After seeing Whip It a few months ago I’d been itching to see a real London all-girl roller derby. Standing outside a pub one night in Bethnal Green I somehow got talking to a girl that played in one of the London teams who recommended coming to the next event. So last Saturday, dressed in my finest lesbian dungarees and Doc Marten boots, I made my way down to York Hall in Bethnal Green with other roller fans to check out the match: The London Rockin’ Rollers vs. Manchester’s Rainy City Roller Girls. Now, given that I didn’t exactly understand the rules, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew is that I’d be seeing a lot of tumbling, a lot of bashing, and a lot of girl-on-girl action. What more could you want from a Saturday afternoon?
Now I’ve never been one for sport. In fact, at school I used to just sit down on the field if the ball ever came near me at football practice. I opted to play netball with the girls once and would regularly feign injury to avoid the terrifying experience that is rugby. The mere thought of male brutality in sport instantly raises a red flag, yet the idea of tattooed ladies on wheels was all green lights and go signs. Beer in hand, I even started to screech when my favourite players (Jack Attack and Whip It) scored points. I blame the (one) beer, naturally. It really is a kick ass sport, combining a mixture of competition, comedy aggression and confusion (for a first timer). I will most definitely be attending the next match!
