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Belfast Roller Derby

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Belfast Roller Derby
League logo
Metro areaBelfast
CountryNorthern Ireland
Founded2010
TeamsBelfast Banshees (A),
Norn Iron Maidens (B)
Track type(s)Flat
VenueValley Leisure Centre
AffiliationsWFTDA, Irish Roller Derby Association
Websitehttps://belfastrollerderby.com/

Belfast Roller Derby (BRD) is a flat track roller derby league based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in January 2010, the league consists of two teams that play teams from other leagues, and is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[1]

History

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Belfast Roller Derby was founded in 2010, by skater Hannah Whitall (derby name Hannahbolic Steroids).[2] With increasing interest in the sport throughout the UK,[3] helped by the release of the film Whip It in 2009, the league was able to arrange training with skaters from Dublin and Glasgow.[4] BRD was the first roller derby league in Northern Ireland,[4] founded six months after Dublin Roller Derby, the first league in Ireland.[5]

BRD played its first home bout in December 2011 as an intraleague competition with the Titanic Titans and the Hellfast City Hit-Girls.[6]

In 2018, Belfast City Rockets merged with the league.[7][8]

Affiliations

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In May 2012, BRD was accepted as a member of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association.[9]

The league has been sponsored by Lavery's Bar Belfast since January 2014.[10] In May 2014, the league was accepted into the WFTDA Apprentice Program[11] and became a full member league in December 2014.[12] They are also members of the Irish Roller Derby Association (IRDA).[8][13]

Teams

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From the outset of the league, the 'A' team has been known as the Belfast Banshees.[14] They played their first bout against Dublin in February 2012. In 2013, the Norn Iron Maidens were formed as the BRD 'B' team and competed in their first major bout against the Limerick Roller Girls 'B' Team on 28 September 2013.[15]

National Team Representation

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Six members of BRD - Hannah Whitall (Hannahbolic Steroids), Oonagh O'Flaherty (Maul'er Malone), Dani Mills (Ra-Ra Rasputina), Roisin McGrath (Jessica Rammit), Catherine Burns (Puscifer) and Patricia Hamilton (Patricia The Ripper) - were selected for the 2014 Team Ireland training squad. In September 2014, four were chosen to be part of Team Ireland at the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup: Maul'er Malone, Ra-Ra Rasputina, Puscifer and Jessica Rammit.[16]

Maul'er Malone returned to Team Ireland Roller Derby for the 2018 Roller Derby World Cup and was joined by teammate Barbara Robinson.[17]

WFTDA rankings

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Season Final ranking[18] Playoffs Championship
2015 248 WFTDA[19] DNQ DNQ
2016 270 WFTDA[20] DNQ DNQ
2017 333 WFTDA[21] DNQ DNQ
2018 - - -
2019 320 WFTDA[22] DNQ DNQ
2020 323 WFTDA[23] DNQ DNQ

*Please note that rankings were suspended in March 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

Five Nations Roller Derby Championships

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As members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association, Belfast took part in the British Roller Derby Championships 2015 as part of the Women T3 West tier. They won all their games, against Hereford Roller Derby, Nottingham Roller Derby's Arrows, Birmingham Blitz Dames, Dolly Rockit Rollers and Swansea City Roller Derby.[25]

In 2016, they were promoted to Women Tier 2 North, but lost all their games, against Cambridge Rollerbillies, Liverpool Roller Birds and Hot Wheel Roller Derby.[26]

After some time out, the league returned to the competition in 2019, in the Women's T3 Regional tier. They beat all their opponents: Cheshire Hellcats Roller Derby, Durham Roller Derby, Blackpool Roller-Coasters and Spa Town Roller Derby.[27]

In 2021, the British Championships rebranded as the Five Nations Roller Derby Championships.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Belfast Roller Derby – WFTDA". wftda.com. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  2. ^ Naoise Wolsey (29 November 2012). "Belfast Roller Derby girls: A lean, mean fighting machine you really don't want to tangle with..." The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  3. ^ Hilary Osborne (4 February 2010). "Roller derby takes Britain's women by storm". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b Alex Gulrajani (18 August 2010). "Roller skate revolution". BBC News.
  5. ^ Davis, Richard (19 January 2012). "Belfast Roller Derby Needs New Recruits". Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Fixtures". Belfast Roller Derby. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Belfast City Rockets | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Belfast Roller Derby". Belfast Roller Derby. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  9. ^ "UKRDA welcomes new Member Belfast Roller Derby". UKRDA. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Sponsorship". Belfast Roller Derby. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  11. ^ "WFTDA Accepts 14 Apprentice Members". WFTDA. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  12. ^ "WFTDA Welcomes 29 New Member Leagues". WFTDA. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Irish Roller Derby Association". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Belfast Roller Derby | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  15. ^ "9/28/13: LRG: Limerick B team (151) @ BRD: Norn Iron Maidens (210)". FlatTrackStats.com. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Team Ireland Roller Derby". Team Ireland Roller Derby. 2014. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  17. ^ "2016 Training Squad | Team Ireland Roller Derby". 2 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  19. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. January 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  21. ^ Watson, Michael. "Current International WFTDA Rankings". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  22. ^ Watson, Michael. "Current International WFTDA Rankings". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  23. ^ Watson, Michael. "Current International WFTDA Rankings". WFTDA Stats Home. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  24. ^ wonderpance (28 May 2020). "WFTDA Releases Rankings Transition Plan for COVID-19 » WFTDA Roller Derby Resources". WFTDA Roller Derby Resources. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. ^ "British Roller Derby Championships 2015: Women T3 West | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  26. ^ "British Roller Derby Championships 2016: Women Tier 2 North | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  27. ^ "British Roller Derby Championships 2019: Womens T3 Regional | Roller Derby Stats & Rankings | Flat Track Stats". flattrackstats.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  28. ^ "Five Nations Roller Derby". Five Nations Roller Derby. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
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