NRDL – Hellcats clean sweep the Smashleys once again

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Going into this bout the Harbour Hellcats had already secured their third consecutive series victory over the Fort Smashleys so it was effectively a dead rubber bout but both sides weren’t treating it as such, neither the crowd as the venue was at capacity once again. To make the night even more amazing it also marked the bouting debut for Champain Showers for the Hellcats and Billy T Maims, Thunder Slut, and Synysta Sk8s for the Smashleys.

Just like with every other bout in the series both sides went flying out of the blocks eager to make an impression. The opening few jams were quick jams which were called off before either side could pick up any points. Synysta Sk8s got off to a great start as she smashed Susy Pow to the ground with a great hit. Susy recovered to get lead jammer but then got smashed again, this time by Lady Quirkinator as she was left to call off the jam from the floor.

Thunder Slut was powering her way through the pack as she got into a footrace with opposing jammer Babycakes to try and get lead jammer which Thunder ended up winning. The Hellcats C-Bomber went for a massive hit on Thunder but instead ended up doing a massive air swing and kept going which almost resulted in both herself and referee Terence Trent Derby ending up in the crowd. The crowd were absolutely lapping all the action up!

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Booga took out blocker Glitter N Gore on her way through to getting lead jammer but then skated into the formidable human wall that is GodJilla Sold Separately. Try as she might Booga couldn’t get past her and was eventually sent to the penalty box for a track cut after Jilla knocked her off the track with a hip check. Being the agile and elusive jammer that she is, it’s no surprise that Susy Pow gets a lot of attention from the Smashley’s blockers, this time it was Fannie Tastic coming in with the big hit. As always Susy picked herself up and did her favoured apex jump which got a massive roar from the crowd and helped the Hellcats extend their lead to 20-15.

Jilla lined up on the jammer line for the first time that night to massive applause but it was all Defcon Dani as she glided around the Smashleys wall with ease to pick up more points for the Hellcats while Jilla was sent to the penalty box for back blocking. Fannie Tastic was containing Booga extremely well which allowed Belt’er Goodrem the time and space to get lead jammer. The Hellcats regathered themselves then surrounded Belt’er on her next pass through the pack that she could not make any further progress that she was forced to call off the jam.

Billy T Maims spotted Susy Pow coming through on the inside to do her apex jump and completely smashed her, then to add insult to injury got done for track cutting. Harms Way managed to get through the pack after some great support from her blockers despite the Hellcats forming a wall at the front of the pack. Harms Way played smart by calling off the jam just as Susy got back onto the track as the Smashleys hit the lead 33-30.

There wasn’t any slow starts or scrum starts in the bout which was allowing the bout to be played at a moderately fast pace with no shortage of action. C-Bomber and Baroness von Brutal formed a wall of resistance at the front of the pack which repelled Smashleys jammer Luna Shovegood every time she attempted to pass them. During the jam Luna got hurt that she was barely able to stand on her skates let alone engage in any hits and the Hellcats knew it as they only had to skate in front of her to keep her from getting through. While I applauded her for fighting on while being hurt, tactically it might have been better to take a knee and allow a new jam to start because the Hellcats opened a 59-33 gap on the Smashleys.

Fannie Tastic was getting in Booga’s way again while Jilla was smashing her way through the pack and picking up three points along the way against a back drop of massive cheers from the crowd. Jilla then went from jammer to blocker in the next jam as she skated backwards at the front of the pack to get right in the face of Hellcats jammer Babycakes and preventing her from getting past.

The Smashleys were starting to get back into the bout but then it all went horribly wrong for them as Fannie Tastic fell which left a gap in the pack, as her fellow blockers shifted on the track to cover the gap it left more than enough room for Defcon Dani to go through untouched. The Smashleys then saw their jammer sent to the penalty box. The Hellcats then gradually slowed down the pack until they were at a full stop on the track which allowed Defcon to keep picking up points with each pass. By the end of the jam the Hellcats were further ahead 85-44.

