2014 Men’s Roller-derby World Cup: team Ireland
2014 Men's Roller-derby World Cup: team Ireland will compete in Birmingham (England)
Par alfathor
Team Ireland may be green, but they’re not lacking in experience. While the men’s game is in its formative stages on the Emerald Isle, AIMRD are fortunate to have some accomplished players on their roster. Rave N’BustHer of LA’s Drive By City Rollers and Lt Damn of Manchester’s New Wheeled Order are among the diaspora skaters who have declared for Ireland under the grandmother rule.
| Derby Name | Charter Number | Home League |
| Wallbang’er | 7 | Dublin Capital Offence |
| iPlay4Keeps | 9 | Plymouth City Roller Girls |
| Abnorman | 45 | Plymouth City Roller Girls |
| Cian Brennan | 51 | Dublin Roller Derby |
| Batty O’Wing | 68 | St. Louis GateKeepers |
| E.Roll Flynn | 75 | Dublin Capital Offence |
| Mick Dastardly | 82 | Dublin Capital Offence |
| Justin Ballsdeep | 117 | Belfast Mens Roller Derby |
| Rave N’BustHer | 904 | Drive-By City Rollers |
| Cuban Whistle Crisis | 981 | Pig Town Boys, Limerick |
| El-Ahrairah | 1000 | Belfast Mens Roller Derby |
| Eddy Knievel | 8008 | Plymouth City Roller Girls |
| Lt. Damn | 4T2 | New Wheeled Order |
| Block Lobster | B52 | Southern Discomfort |
| Electrixz Avin’U | F34R | |
| Jessica Rammit | ||
| Zola Blood | ||
| Hannabolic Steroids | ||
| Blackeye Bockscar |
Info
One year ago there was only one men’s derby team in Ireland and even that was only a month old! Derby widowers and referees from all over who wanted to play, got together to form Men Behaving Derby, an all-Ireland mashup team. Now along with MBD there are three separate leagues: Dublin’s Capital Offence, Limerick’s Pig Town Boys and Belfast’s Harland Wolves, all these leagues are represented on Team Ireland.
All the men’s teams got help, training, encouragement and hipchecks from the women’s leagues, especially from BoomTown Rollers in Dublin whose members Jessica Rammit and Zola Blood are Head Coach and LineUp Manager for AIMRD.
The women’s leagues number in double figures in Ireland now and the women’s training team for the Dallas 2014 World Cup was recently announced. It’s a sign of the times that 70 skaters tried out for Women’s Team Ireland this time around, here’s hoping the men’s game rises in popularity the same way.
Despite being a fledgling sport here Team Ireland were delighted to secure sponsorship from forward-thinking companies Cuckoo Events and GoSk8.ie as well as helmet donations fromTriple8 too! Team Ireland tryouts were held in November and since then the team have trained together as often as possible. Practice bouts against Crash Test Brummies, Birmingham Blitz Dames and the MK Quads of War have served to get the boys in green World Cup ready. Though the first time all the members of AIMRD will be on track together will be the first World Cup bout against France.
AIMRD have high hopes for Birmingham, being in the same tournament and on the same track as legendary skaters we’ve admired from afar will be a treat, but we’re not just here to make up the numbers. The World Cup is on St Patrick’s weekend and we’ll want to be coming home on March 17th.
Hurling and Gaelic football are the biggest sports in Ireland, they’re both physical, hard-hitting, competitive amateur games.. a perfect precursor to Roller Derby! Soccer is popular too but with the national side failing to qualify for Rio 2014 it turns out that AIMRD are the only Boys In Green heading to a World Cup this year! It’s not quite Brazil, Birmingham will have to do.. Let’s Roll!
