Show winter who’s boss with Richter City Roller Derby

Show winter who’s boss with Wellington’s Richter City Roller Derby

Saturday 21 July

5pm

Kilbirnie Recreation Centre

Tickets from Eventfinda, or on the door

Adults $15, Students $12, Children $5, Kids under 5 are free

Palmerston North is just a couple of hours down the road, but being in the same neighbourhood doesn’t change the rolling rivalry between Wellington’s Richter City All Stars and Swamp City Roller Derby. These two teams will face off in an epic bout on Saturday 21st of July as part of New Zealand’s Top Ten championship competition.

Recently returned from an impressive performance at the Great Southern Slam, the world’s biggest roller derby tournament, Wellington’s All Stars are ready for action.

And so are their loyal fans. Richter City Roller Derby games are renowned for attracting big crowds. The league is a finalist in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards in recognition of the volunteers who work tirelessly to organise food trucks, merch stalls, kids’ activities, commentators and more. The league is sponsored by Garage Project, so spectators can enjoy a top quality beer while watching a thrilling game often referred to as ‘rugby on wheels’.

Following the bout between the shaky city and the swampy city, Wellington roller derby’s home season continues as Brutal Pageant and Comic Slams battle it out for the right to face Smash Malice in the finals in August. Two games of roller derby in a warm indoor venue, with thrills, spills, and snacks — this is how Richter City does winter.

Not sure what roller derby is? Don’t worry, you’re not alone (although New Zealand does have more roller derby players per capita than any other country!)

Roller derby is a full contact sport played on roller skates around an oval track. It’s a battle of strength and agility on wheels. Characterised by impressive athleticism, deft skill and strategic teamwork, derby is a frenetic joy to behold.

Each team has players dedicated to offence and defence, working to help their point-scoring player get around the track faster and with less effort than the opposition in a time period of two minutes, maximum. Each team has four blockers and one jammer on the track at a time.

Jammers are the only players on the track who can score points. They score one point for each member of the opposition team they lap on the track, but only after they’ve made it through their first lap — no easy feat with the other team’s Blockers in their way.

Blockers work to make life difficult for the opposition Jammer, while creating an easy path to point-scoring for their own Jammer.

Confused? Come and watch — it makes sense when you see it!

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