The Hellcats went with a no pack start as Susy went flying past the jammer line only to come face to face with Jilla. It wasn’t until Hellcats blocker Rum n Rola came into shepherd Jilla from Susy that she was able to get around her. Both sides went with a slower start in the next jam but there were still hits and falls galore as Babycakes and Belt’er raced to get through the pack first. Babycakes won only to come face to face with who else but Jilla. Despite doing her best to get around Jilla, Babycakes couldn’t do it. Realising resistance is futile she ended up calling off the jam with a smile on her face only to be rewarded with a slap on the backside by Jilla! The Hellcats finished the half strongly as Defcon Dani bamboozled the Smashleys with great footwork as her team mate Betty Bedlam successfully held back Beaver Destruction. The first half ended 109-48 for the Hellcats.

Just like the previous two bouts there wasn’t a huge difference between the two sides skills and experience wise. The major difference was that the Hellcats kept punishing the Smashleys on power jams. If the Smashleys could keep their skaters on the track long enough then it would be anyone’s bout.

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The Hellcats started the second half as they finished the first half. The Hellcats had a power jam as Smashleys jammer found herself in the penalty box which allowed Susy to pick up points like they were going out of fashion but then she got done for back blocking. Almost as soon as Beaver Destruction was back on she took a hit and fell on her shoulder quite heavily. She was taken off the track by St. John’s and unfortunately that was the end of her night.

The Smashleys tried clawing their way back as they managed to slow the pack down to a complete standstill to allow Belt’er to pick up some much needed points for them. Both sides found themselves two blockers short which created space on the track as Defcon Dani dummied Jilla. Not to be outdone Jilla pushed her team mate Fannie Tastic into Defcon’s path to stop her from getting through.

Thunder smashed past Susy to get through the pack first but did not get lead jammer due to picking up a minor penalty on her way through. Jilla was still at her intimidating best as she got right in the face of jammer Champain Showers so that she couldn’t get past which then forced her to call off the jam to stop Thunder from picking up any points.

Booga got lead jammer with ease as the Hellcats opened up a gap in their wall to let her get through and from there the Smashleys were playing catch up for the rest of the jam. Harms Way was doing well to try and stop Booga and then the ever reliable Lady Quirkinator came in to take over to stop Booga but she ended up being sent to the penalty box. By the end of the jam the Hellcats had extended their lead 159-66.

Susy tried to get through the Smashleys wall but ended up back blocking two of the blockers that the entire wall fell down like dominos. Just as soon as Belt’er got lead jammer she was taken out by Betty Bedlam. Belt’er was getting hit by the Hellcats blockers left, right and centre and was contorting like Gumby but to her credit she was still on her skates despite the attention she was getting.

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Champain Showers and Jilla lined up on the jammer line with Jilla turning into a fifth blocker right from the get go as she tried to stop to Champain’s progress. The Hellcats had the measure of Jilla as their blockers completely swamped her that she couldn’t get to Champain which allowed her to get lead jammer. The Hellcats then targeted Jilla for the rest of the jam by taking turns to hit her to slow her down and it worked.

Jilla was stopping the Hellcats jammer’s progress which allowed Synysta Sk8s the gap she needed to get through and get lead jammer. Waiting for her though was Babycakes who waited for the right moment to knock her down as she was coming around the bend. Lady Quirkinator demonstrated her high fitness levels by doing squats while she was waiting in the penalty box to be allowed back onto the track.

Commentator Mal Adjusted told the crowd that the highest jam ever scored was by Suzy Hotrod who scored a 40 point jam just a few weeks before. With the score at 180-91 it was going to take a few of those sorts of jams to get the Smashleys back into the contest and time wasn’t on their side. Unfortunately the Smashleys couldn’t capitalise on the power jam they had as the Hellcats blockers led by Rum n Rola and Reggie Ramjet played amazingly well to contain Smashleys jammer Nay Palm.

Both sides were still battling hard as Synysta Sk8s got done for back blocking, while for the Hellcats Tootsie Turbo fell down and tripped Glitter N Gore with a low block. Skaters kept rotating in and out of the penalty box which caused the pack to lose any sort of formation. Babycakes took advantage of the confusion by picking up points as the jam went for the full two minutes with the Hellcats further extending their lead 198-108.

