| Nottingham Roller Derby | |
| Founded: | 2013 |
| Metro Area: | Nottingham |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Teams: | Nottingham Roller Derby Arrows (A), Nottingham Roller Derby Bolts (B) |
| Tracks: | Flat |
| Venue: | Nottingham Trent University |
| Affiliations: | UKRDA |
| Url: | http://nottsrollerderby.co.uk |
Nottingham Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in Nottingham, England. Founded in 2013, from a merger of two local leagues, it was the first league in the UK to host a co-ed roller derby competition.[1]
The league is made up of two teams:[2]
The following teams were previously part of the league, but have since either become defunct or established their own organisations:
Nottingham Roller Girls (NRG) was formed in 2013, merging established local women's and men's teams Nottingham Roller Girls and Super Smash Brollers. They underwent a rebrand in 2020 to become Nottingham Roller Derby.[3] At the same time, the Super Smash Brollers set up on their own as East Midlands Open Roller Derby, a Men's Roller Derby Association-aligned league.[4]
The league were members of the United Kingdom Roller Derby Association from 2015-2017.[5]
Since 2015, the league has hosted the annual eponymous "Louisey Rider Cup" competition, in honour of their teammate Louise Wright (derby name Louisey Rider) who was killed in a road traffic collision while cycling in 2014.[6] [7] The event has made over £13,000 for road safety charity Brake. In 2020, the event went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned as a slimmed-down, non-skating, celebration event outdoors in 2021. 2022 saw the tournament return as a closed-door event, and in 2023 the event returned in full, welcoming back spectators.[8]
In 2022, the league welcomed local journalist Lizzy O'Riordan of LeftLion to a practice session to try out the sport and spread awareness.[9]
The league participated in the British Roller Derby Championships 2015, in the Women T3 West tier. In their first game they narrowly beat the Dolly Rockit Rollers 162-161, but lost their other four games against Swansea City Roller Derby, Belfast Roller Derby, Hereford Roller Derby and Birmingham Blitz Dames.[10] This caused them to place second-to-last, just above the Dolly Rokckits.
The following year they were placed into the Women Tier 4 West, where they faced the Dolly Rockit Rollers again, as well as Mansfield Roller Derby and Evolution Roller Derby and winning all of their games.[11]
After a tournament restructure, they found themselves in the Womens T3 Regional tier in 2017. First they played Sheffield Steel Roller Derby and lost 183-147. Their next opponents were Milton Keynes Roller Derby who they beat comfortably, 240-65. Nottingham then lost their other two games: 146-133 against Hallam Hellcats Roller Derby, then 111-116 to the Dolly Rockit Rollers.[12]
They remained in the Womens T3 Regional tier for 2018, losing their first game to Wiltshire Roller Derby, 110-190. They fared no better against Hull's Angel's Roller Derby though the margin of loss was smaller, 159-157. They went on to beat Granite City Roller Derby, 362-80, and Mansfield Roller Derby 287-223. This winning streak continued with victories against Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Derby, 295-125; Roller Derby Leicester, 325-55; and their rematch against Hull's Angels, 342-85.[13]
In 2019, after a further tournament restructure, the league found themselves in the Womens T2 National tier. They opened with a narrow win against Dorset Roller Derby, 181-180, but then lost to North Wales Roller Derby, 214-153. They won their next three games against Hallam Hellcats Roller Derby, 173-155; Nottingham Hellfire Harlots B team, 195-119; and Leeds Roller Derby B team, 209-128. Their final game of the championship was a close one against Mansfield Roller Derby, ending in a loss for Nottingham, 223-231.[14]
The league were due to compete in the British Roller Derby Championships 2020, finding themselves in the Womens T1 Premier tier, however the competition was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and they completed only one game. This was on 1 February 2020, against Rainy City Revolution, which Nottingham won 226-150.[15]
In 2021, the British Championships rebranded as the Five Nations Roller Derby Championships.[16]