B] were defeated, but with a statistically advantagous 145-124 scoreline.  They actually improve to #42 on the chart, with Bristol [A] holding at #25.

Further north, #85 Manchester [B] were able to keep their hopes of a winning 2012 campaign alive with a 192-108 victory over #87 Evolution, and the Mancunian men's team forced the #47 Brummies to look elsewhere for their 2nd victory convincingly, winning 236-123.

On to the chart!

TeamWinsLossesRank Pts
1London Rollergirls 20242.3
2Glasgow Roller Derby 61168.8
3Central City Rollergirls 64129.3
4Rainy City Roller Girls 32118.1
+15London Rockin Rollers 72111.5
+16Auld Reekie Roller Girls 57111.2
-27Leeds Roller Dolls 44111.2
8London Rollergirls [B] 30105.0
9Tiger Bay Brawlers 6271.0
10Big Bucks High Rollers 4453.8
11Brighton Rockers 5152.0
12Hellfire Harlots 6250.4
13Middlesbrough Milk Rollers 6244.1
14Hot Wheel Roller Derby 6440.5
15Southern Discomfort 9138.5
16Birmingham Blitz Dames 4438.3
+117Lincolnshire Bombers 2635.0
+118Sheffield Steel Roller Girls 2534.8
-219Quad Guards 7234.4
20Dublin Roller Girls 5233.6
21London Rollergirls [C] 1230.8
+122Royal Windsor Rollergirls 4229.4
-123Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder 2029.1
24Croydon Roller Derby 4426.2
25Bristol Roller Derby 8325.6
+126Newcastle Roller Girls 6424.2
+127Dolly Rockit Rollers 4723.9
-228Tyne & Fear 7323.8
29Leeds Roller Dolls [B] 2322.4
30Kent Rollergirls 3222.3
31Glasgow Roller Derby [B] 5221.9
+132Manchester Roller Derby 6420.5
-133London Rockin Rollers [B] 0320.1
+134The Expendables 4419.1
-135Central City Rollergirls [B] 2417.5
36New Wheeled Order 5816.3
+137Auld Reekie Roller Girls [B] 2315.7
+138Dundee Roller Girls 5114.6
+139The Inhuman League 51013.9
+140Granite City Roller Girls 1413.3
+141Liverpool Roller Birds 1613.3
+842Rainy City Roller Girls [B] 3412.5
+143Cork City Firebirds 0211.8
-144Seaside Sirens Roller Girls 4311.4
45Imposters Roller Girls 239.5
+146Plymouth City Roller Girls 329.0
-147Crash Test Brummies 179.0
+148Romsey Town Rollerbillies 358.8
-149Severn Roller Torrent 067.6
+250Newcastle Roller Girls [B] 716.9
51Cardiff Roller Collective 606.6
+252Sheffield Steel Roller Girls [B] 445.8
+253Lincolnshire Bombers [B] 145.6
+254Hulls Angels Roller Dames 065.5
+255Belfast Roller Derby 344.9
+556Tiger Bay Brawlers [B] 314.8
-2057South West Angels of Terror 304.3
-558Wolverhampton Honour Rollers 124.1
+159Dolly Rockit Rollers [B] 333.9
-160The Jakey Bites 053.9
-361Central City Rollergirls [C] 303.8
62Milton Keynes Concrete Cows 513.2
63Swansea City Slayers 343.1
64Liverpool Roller Birds [B] 123.0
+165Bruising Banditas 212.9
-166Dublin Roller Girls [B] 212.8
67Mean Valley Roller Girls 312.7
+368Furness Firecrackers 142.7
-169Nottingham Roller Girls 022.5
-170Rebellion Roller Derby 432.4
-171Oxford Roller Derby 352.0
-->72Bristol Roller Derby [B] 201.9
-173Middlesbrough Milk Rollers [B] 021.8
74Fair City Rollers 041.7
-275Portsmouth Roller Wenches 301.7
76Wakey Wheeled Cats 121.7
-277Norfolk Brawds 221.6
-178Limerick Roller Girls 021.5
79Fierce Valley Roller Girls 121.4
80Hell's Belles 151.2
81Bedfordshire Roller Girls 231.1
-482Wiltshire Roller Derby 030.9
-183Shoetown Slayers 030.9
84Preston Rollergirls 110.9
-285Manchester Roller Derby [B] 220.9
-186Vendetta Vixens 050.7
-187Evolution Rollergirls 130.4
-188Birmingham Blitz Dames [B] 020.3
-189Wirral Whipiteres 030.2