The Smashleys went with a no pack start which was followed by a massive collision as both sides attempted to form a pack. Defcon Dani found herself sent to the box for a track cut. Schmierer passed the star to Jilla but she ended up being sent to the box which cancelled any advantage they may have had. Harms Way and Schmierer were defending well at the front to stop Defcon from picking up more points.

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The last jam of the night was as quick as the opening jam. Booga got lead jammer while Susy tried getting in the face of the Smashleys blockers but ended up being bent backwards from the Smashleys blockers counter-blocking her. Booga called the jam and the bout off just as Jilla was coming back onto the track as the Hellcats skated away to another victory 207-108 in what was another highly entertaining series played out between the two sides. Player of the bout went to Rum n Rola for the Hellcats and Nay Palm for the Smashleys.

NRDL’s representative side the Dockyard Dames will be participating in the upcoming Great Southern Slam. Show your support by grabbing a player postcard. The next Smashleys vs Hellcats series kicks off on the 28th July. Will the Hellcats claim their fourth straight series or will the Smashleys stop the Hellcats dominance? See for yourself!

Words by Lisbeth Slammed-her, pictures by Nick Sullivan Images.

Score Update: 26-27/5/12

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26/5/12

Adelaide Roller Derby:

Salty Dolls: 185

Road Train Rollers: 97

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NCDC Round 2:
Clarence Valley Roller Derby League: 209

Coffs Coast Derby Dolls: 177

Northern Rivers Roller Derby: 216

Tweed Valley Rollers: 124

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Melbourne Northside Rollers – Death Stars: 118

Dragon City Derby Dolls - Chiko Rollers: 113

Mixed Victorian leagues team game:

Sub Zeros: 89

Scorpions: 82

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Northern Brisbane Rollers:

Love Rockettes: 180

Diner Might Dolls: 85

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Open Season Round 2:
Brisbane City Rollers (BCR): Rogues: 147

Gold Coast Roller Derby (GCRD) MurdaMaids: 121

BCR: Bomb Squad: 153

GCRD Pain Clinic: 124

Coastal Assassins Roller Derby (CARD) Crash Test Honeyz: 202

GCRD Corporal Punishers: 200

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Sun State Roller Girls:

Defiants: 130

Riots: 115

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27/5/12

Perth Roller Derby:

Travel Team Showcase Extravaganza

Evil Blacks: 72

Evil Whites: 64

Score Update: May 19/20 2012

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19th May 2012
Newcastle Roller Derby League:

Harbour Hellcats: 207

Fort Smashleys: 108

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 Victorian Roller Derby League:

Rock Mobsters: 156

Dead Ringer Rosies: 79

Dolls of Hazzard: 152

Toxic Avengers: 125

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20th May 2012

Brisbane City Rollers vs Northern Brisbane Rollers:

NBR Brawl Stars: 215

BCR Punk Blockers: 98

 

Score Update: May 12-13 2012

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12/5/2012

Canberra Roller Derby League:

Black n Blue Belles: 224

Surly Griffins: 128

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Reef City Roller Girls:

Cane Sugars: 174

Monsoon Maidens: 158

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Sydney Roller Derby League:

Assassins: 164

ERRaDicators: 107

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Town Villains Roller Derby:

Rollings Pin Ups: 99

The Dodgers: 45

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13/5/2012

Sun State Roller Girls:

Furies:161

Vandals: 84

Derby Proof. A RAhview of Grn Mnstr Gumballs.

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I love the smell of burning gumballs in the morning . . . .

Last year on the EVRD blog I mentioned I was planning on reviewing Grn Mnster gumballs.  This came about after a less than satisfying experience with my beloved but ultimately maligned Sure Grip ‘Grippers’ (See Sent to the Sin Bin. The Case of the Disintegrating Toe stops’) The review caused a minor uproar within the quad skating community much to my amusement.  I hadn’t even wanted to write it as I truly loved those stoppers but three roller girls with the same outcome was enough evidence to the contrary.

