Country Australia Track type(s) Flat | Founded 2011 | |
Metro area Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Teams DisHonour Rollers (Women) Rogue Scholars (Women) Capital Carnage (Men) Smackademics (Co-ed) Venue Southern Cross Stadium, Tuggeranong | ||
Varsity Derby League (formerly known as ANU Roller Derby) is a roller derby league based in the Australian Capital Territory. VDL is Canberra's only gender inclusive league, allowing both men and women to participate in the sport of roller derby.
Contents
History
In 2011, Canberran student roller derby enthusiasts worked on starting a new league, ANU Roller Derby League, as a student organisation at Australian National University. In mid-2011 the league officially changed its name to 'Varsity Derby League' (VDL). In August 2011, VDL incorporated as an independent Association.
VDL currently has two representative women's teams, the DisHonour Rollers (DHRs) and the Rogue Scholars.
In May 2013, VDL became the first Canberran roller derby league to train men, as well as women, as players. In 2014, VDL established Canberra's first (and currently only) men's team, Capital Carnage. With the inclusion of men in the league, VDL has also formed a co-ed team, The Smackademics, to compete against other co-ed leagues and in pot luck games.
In 2014 Varsity Derby League's Dishonour Rollers were invited to participate in the 5x5 roller derby championship in the A division. At the end of the regular season VDL finished in first place but were defeated in the grand final by Sydney's South Side Derby Dolls (S2D2).
Teams
Varsity Derby League currently fields a total of 4 teams.
VDL's women's A representative team is the DisHonour Rollers and were the league's first representative team forming in 2011.
VDL now has a second women's B team, The Rogue Scholars, who formed in 2015
The men's team, Capital Carnage, formed in 2014.
Varsity also has a co-ed team, featuring players from both Women's teams and the Men's team, called the Smackademics who started in 2015.
VDL previously had two (women's) home teams, The PhDemons, whose colours were purple and black, and the Cheerbleeders, who skated in red and gold. In 2013 the decision was made by the league to focus on the representative team and playing inter-league bouts.
Logos and Uniforms
The Dishonour Rollers have had their logo since the team was formed while the remaining teams have all had their logos designed in 2014 and 2015.
All four Varsity Derby League teams have their own coloured uniform with the Dishonour Rollers using grey, The Rogue Scholars in Green, Capital Carnage in pink and The Smackademics in purple. All four team have a red uniform as their alternate strip.
Referees
The league's referees, also known as "team zebra", is made up of a mixture of full-time referees and bouting skaters who also referee.
The league's head referee is Sleaze Irwin and the other referees are Tyrannosaurus Ref, Cin Switch, Violence Inherent in the System and Mother Superior. Jamme Slamister and Tom N 8 Tracks frequently referees women's bouts but are also members of the Capital Carnage men's team.