Pirate City Rollers

Pirate City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Auckland. Founded in 2006, the league is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[1]

Pirate City Rollers
League logo
Metro areaAuckland
CountryNew Zealand
Founded2006
TeamsAll Scars (A team)
Broadside Brawlers (B team)
Dead Wreckoning
Mascara Massacre
Blackheart Bruisers
Track type(s)Flat
VenueTrusts Stadium
AffiliationsWFTDA
Org. typeIncorporated Society
Websitepiratecityrollers.com

History and organization

Pirate City founded by Black Dahlia, who had previously played roller derby in the United States. They formed in 2006, and claim to be the oldest roller derby league outside North America.[2] In 2007, the Pirates played their first home season,[2] and they bouted against Richter City Roller Derby in 2009, in New Zealand's first interleague bout,[3] winning 174-88 in front of a crowd of 1,200 people.[4]

In October 2011, Pirate City became an apprentice member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association,[5] the first WFTDA Apprentice league in New Zealand.[3] It graduated to full membership of the WFTDA in September 2013,[6] the same year they were crowned the champions of the Derby Royale national tournament.[7]

Pirate City Rollers features three home teams, the Blackheart Bruisers, Dead Wreckoning and the Mascara Massacre. Pirate City's travel teams competing are the B team Broadside Brawlers, and the A team All Scars, who were formed in 2009.[3]

WFTDA competition

Pirate City first qualified for WFTDA Playoffs in 2017, as the tenth seed at the Division 2 Playoffs and Championships in Pittsburgh, United States.[3] A narrow opening loss to Boston Roller Derby[8] was followed by a 275-253 overtime loss to Bear City Roller Derby, ending Pirate City's weekend.[9]

WFTDA rankings
Season Final ranking[10] Playoffs Championship
2015 98 WFTDA[11] DNQ DNQ
2016 97 WFTDA[12] DNQ DNQ
2017 54 WFTDA[13] N/A CR D2[9]
  • CR = consolation round

International

Pirate City Rollers were the only league from New Zealand to field a team at the Great Southern Slam, the Asia-Pacific region's first roller derby tournament, held in June 2010.[14] They easily beat Sydney and Western Australia in the pool matches, and Perth in the quarter-final, before succumbing to Victorian in the semi-final, and narrowly losing to hosts Adelaide in the third-place play-off.[15]

The Pirates travel Team 'All Scars' played at Beach Brawl 2015, hosted by Gold Coast Derby Grrls and held in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA, 12–14 June,[16] where they aimed to be the first WTFDA internationally ranked team in New Zealand.[17] From their performance at this tournament they debuted at number 87 in the WFTDA 30 June 2015 rankings,[18] 69 places above the other New Zealand team Richter City Roller Derby which also debuted in these rankings.

Numerous members of Pirate City have represented Team New Zealand at the Roller Derby World Cup. The 2011 Roller Derby World Cup was hosted by Toronto Roller Derby,[19] 1–4 December 2011 at The Bunker at Downsview Park in Toronto, Canada. Seven Pirate City skaters were selected to play for Team New Zealand that year, with the coach and assistant coach also coming from the league.[20] Team New Zealand finished 8th out of 13 countries competing. Pirate City Rollers skater Skate The Muss was awarded MVP for Team New Zealand.[21] All four of the Pirate City Rollers skaters selected for the 2014 Team New Zealand training squad also made the final 20 selection to play the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup,[22] held 4–7 December at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, United States. Team New Zealand finished 5th out of 30 countries competing.

References
  1. "Pirate City Rollers – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. "The History of Roller Derby & PCR", Pirate City Rollers
  3. Deadwards, Lisa (15 August 2017). "New to WFTDA 2017 Playoffs: Pirate City Rollers". Derby Central. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  4. Hadyn Green, "Skate Highway One: New Zealand's First Interleague Bout!", Blood and Thunder #15, pp.36-38
  5. "WFTDA Accepts 13 Leaguesinto Apprentice Program - LatestNews - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". wftda.org. WFTDA. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  6. "WFTDA Welcomes 14 Full Member Leagues". WFTDA. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. "Pirate City Rollers Take Out National Roller Derby Competition", Scoop, 30 October 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2015
  8. Deadwards, Lisa (18 August 2017). "#7 Boston sinks #10 Pirate City, 194-184". Derby Central. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. Fristoe, Chelsea (19 August 2017). "#14 Bear City Claws Past #10 Pirate City, 275-253". Derby Central. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  10. "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  11. "Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  12. "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  13. "Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  14. Wise, Beck (9 June 2010). "Preview: Great Southern Slam | Derby News Network". Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  15. Wise, Beck (23 June 2010). "Tournament Recap: The Great Southern Slam | Derby News Network". Derby News Network. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  16. "Beach Brawl 2015". www.beachbrawl2015.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  17. http://piratecityrollers.com/newsite/category/news/ Help Us Get To Florida. Retrieved 18 May 2015
  18. "Current Rankings - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". Archived from the original on 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2016-12-14. Retrieved 20 July 2015
  19. Yuen, Jenny (20 February 2011). "Roller Derby attracts a crowd". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  20. "Roller Derby Team NZ". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  21. Roller Derby AU "DAY FOUR: Roller Derby World Cup", Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  22. "The Team — New Zealand Roller Derby Association". Archived from the original on 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
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