So it was time to try something new.  Grn Mnster’s Gumballs became the darlings of last year’s Rollercon, selling out just like Atom’s new Venoms.  Glowing reports from roller girls soon followed but it wasn’t until I’d seen this YouTube video that I actually decided to give them a go. The video, depicting a gumball being tortured to the sound of department store jazz, left me in no doubt I would have to drop them into the fires of Mordor to actually destroy them.

Gumballs are uncoloured, natural rubber toe stops with lightweight aluminium stems. They are available long or short stemmed and straight out of the box they do feel like running on tennis balls. Which brings me to my only genuine criticism – the problem with gumballs is that they are shaped like gumballs.  Initially there is only a very small, rounded spot that actually makes contact with the rink. This requires the skater in question to either be exceptionally precise on their toes or just bat-shit crazy enough to not care if they miss and end up on their face.    I am neither of these two.

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Bitumen will not only wear a decent sized sweet spot on your gumballs, it will also give it a rough grippy texture.

Even though a number of people told me to take them out onto a rough surface to wear them in, I stubbornly persisted in trying to mould them into a satisfactory shape on the rink alone. Several months of fail followed in which I wondered; If only I could have the indestructible nature of the gumball with the intelligently slanted design of the gripper.  The answer is you can – you just have to take them outside and wear the shape into them. All you need is a bitumen surface, a sunny day and enough turn-around-toe-stops till you have the desired shape.

The Verdict?

Gumballs are what I would call customisable toe stops in the sense that you buy them stock standard and wear them into the shape you need.  Taking marks off for the fact that they have to be shaped would be like deducting marks from a mouthguard for requiring moulding. As with anything customisable, the end result is a product shaped the way you want it.  They are damn ugly but in sacrificing colour and novelty, Grn Mnster has created ridiculously tough, trustworthy works of genius. And for that I give them 5 bearings.

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‘BRUTAL BEAUTY: Faces of Australian Roller Derby’

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‘BRUTAL BEAUTY: Faces of Australian Roller Derby’

A photographic exhibition by Gunther Hang
From Thursday May 3 – Monday May 14 at Sun Studios Australia

SEE AUSTRALIA’S HOTTEST WOMEN IN SPORT

Sydney, NSW – April 2012 –  BRUTAL BEAUTY: Faces of Australian Roller Derby’ is a exhibition of 18 large colour photographs that uniquely capture the raw energy of the world’s fastest growing female sport—women’s flat-track Roller Derby. These images showcase Derby and all its spectacle for the very first time in Australia.

With more than 70 leagues across the country, Roller Derby is a rapid-paced, full contact team sport requiring speed, strategy and athleticism.

Shot around Australia over 14 months, the exhibition showcases a community of strong, confident, everyday women deeply dedicated to an incredible sport. These stoic portraits celebrate this dynamic sport in all its diversity and colour.


When:
‘BRUTAL BEAUTY – Faces of Australian Roller Derby’                             Thursday May 3 – May 14

Where: Sun Studios Australia, 42 Maddox Street, Alexandria, NSW
More info: http://guntherhang.com/Brutal-Beauty

About Gunther Hang

Gunther Hang is an official Sydney Roller Derby League and commercial portrait photographer.

Visit www.guntherhang.com

FEATURED Skater: Light City Derby’s : Rogue n Josh

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Name: Rogue n Josh

League: Adelaide’s mixed gender league, Light City Derby

Team(s): We’re still a relatively new league and don’t have teams yet

Skate set up: Riedell R3’s

When did you start skating? Did you have any prior athletic experience?

I’d been an avid spectator of derby bouts since 2007. Being a guy, I couldn’t join in the game as a player unless I wanted to ref, and being a ref looked insanely difficult! So I didn’t get up on skates for a few years. Then in May 2010, I finally decided to go and buy some skates to see if I was any good, and started recreational skating on weekends every now and again.

Tell us a little bit about your derby journey.

In June 2011 I got a call out of the blue from one of my friends asking me if I wanted to play roller derby. My mind exploded because it’s traditionally a women’s sport, so when she told me they were starting up a co-ed league I put on my skates and jumped in with 8 wheels rolling!

