A STAMPEDE is rolling into Bendigo Stadium this Saturday, as the 2015 roller derby season hits the city with a bang.
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Bec Fisher, who goes by the alias of Razorbec, and Alana Robertson, aka Slinky Ice, are among dozens of female skaters from eight Victorian leagues heading into battle during round three of the Statewide Stampede tournament.
The pair are members of Bendigo’s Dragon City Derby Dolls representative team, the Chiko Rollers, who face up to the Diamond Valley-based Roughcut Rollers on the track at 2pm.
The Chikos are sitting in fifth place on the ladder, while their opponents are just one place above them.
This is the first year Skate Victoria has run an official roller derby season and the Derby Dolls were a driving force behind the initiative.
Razorbec said it was fantastic for players to have monthly scheduled matches against other leagues to look forward to and prepare for.
"It's so exciting," she said.
"We'd reached a point where the natural progression of our sport was to work towards having a season, rather than ad hoc games.
“It gives legitimacy to the sport and makes it easier to explain to people who don’t know about roller derby.
“Previously, when people asked when our next game was, we’d have to say ‘I don’t know’, or ‘in three months’.
“It’s also great for the team to know who our opponents are going to be and when.”
Slinky Ice said having a competitive league would ultimately help the development and growth of roller derby across Victoria.
The sport involves teams of "blockers" clearing the way for their "jammer" to skate through the pack and pass opposition players, or stopping the rival jammer from breaking their lines.
Points are scored when a jammer passes an opponent.
The Stampede features teams from Albury, Mildura, Melbourne, Camperdown, Ballarat and Bendigo, with each league taking it in turns to host a round.
Round-robin bouts began in March and run until October, with finals set for November.
The Chiko skaters hope the local community gets behind their team on May 30.
Tickets to the Bendigo round cost $5, which includes all four matches, and children under 12 are free. Doors open at 11.30am and the first bout gets under way at noon.
An information session for prospective new Bendigo skaters will be held at the Truscott Reserve track on June 21. Visit www.dragon cityderbydolls.com for more details.
The natural progression of our sport was to work towards having a season, rather than ad hoc games
- Bec Fisher, aka Razorbec