UK Roller Derby Blows Up!!

• Bedford, England - Bedford Bandits
• Birmingham, England - Central City Rollergirls
• Birmingham, England - Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames
• Cambridge, England - Romsey Town Rollerbillies
• Edinburgh, Scotland - Auld Reekie Rollergirls
• Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow Rollergirls
• Leeds, England - Leeds Roller Dolls
• Lincoln, England - Lincolnshire Bombers
• London, England - London Rollergirls
• London, England - London Rockin Rollers
• Manchester, England - Rainy City Roller Girls
• Middlesbrough, England - Middlesbrough Milk Rollers
• Windsor, England - Windsor Rollergirls

Roller Derby in England and Scotland has caught on in a BIG way and with teams now in Germany and Sweden the European Derby scene is incredibly exciting. As you can see by the list above England now has 11 active teams! Unreal. I have heard that there may be a European Tournament in the near future and that could only help build the exciting scene across the pond. Derby fanbases are starting to build steadily and it is my hope that one day soon we will see a WFTDA- Europe. The Derby scene in New Zealand and Australia has also taken off and so the internationalism of the greatest womens sport in the world is assured. And make no mistake-Roller Derby IS the greatest womens sport in the WORLD and the rest of the world has really caught on. Name one other womens sport that has grown as exponentially as Roller Derby...ya cant! There are some good womens sports out there, Tennis, Gymnastics. Figure Skating and even Motor Sports but not one of them has the excitement and intrigue that both Banked track and Flat track Derby has. Theres a REASON why Roller Derby has taken off like it has...its a contact sport for Women but its still somehow feminine and sexy. Its fast but not TOO fast. Its punk, its metal, its alternative. Its AWESOME!! And all of us, fans and skaters alike, owe a large debt to the Original Muthas...TXRG and the Banked track Rollergirls of TXRD. They were the accidental visionaries that gave birth to the incredible sport of Modern Roller Derby. In my opinion, with all due respect to the Old Style Derby. Modern Roller Derby is far superior. Its a real sport for real athletes. Its a game of skill, speed, tactics, power and skating talent with nary a "fix" in sight. And I say that as an avowed fan of the "Demon of the Derby" Ann Calvello. I adore the Modern game and its plain to see that a whole lot of other people do too. So today, raise a cold glass of the frothy stuff to the Derby Goddess and look upon what she has created: The greatest womens sport in the WORLD!