Watch women battle it out on roller skates
JOBURG - Rocking action at roller derby home season finals.
The conclusion of the 2014 home season in September will mark another milestone for roller derby in South Africa.
It was during this first South African season that the four home teams of the C-Max Roller Derby League fought it out on the flat track for a spot in the finals and the league champions crown.
The contact sport is played by two teams who roller skate in the same direction around a track.
“[Each team has] a maximum of 14 skaters. A roller derby bout is made up to two 30-minute periods,” said league chairperson Melinda Lotz.
“Each period is then divided into two-minute jams, which can be ended earlier by a lead ‘jammer’.”
Lotz explained that each team fields five skaters per jam – three blockers, one pivot, and one ‘jammer’.
“The blockers and pivots form one large pack on the track. The ‘jammer’s’ job is to try pass through the pack and to score points by legally passing players from the opposing team on their second pass onwards.”
The pack will play both offence and defence in a bid to get their own ‘jammer’ through and to prevent the opposition ‘jammer’ from scoring points.
“Most teams also have skaters who have qualified for Team ZA [and will] represent South Africa at the 2014 Blood and Thunder Roller Derby World Cup in Dallas, Texas, in December,” she said.
“For a night of hard-hitting roller girl on roller girl action, join us to watch the best sport ever invented by humans… Roller derby just got epic.”
The finals will take place on 13 September at the UNIAO Stadium, 4 Eastwood Street, Turffontein, at 6pm.
Details: 082 443 6617; cmaxrollerderby@gmail.com; www.projecthotbox.nutickets.co.za
WATCH: Scenes from Rage in the Cage, C-Max Roller Derby League’s first roller derby bout:
