First African roller derby team to achieve international ranking

Golden City Rollers (GCR), a roller derby team from Johannesburg, will achieve something remarkable in June by becoming the first African roller derby team to earn an official international ranking.

This ranking, sanctioned by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), marks a significant milestone for the sport on the African continent.

Roller derby is an intense, full-contact sport played on quad roller skates, featuring agile ‘jammers’ and powerful defensive ‘blockers’.

GCR will compete against teams from Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium to solidify their ranking.

GCR, Johannesburg’s sole roller derby league, has dominated the sport nationally, winning every National Derby Festival since 2016 and triumphing in the first pan-African roller derby tournament in 2020.

Despite the limited number of players in Africa, GCR ranked in the European region because of the absence of an African ranking system. Currently, they hold an estimated rank of 58th in Europe, pending verification by the WFTDA.

Dianne Silva, chair of GCR, highlighted the team’s resilience and determination, hoping their achievement will raise awareness of roller derby in Africa and pave the way for future rankings on African soil.

“Achieving a ranking is a dream that has been ten years in the making for our league. We cannot wait to show the world what South African roller derby athletes are made of. Hopefully, this will help create more awareness of the sport in Africa so that, one day, we can rank on home soil,” said Dianne.

Unlike mainstream sports, roller derby receives no official funding. It requires players to self-fund their trips, each costing around R30 000.

GCR is seeking support through their BackaBuddy page to ensure all 15 team members and staff can attend the tournament.

“We appeal to anyone who can assist with funds or sponsorship to donate on our BackaBuddy page, no matter how big or small, or to reach out to us,” said Dianne.