Tell us about the first derby bout you ever saw. If bouting, please also tell us a little bit about your first bout.

It was in 2007, a Skate of Origin bout: Adelaide vs. Victoria. I had no idea what I was in for, but they gave a quick demo so I picked up what was going on pretty quickly, and by the end I was hooked!

Who has inspired you to play derby? Who are your favourite Aussie (& international) skaters?

I’m a complete supporter of home-grown heroes so my favourite derby players are from Adelaide Roller Derby. Barrelhouse Bessy is my original inspiration – she can block like a boss and jams even harder. Her most awesome move was taking a hip whip off one of her teammates and she pulled them so hard they went flying to the ground!

How much time do you put into derby each week? 

I go to at least two 2-hour training sessions and make sure I get in one or two extra sessions on skates each week. I’m also one of the league’s trainers so I spend a bit of time planning sessions and researching new drills!

What are your favourite wheels to use and why? What other gear do you swear by?

I use fugitives 92A wheels because they’re awesome for agility, they’ve really helped me start to get the hang of Juking and they’ve never slid out from under me when I’m going fast!

Where do you see/want to see Australian Roller Derby in five year’s time?

I’m a strong supporter of the co-ed derby movement and hope to see a lot more co-ed leagues pop up all over Australia in the next 5 years. I want every state capital in Australia to have a purpose-built flat track derby stadium with a permanent track layed and stadium seating (but still have suicide line seating of course!) to give all leagues a proper facility to bout in!

Do you have any advice for those interested in volunteering and/or playing roller derby?

If you wanna play roller derby but think you’re not good enough you have to just go and try it! I didn’t try out at first because I thought I didn’t have the skills, but just remember that they will teach you how to do everything, you’re not supposed to have all the skills before you start! All you need is the ambition to learn it all. It’s definitely worthwhile and lots of fun and you’ll fall in love with your derby family!

Photograph by Evangelia Karageorgos.

Toowoomba City Rollers’ Fresh Meat Info Night & Sign On

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The Toowoomba City Rollers are on the hunt for new members!
Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you’re interested in skating, refereeing, non-skating officiating, being a member of the street team, or helping out in any way, come along to our Fresh Meat Info Session at 3pm on Sunday, 3rd June and find out all about the Toowoomba City Rollers.

This is an off-skates information session so we can tell you all about how we operate and why it’s so fun to be a part of the Toowoomba City Rollers. You won’t need your skates or protective gear for this session but if you do decide to join as a skating member, on-skates training commences the following Sunday.

The Toowoomba City Rollers are a not-for-profit, volunteer run organisation and there are many ways in which you can be involved other than training to be a roller girl. If you’ve ever been to one of our bouts you would have seen the multitude of people it takes to put on these huge events. The girls can’t skate unless there are a team of referees and nonskating officials to track points and penalties, and ensure the game is safe for all competitors. Then there are all the fantastic volunteers that hand out flyers and posters around town, set up the pavilion for the event, take your tickets at the door and serve you at the merchandise table and bar.

The Toowoomba City Rollers prides itself on being a family friendly organisation and we have a number of mums and dads in the league that find roller derby to be a really rewarding activity to be a part of, especially as they can bring their children to training with them. If you come along to any of our training session you’ll usually find a group of children hooning around on their scooters, playing together, or doing homework while their mums and dads train their hearts out on the track. So if you think you can’t come, think again!

For more information or to RSVP, please email freshmeat@toowoombacityrollers.com

What: Toowoomba City Rollers’ Fresh Meat Info Night & Sign On
When: Sunday, 3rd June 2012, 3pm to 6pm
Where: Founders Pavilion, Toowoomba Showgrounds, Glenvale Road, Toowoomba

Score Update: May 5-6 2012

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6/5/12

Adelaide Roller Derby:

Wild Hearses: 189 vs

Mile Die Club: 146

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5/5/12

Brisbane City Rollers: Punk Blockers 268 vs

Tweed Valley RollersValley Vixens  46

__________________________________________________________________Canberra Roller Derby League:

Vice City Rollers 269 vs

Newcastle Roller Derby League:

Dockyard Dames 150

WIRD vs VRDL – VRDL are the bee’s knees.

