Press Clippings

Daily Express, August 2010

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FOR me roller-skating evokes childhood memories of injuries incurred by encouraging my dog to drag me down the road while I stood tentatively on wheels. Let’s face it, skating is for children, right?

Wrong. Roller derby is a women- only competitive contact sport which originated in Texas and is becoming ever more popular, especially since the release of Drew Barrymore’s skating flick Whip It.

Read the full article here...

Huck Magazine, June 2010

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Thundering around a slippery floor is a pack of women on roller skates. The London Brawl Saints are hurling their way towards defeating Glasgow’s IRN Bruisers. This alternative reality is a pink and black whirl of shoving, blocking, jamming and bouting. There’s a blur of kneepads, helmets and hotpants, as a tangled group suddenly goes down. Fast and furious skating continues in a flash, while a voice borrowed from the boxing ring booms out above the hooting, hollering and cheers to commentate on the exploits of heroines like Vagablonde and Grievous Bodily Charm.

Read the short online article here.

Read the full article in the digital print version, page 52-56.

Inside the Games, May 2010

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Alan Hubbard: Jacques Rogge should forget chess and put roller derby into the Olympics

Grazia Daily, April 2010

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Guess what? Since the recent Drew Barrymore film Whip It, there’s been a huge surge of interest in female roller derby resulting in long waiting lists for member at London clubs. Roller derby is a full-contact roller skating sport with its roots in the United States. It dates back to the 1930s, but has encountered a rowdy revival in the last decade with DIY-minded, post-punky hip chicks giving it a fresh lick of neon pink paint.

Read the rest here...

The Independent, April 2010

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It's fast, feisty and feminist – and is bucking a dispiriting trend that has seen the number of women taking part in sport slump in recent months. Welcome to the world of roller derby, one of the UK's hottest new sports and the ultimate star of Whip It, a new Drew Barrymore film that opens across Britain this week. The sport's increased profile is tipped to cement its growing popularity, which has seen the number of roller derby clubs at least double in the past year to 35, with more being formed each week.

Read the full article here...

Empire, March 2010

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Last Saturday night I attended my first roller derby, which turns out to be the world's best spectator sport. It's fast, it's furious, there are no faffy times out (apart from a nice 15 minute half-time break), pretty much no breaks in play and lots and lots of speed and violence and tactics to discuss*. By about 10 minutes in, the entire party of first-timers I was with were discussing strategy and scoring and so-and-so's speed like old hands at this stuff. It was, in other words, every bit as entertaining as the movie Whip It**, about the same sport, which got me wondering why some sports work better on film than others.

Read the full article here...

Women's Fitness, March 2010

Womens Fitness MAg

Drew Barrymore’s new film, Whip It, will undoubtedly kick-start a renewed love for roller-skating and a curiosity for the raucous game of roller derby. But some girls have been battling it out on roller derby rink for years. It started in America in the 1920s and has since grown into an international sport, although most leagues are still American. If you fancy having a go, read our expert top tips and see below for UK leagues.

Read the full article here...