Narbonne Roller Derby Club has been in existence for 9 years. He evolved into the French national 2nd championship. But the Kovid crisis passed by and put sticks in the wheels of the skaters. The championship closed, training could not take place for almost a year. But since the start of the season in September the club has moved on. This Sunday, the Narbonne mixed team met in a friendly match with Bayonne at the Calixte-Camel gymnasium. In March 2022, the club plans to organize a major tournament in Maroussan.

roller derby how it works

“It is a team sport of contact and strategy practiced with four wheeled roller skates (quads) on oval terrain”, explains President Charlotte Cabrera. The object of the game is to be able to overtake the opposing players within a certain period of time without throwing one of the players to the ground or leaving the track. “We play five against five. An attacker is appointed and it is he who must pass to opponents who use of course tactics and shoulders to stop him. One hour with the game half-time. Lasts long.” Players are equipped with protection such as knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, wrist guards and mouth guards.

American origin

Reintroduced in Texas in 2000, contemporary roller derby is now an international sport with clubs around the world in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland. , in Sweden, in the United Kingdom and courses in France where it is affiliated with the Roller Skating Federation. Originally it was developed in the United States. He was born in Chicago in 1929, in the middle of the Great Depression, when his inventor, promoter Leo Seltzer, had the idea to simulate the Los Angeles/New York Marathon under the watchful eye of cameras on a circular and covered track. .. Teams composed of one man and one woman were to cover at least 57,000 laps. Leo Seltzer immediately observed that the race’s interest lies in the conflicts it generates.

feminine, but not only

More than a sport, roller derby is a lifestyle that has values ​​closer to rock, punk or DIY (Do It Yourself) movements. Its reincarnation in 2000 is the result of women who no longer want to play supporting roles. “Our mindset is to accept everyone, women and men, with their differences. Come as you are.” Roller Derby promotes gender equality. Narbonne Rollers Sports has a mixed team, a girls’ team, a junior team and soon a boys’ team.