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University of Wollongong’s Sports Hub was THE place to be last weekend as an absolute epic bout was played out between WIRD’s Steel City Derby Dolls and VRDL’s Queen Bees. It gave both leagues the chance to have a hit out and work on strategy before the upcoming Great Southern Slam.

The bout drew the biggest turn out for a WIRD bout yet and the crowd were mesmerised by the intensity of the VRDL skaters warming up on the track as they streamed inside the venue to try and get the best seats. It was set up to be an interesting bout with both leagues having contrasting playing styles.

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VRDL signalled their intentions right from the first jam as they went a scrum start. WIRD tried to counter the scrum start strategy by going with a T-bone formation to try and catch the VRDL jammer Speedy Wasabi in the pack but she out stepped them and called the jam after picking up a quick 3 points before calling it off. In the next jam Manic Bullet got the better of Ranga Fanga which resulted in a massive cheer from the crowd. It got even louder as Courtney Love Bite took out Ranga Fanga to help give WIRD the lead 5-4.

The opening jams were tit for tat, one team would get lead jammer, score some quick points, then quickly call off the jam before the opposition could score any points. This resulted in the lead changing hands with each jam. Although VRDL are known for being strategy queens, WIRD were more than holding their own against VRDL strategy and points wise, it was an extremely captivating bout to watch.

WIRD then started to open up a lead against VRDL as Manic Bullet was skating rings around the VRDL blockers while the awesome Janis Job’em was stopping Miss Sinnocent with some great defence. Next up Courtney Love Bite was doing well to hold Alex in Chains back with positional blocking to allow Chakram to get through to become lead jammer. Courtney then partnered up well with VishiousNess to stop Ranga Fanga from getting past them as WIRD went to a 21-8 lead.

VRDL then flicked a switch and it was game on as they were helped by Manic Bullet and then VishiousNess were both sent to the penalty box. WIRD’s White Hawk was doing her best to stop Speedy Wasabi from scoring more points as she absolutely nailed her which resulted in Speedy in getting sent to the box for a track cut. Manic was then sent back on the track only to be sent back to the box for a track cut which allowed Speedy to pick up where she left off as she scored a massive 19-0 jam to give VRDL the lead again 35-25.

VRDL were continuing with their scrum starts and in most jams their jammer would get lead jammer so it was proving to be a very effective tactic for them. Even when they found themselves two blockers short Speedy Wasabi still managed to get lead jammer while her opposing jammer Chakram was being smashed in the back of the pack by the remaining VRDL blockers on the track.

Now that VRDL had control of the bout they were beginning to dictate the speed of the bout as they kept increasing their lead through their excellent use of tactics. They were either slowing down the pack effectively without getting caught for destruction of the pack or their scrum starts were forcing WIRD to have to have to skate ahead to force a no pack situation. It was like watching a physical game of chess.

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WIRD being the fighters that they are weren’t taking this lying down as they tried everything they could to counter VRDL’s strategies. Led by Janis Job’em they did their best to nullify VRDL but they were having trouble containing Speedy Wasabi who was getting ridiculously low to avoid being hit, and when she did get hit and fell down she would be back on her feet almost instantaneously. She tried her luck apex jumping but got completely smashed by Kate O9 Tails who saw her coming from a mile off. Despite the hits and falls Speedy Wasabi scored a whopping big 25-0 jam as VRDL increased their lead to 82-28.

As VRDL continued their extremely slow starts some sections voiced their disapproval at the slowing down tactics used. VishiousNess and White Hawk formed their formidable wall of defence that was stopping Miss Sinnocent from getting through which eventually forced Miss Sinnocent to call off the jam as Underbelly Morelli managed to catch up to her.

iKandy had to yield her position to Speedy Wasabi as she had a false start but Speedy soon found herself stuck behind the human brick wall that is Janis Job’em. iKandy was being hunted down on the track by VRDL packs that she could not find a way through and ended up being sent to the box for back blocking. The VRDL then formed a diagonal wall along the outside line that appeared to barely move which was brilliant strategy as no pack kept being called so their jammer kept racking up points until she eventually scored a 24-0 jam.

