“Yes, it’s a pretty violent sport“ concedes Titouan, captain of the Bourgundy Derby Crew, the Dijon team. Saturday October 28 and Sunday October 29, five men’s Roller Derby teams meet for the first stage of the French N1 championships, the second division. The sport, initially feminine, is gaining followers in its masculine version.
The Bourgundy Derby Crew gets their weekend off to a good start with a 205 to 131 victory facing the Lumières de Lyon, late Saturday afternoon. The Lyonnais had already lost their first match against Ghost Valley, the Thonon team, 62 to 272. The other match this Saturday saw the victory of the Panam Squad of Paris, against the Croquant of Caen/Rouen, 91 at 176. For their second match, the Dijon players face the Parisian favorites this Sunday, at 2:00 p.m.
The Lyon players form a pack to prevent the opposing Jammer from passing © Radio France – Célestin Navarro
Roller Derby involves two teams competing against each other, with five players each, on quad rollers (the wheels of which are positioned in a rectangle). all players concentrate on an oval ring approximately three meters wide. A contact sport, where we are not afraid of blows. “The mandatory equipment is a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards and a mouth guard” explains Titouan.
The team is made up of four defenders, the blockers and a jammer, recognizable by his star on the helmet. The most agile player on the skate, only the latter can score points for his team. Its role is to pass through opposing blockers. Each round, a passed blocker is equivalent to one point scored, therefore four points maximum per round. The match takes place over two 30-minute halves, halves divided into two-minute periods, jams. A bit like Rugby, packs form to prevent the opposing jammer from passing, we unbalance ourselves with hip thrusts, we jostle each other. Falling, contact and hitting are an integral part of the game.
A player from the Ghost Valley of Thonon warming up © Radio France – Célestin Navarro
Although Roller Derby had already existed for a long time, it was in the 2000s that this sport experienced a real renaissance, in the United States and Canada, very popular among feminist and LGBT circles. “I recognize myself in these values, otherwise I would not practice this sport. Currently, the championship is called ‘Masculin +’ to clearly say that it is masculine, plus all gender minorities and all those who want to play with us . These are values that I defend and that I try to defend with my team” csays Titouan. Over the years, the rules have been harmonized. In France, the sport joined the Roller and Skateboard federation in 2012. A primarily female sport, so much so that, unlike most disciplines, it is specified when the competitions are male, like here in Dijon.
A second round of the men’s N1 championship will take place later in the year, for each team to meet. At the end of this second stage, a play-off phase will allow them to join the elite.
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