Metro area Sheffield Founded August 2008 | Country United Kingdom Track type(s) Flat | |
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Teams All Stars (A team), Crucibelles (B team) Venue Ponds Forge International Sports Centre | ||
The Sheffield Steel Rollergirls (SSRG) is a flat track roller derby league based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Founded in August 2008, the league now has over 70 members. The league has two teams; the All Stars (A team) and the Crucibelles (B team).
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Sheffield Steel Rollergirls adhere to the ruleset of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and were accepted as a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Programme in July 2012. They became full members of the WFTDA in June 2013.
Sheffield Steel Roller Girls practise three times a week with extra sessions outdoors during the summer.
Ten members of the league completed the Goodwood Roller Marathon in August 2010, raising over £1,200 for the Sheffield Children's Hospital. A group of skaters from the team completed the 2011 Goodwood Marathon for the NSPCC and the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice in Sheffield.
Sheffield Steel Rollergirls are sponsored by local Sheffield company alpharooms.com
History
Pauline Chalmers (known amongst teammates as Jane Doe-a-Go-Go) established Sheffield Steel Rollergirls in August 2008. After having recently moved to Sheffield, and in desire to make new friends, she discovered the sport of roller derby on MySpace. Realising that there was no roller derby team in Sheffield, she decided to create a MySpace profile dedicated to the creation of a Sheffield team. While many mistake members of the team to be students, they in fact also include teachers, engineers and other professionals.
In March 2010, the team received a £700 grant from the local newspaper Sheffield Telegraph as part of the South Yorkshire Community Foundation's Grassroots Grants programme designed to fund "worthwhile projects" in Sheffield. This allowed the league to organise their first home bout at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in July 2010.
The team celebrated their third birthday on 9 August 2011.
On September 3, 2011 the new B team - Crucibelles - had their debut bout against Newcastle Rollergirls B team, the Whippin' Hinnies, in a double header that also saw the All Stars play Newcastle's A Team, the Canny Belters.
League Structure
Sheffield Steel Rollergirls is a skater-run organisation. The league is managed by a committee of elected officers who head up sub-committees in areas such as training, media, merchandise, sponsorship and events. Officers are re-elected annually, as are the league Captain and Vice Captain.
Sheffield Steel Rollergirls have been featured in the Sheffield Telegraph, and the Sheffield Star. The SmashDance event was also mentioned in Exposed Magazine.
TV, Radio and online
Sheffield Steel Rollergirls appeared on ITV1's ITV Calendar on 22 April 2010. They have also had a number of appearances on BBC Radio Sheffield.
On 10 November 2010, the team featured on BBC Online.
On 4 December 2010, the team featured on BBC2 Sportsround (repeated on CBBC on 5 December 2010) as part of an "Alternative Sports Special".
The team will feature in a documentary based around their April 23 bout "The Royal Shredding" called The Shredding Planner.
Events
On 9 April 2010, Sheffield Steel Rollergirls took part in the Showroom Cinema's premiere of Whip It (film).
Bouts
¹ Results from Sheffield Steel Rollergirls' view