WIRD finished the half strongly as VRDL found themselves with only two players left on the track. Chakram took out Nasty Beasty on her way through the pack. With VishiousNess yelling out instructions for her blockers on where to position themselves it allowed Chakram to score a 19-0 jam to bring the first half to a close with the score 118-49 for the Queen Bees.

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Both sides picked up where they left from as VRDL quickly recovered from WIRD getting the better jam start by catching Janis in the pack to allow Speedy Wasabi to get through first but Janis kept up as they scored 3 points apiece. VRDL were continuing with their slow starts and quick jams before calling it off. The tactic was being played to perfection because while WIRD may have had the most knock out, heavy type hits, VRDL were picking up quick points more often and pulling out massive jams when they needed to which was helping them to increase their lead.

Ranga Fanga managed to get lead jammer but then got completely smashed by both AVO and Courtney Love Bite which allowed Manic Bullet to overtake Ranga Fanga and outscore her 4-3 before the jam was called off. Neither iKandy nor Nasty Beasty managed to get lead jammer on their initial pass. VRDL formed their diagonal line along the outside line to get the no pack call. WIRD eventually caught on and tried to copy them but they started getting sent to the box one by one for various infringements that Janis was eventually the only WIRD player on the track at one stage and boy did VRDL make them pay as they scored a 24-3 jam to increase their lead to 163-59.

Manic Bullet was an absolute machine on the track as her amazing footwork bamboozled two VRDL blockers as she scored a 10-5 jam to cut the deficit. WIRD went with a no pack start to try and capitalise on the VRDL jammer being in the box. The WIRD blockers did a great job of pushing the VRDL blockers out of the way for Janis Job’em to pass through the pack who ended up calling the jam upside down on the track after falling but then got sent to the box for a major as WIRD couldn’t capitalise on the power jam.

VRDL went with a no pack start to set Ranga Fanga on her way immediately and she managed to get around the wall of AVO and Kat O9 Tails. Her blockers were doing an excellent job of protecting her from the WIRD blockers but she eventually got smashed by Kat O9 Tails which got a massive applause from the crowd but Ranga Fanga scored a HUGE 25-0 jam.

Both sides launched themselves at the jammer line to try and get the position in front of the jammer line in what was another strategic move. After all that Ranga Fanga managed to step around the wall in front of her nicely and on her way to scoring four points as Manic Bullet was left to try and get passed the VRDL blockers one by one.

VishiousNess was using her backside to great effect as she booty blocked 6ft Hussy all over the track. Underbelly Morelli wasn’t have much luck either as she was stopped by Betty Fight and then got smashed illegally by Bianca Sciaretta who was then sent to the box. Underbelly Morelli got a loud cheer from the crowd when she got lead jammer. As her team mates started getting sent to the penalty box Manic Bullet was left alone against the VRDL blockers on her own. Being the intense competitor that she is she started skating backwards and got right in the VRDL skaters faces. The look on her face was priceless, it was INTENSE. I still don’t know how the VRDL skaters didn’t turn around and skate away from her in fear!

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VishiousNess was still hitting as hard as she did at the beginning of the bout, this time it was Betty Fight on the receiving end. VRDL were continuing with their slow packs as the pack barely moved in the last jam as it appeared that neither side would get past the pivot line with 1:25 left on the clock. WIRD eventually pushed through to the front to get a no pack with Speedy Wasabi getting smashed by the WIRD blockers but she held them off long enough to get lead jammer over iKandy and pick up a 2-0 jam to bring the final score to 258-80 for the VRDL Queen Bees in what was a truly amazing bout to watch.

VRDL showed why they’re the current National champions and why they will be one of the teams to beat at TGSS. WIRD in no way disgraced themselves. They played unbelievably well and really pushed VRDL.

Words by: Lisbeth Slammed-her, pics by: Roaringstorm Photography.

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