GALLERY: A first for Africa in roller derby

The first eve roller derby tournament took place.

March 24, 2020

Annette van Schalkwyk 3 minutes read

History was made on our doorstep when the first ever roller derby tournament took place.

The event, a contest between two African countries, recently took place at Uniao Desportiva hall in Turffontein.

Teams that participated in the highly competitive tournament included the Johannesburg-based Golden City Rollers, CaiRollers from Cairo, Egypt, Durban Roller Derby and Cape Town Rollergirls. Guest skaters, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) All Stars and Dubai, participated in a mixed-league team.

The first sight of the “no ball” competition is attracting the attention of many spectators in the country where it is evident that ball sport takes a high priority.

Roller derby is the fastest growing women’s sport in the world, with an estimated 2 000 leagues across 53 countries.

Only four roller derby leagues exist in the country which are are situated in the four big cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.

The teams compete in a national tournament annually. Top players from all the four leagues have been sent to represent their country at the international Roller Derby World Cup, held every three to four years.

This growing women’s sport is a contact sport where both teams defend and attack with their players.

A bit complicated if one is not used to not having a sight of any ball.

The players use their bodies as means to get through the opposing team, or to defend the opposing player not to get through.

Local fans and the international roller derby community have been waiting for the African tournament since the continent’s first roller derby league was founded in Johannesburg in 2010.

The event displayed the skills of those teams, and hopefully this will serve as a springboard for the sport to grow in Africa.

Today, the sport is a far cry from the staged antics it took its name from in the 1960s and beyond.

When the sport was revived in Texas in the early 2000s, the focus shifted to athleticism, competition and empowerment.

A bit of history on the sport. It started in the 1930s in the USA, and that it was only in the 2000s that the roller derby really got off the ground to become a recognised sporting code. It became more popular, and grew its international footprint to what it is today.

It is popular among women in the USA which boasts the strongest teams.

Only in 2017, did for the first time a team from Australia win the WFTDA Championships. Until then, the USA dominated the championship scene.

Delia du Toit of Joburg’s Golden City Rollers (GCR) said the team was founded in 2010 with the first South African league.

Cape Town Rollergirls, Durban Roller Derby, and P-Town Roller Derby, followed suit.

Players coached themselves by watching YouTube videos back then.

“Today, it’s a lot more structured, and we have tried and tested coaching programmes for various skill levels. GCR and Cape Town Rollergirls are also the only African members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the international women’s roller derby governing body.

“In SA, only over 18s are allowed to join a league as it is a full-contact sport. Some overseas leagues have junior roller derby, though. Local leagues allow both women and men to take part, but bigger local games and tournaments are only played by women at this stage. GCR did have a men’s team at one point, but the sport is more popular with women, and there just aren’t enough men right now to form full teams.

“Men and women have quite different playing styles, so the teams aren’t often mixed-gender,” said du Toit.

“Other than that, there really are no requirements to take part. Our coaching programmes at GCR teach new skaters everything they need to know, from skating skills to contact skills and game play.

“New skaters have to do skating exams, after completing the coaching programmes, to ensure their skill level is adequate to be safe during games before they are allowed to play.

“It also attracts people from all walks of life, and is a wonderfully inclusive community. We have lawyers, doctors, moms, artists, any profession you can think of, in our league.

“There’s also no upper age limit or ideal body shape in derby, as long as you’re willing to learn and get fit.

“Today, the sport is a far cry from the staged antics it took its name from in the 1960s, and beyond. When the sport was revived in Texas in the early 2000s, the focus shifted to athleticism, competition and empowerment.” said du Toit