Always wanted to play roller derby? Now’s your chance!

Roller derby is a fun and fast full-contact sport played on roller skates and we want YOU to give it a go! If you are interested in learning to play roller derby, then please sign up to our next Fresh Meat session through our contact form here. Our introductory session to the programme will take place on Sunday 22nd April 2012. It may seem like a long way off, but places go fast, so sign up if you’d like a spot reserved!

If you want to attend a training session, you will have to own the following:

• - a pair of quad roller skates
• - a helmet
• - wrist guards
• - elbow pads
• - knee pads
• - a mouthguard

Our Fresh Meat programme is highly comprehensive, and will take you from your first nervous strides to a full understanding of the sport of roller derby and the skills required to play it. So don’t worry if you have never roller skated before, because we’ll teach you everything you need to know! We cater for people interested in either recreational or competitive skating, so once you have passed through the program you will have to the opportunity to try out to join our bouting corps (tryout dates tbc) or can choose to skate with our recreational team, the Wrecking Balls.

The programme is designed to teach you skating skills while building your core strength gradually in a safe and healthy manner. Our coaches are highly experienced and our first aiders are fully certified, so you are in safe hands! Auld Reekie Roller Girls are a full member league of the Women’s’ Flat Track Derby Association and the UK Roller Derby Association.

So if you’ve always wanted to give roller derby a try, sign up for our Fresh Meat session today!

Besides our regularly-updated news section, we’ve got links to upcoming events, information on our bouting teams and officials, and in-depth information on roller derby and its official rules.

You can also find links to our Flickr, Twitter and Facebook pages, and a space for our lovely forum.

What do you think of the new design? Let us know in the comments section!

The Cannon Belles kicked it off on 6 August with a belter of a bout against Glasgow Roller Girls’ Maiden Grrders. These teams have been well-matched for years and so this reunion made for an extremely challenging game! Both team played their hearts out, with extremely strong jamming from Glasgow’s Grrders, but unfortunately a strong lead caused by power jams in the first half ensured that the Cannon Belles took away the win. The final score was Cannon Belles 126, Maiden Grrders 86.

Awards:
Best Jammer
Glasgow Roller Girls: Jess E Ska
Auld Reekie Roller Girls:  Miss Collie Check

Best Take-Out
Glasgow Roller Girls: Venus Velocity and
Auld Reekie Roller Girls:  Danger Mouth

Most Feared
Glasgow Roller Girls: Lola Bruises
Auld Reekie Roller Girls:  Shootin’ Annie

Sin-Bin Queen
Glasgow Roller Girls: Sykes
Auld Reekie Roller Girls: Queenie Ville

MVP
Glasgow Roller Girls: Fightin’ Torque
Auld Reekie Roller Girls: Lilo & Stitches

The Twisted Thistles followed up on 20 August with a match-up against the Stuttgart Valley Roller Girlz that left the audience breathless and fans white-knuckled. The Thistles took an early lead, but SVRG spent the first half chipping away at the score, finishing the first half just 12 points behind. In one of the closest bouts in recent memory, the teams battled it out in the second half, trading off the lead and rarely letting more than 10 points separate them. As the clock ticked down, Thistles captain Zillah stepped up as jammer in the final play with a score of 93 ARRG, 95 SVRG. She quickly took the lead, slicing through the pack just as the final whistle blew, and for a long minute the whole audience held its breath as the referees conferred. Then it was official – Thistles 94, SVRG 95.

Awards:
Best Takeout:
Tease The Tiger
Crazylegs

Most Feared:
Polly Purgatory
Danger Mouth

Sin-Bin Queen:
Public Enemy
Juicy Lucy

Best Jammer:
Blitzkrieg Baby
Juicy Lucy

Most Valued Player:
Titty Twista
Zillah

Both bouts featured live boutcasting on Facebook, and the Thistles also took advantage of the webstreaming at Roller Derby UK TV. Fans from as far away as the US and Australia tuned in to follow the action and comment on ARRG’s Facebook page.

WFTDA is the governing body of flat track derby worldwide, and membership means ARRG can have a say in the collective future of the sport, as well as participate in official rankings and statistics. We’re very excited!!

Currently the only other member league in Europe is the London Roller Girls, but the movement is spreading fast – four UK leagues (including the Glasgow Roller Girls) were accepted into the association’s apprenticeship programme in July 2011, taking their first steps on the road to full member league status.

Between WFTDA membership and our skaters’ participation in Team Scotland for the upcoming Roller Derby World Cup, ARRG is rolling onto the world stage in a big way. It’s an exciting time for Scottish derby!

Photo by Thomas Mathieson

After months of trials and scrimmages in a grueling series of try-outs, the first-ever Team Scotland has announced their final roster of 20 players – and a whopping 9 of them are from Auld Reekie, with one more on the reserve list.

These elite skaters will compete this December in the world’s first Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto, Canada, alongside teams from 12 other nations including England, Ireland and the USA. It’s a huge moment in international roller derby, and with a line-up like this one Scotland is bound to leave a mark – even if that mark is black and blue.

Hearty ARRG congrats to Alma Geddon, Blazin Phoenix, Bronx Betty, Ciderella, Crazylegs, Danger Mouth, Fight Cub, Minnie Riot, Mo B Quick, and VeloSidy (reserve)!

Extra special congrats to Juicy Lucy, veteran ARRG skater who has made the roster for Team England, and to Moxie Emerald, ARRGie at heart, who has made Team Scotland from all the way in Australia! See you in Toronto, Lucy….