Metro area Cardiff Founded 2010 Venue Cardiff University | Country United Kingdom Track type(s) Flat Affiliations UKRDA, WFTDA | |
The Tiger Bay Brawlers (TBB) are a roller derby league based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded in April 2010, the league has two publicly bouting A and B teams, and are full members of the WFTDA. They are also affiliated to the UKRDA. The league plays using the Women's Flat Track Derby Association rules set.
Contents
History
The Tiger Bay Brawlers A team started bouting in January 2011 hosting the first ever public roller derby bout in Wales as they took on the Bristol Harbour Harlots. They won this first bout by a substantial margin and this shaped their successful inaugural year. Of the 9 bouts the Brawlers' A team played in this first year they only lost two, earning themselves a stellar reputation in the UK roller derby community. Their first recruitment day was held in March 2010 which saw the league double in size, enabling them to establish and debut their B team in October 2011. The league has recently held a second full intake which has seen membership numbers grow significantly.
Opening their 2012 bouting season, the Tiger Bay Brawlers took on the London Rollergirls' Ultraviolent Femmes in Earls Court, London, a game they lost. The league's home bouts are played between Talybont Sports Hall, Cardiff University, and the Newport Centre.
As a league the Tiger Bay Brawlers have been accepted into the UK Roller Derby Association (UKRDA), secured a Welsh language roller derby feature on S4C and also secured coverage on BBC Sport Wales. They receive sponsorship from Admiral, Confused.Com and Roller Derby Riot but have yet to secure a permanent sponsor.
In 2011 three members of the Tiger Bay Brawlers were selected to play for the Midlands Massive - an all star team made of skaters around the UK.
In July 2012, Tiger Bay was accepted as a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Programme, and it became a full member of the WFTDA in June 2013.
In February 2013, the Tiger Bay Brawlers became the first ever European team to win against the London Rollergirls' B-team, the Brawl Saints. In May 2013 Tiger Bay Brawlers were runners up in their first European tournament, 2013: A Skate Odyssey, in Ghent, Belgium. They narrowly lost to the Berlin Bombshells.
Operational management
The Tiger Bay Brawlers is run by a management committee made up of league members including skaters, non-skating officials and referees. All of the time given to managing the league is voluntary. The management committee make decisions which affect the whole league and meet once a month to establish priorities and coordinate activities. Sub-committees involve all league members in the league operations and an annual AGM establishes objectives going forwards.
Junior league
The Tiger Bay Brawlers have recently established a junior roller derby league (The Tiger Cubs) which trains for one hour a week on a Wednesday in Cardiff. League members are between 11-16 and although all are female at the moment. The team was set up with the help of the 5x60 initiative. Slightly different from the main league, the juniors will play to the Junior Roller Derby Association rules set.
The Tiger Bay Brawlers hosted Europe's first ever public Junior bout on Saturday, 8 December 2012 at Talybont Sports Centre, Cardiff.