IN 2011 thirteen teams competed at the first Roller Derby World Cup, now just three years later, 30 teams will take to the flat track at the Dallas Convention Centre in Texas. The global showpiece will also see another first; the first South African squad and the first from the African continent.
Two local athletes, Szerdi Nagy (Julia Seize-Her) and Ashleigh Pienaar (Ashtrix), will be among the history making in the US.
“There’s a mixture of emotions running through our heads at the moment. It is mind blowing, terrifying, amazing, awesome and just incredible that we are going to the home of Roller Derby.
“It’s an honour to be representing the country and we are under no illusions about the enormity of the task ahead of us. Going to Texas is not only about a litmus test on Derby in SA, but it’s also a chance for us to bring back what we learn from other teams and apply it to our league,” Szerdi said.
The team has been grouped in the same pool as Norway, New Zealand and Wales.
“We enter this competition as something of a wildcard. Because we are the first team from Africa, no one knows what to expect from us and that could work to our advantage,” she explained. The rapid growth of the sport in Durban has shown how a game that has excellent nicknames and the most enjoyable collections of puns available anywhere is also an intensely physical sport.
Ashleigh Pienaar, who has played for the Windsor Rollergirls in the UK, has already got a taste of that intense physicality and expects more of the same at the World Cup.
“It’s wonderfully inclusive sport, accepting skaters of nearly every body and personality type, something which extends to our fan base as well. It’s about being part of this beautiful family and growing and learning.
“It’s going to be an awesome experience, but on the track, the camaraderie will be replaced with a fierce competitive spirit,” Pienaar said.
Because the sport is not recognised by South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the team has had to compete under the name of Team ZA.
For more visit www.facebook.com/Durban RollerDerby
Related Articles
Roller Revolution grips Durban
