Tamworth roller derby fans find new venue

New England Roller Derby League (NERDL) will hold an information session this month to introduce people to the contact sport.

President Brenna Paterson – who skates under the name Billie Phoenix – said she hoped to see women and men come along to find out more about the hard-hitting, fast-paced sport.

Then, on Sunday afternoons in February and March, they’ll be able to hit the track and get started on the basics of skating and roller derby.

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“Our league has been around since the end of 2016 and we were up and running for about a year, then we lost our venue at the Thunderdome on Anne St,” Miss Paterson said.

“It was really good: we had a co-ed league going and quite a few people getting up to competition stage.

“We’d also launched quadfit – a derby-based fitness program with no contact and focused on fun and fitness rather than games.”

Now, NERDL has gained the OK to take to a court at Tamworth Sports Dome.

Operations manager Sammy Bowen said roller derby was “such a unique sport that can really show the diversity of the sports dome”, which usually hosts more traditional sports such as basketball, netball and indoor hockey.

“It’s such a different sport we didn’t know if the timber floors would be suitable,” Ms Bowen said.

“We ran a trial and that was successful, so we’re happy to run a competition.”

She said she wished NERDL the best in building up its numbers again.

“It’s an exciting sport and the association is really passionate, so that’s a bit contagious,” she said.

“I hope other people feel the same and give it a go.”

Miss Paterson said “you don't have to have been a sporty person” to get into roller derby, and the benefits were many, including fun, fitness and friendship.

“I kind of feel free when I’m on skates; it’s freeing being able to skate around and be in a full-contact sport without running, which I’m not good at,” she said.

“You make a lot of cool, like-minded friends as well.”