Updates, Interviews, Good Stuff

Rose City Rollers Begin the Journey to 4th World Championship

Portland, OR – The Rose City Rollers’ two All-Star teams, The Wheels of Justice (WOJ) and the Axles of Annihilation (AOA), will travel to Eugene, OR, this weekend to compete in Emerald City Roller Derby’s The Big O tournament. The tournament will be the first sanctioned play for both teams this year and, for WOJ, its first step toward winning a fourth international championship.

The Wheels of Justice recently landed the number one ranking among the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA)’s 468 leagues. The team’s 2019 line-up was announced in early March and players for both WOJ and the Axles of Annihilation played an exhibition bout in front of a packed house at The Hangar.

The Rose City Rollers All Stars are introduced to an enthusiastic crowd at The Hangar on April 6th.
(Photography Credit: Regularman Photography)

“We are feeling really strong, coming off of our WFTDA championship win last season with largely the same roster. We know that our opponents will bring a strong and dynamic game and we are excited to see how we match up with some of the strategy and game play additions we’ve made this season.” says Nicole “Bonnie Thunders” Williams, co-captain to the Wheels of Justice.
In the run-up to The Big O, AOA will be hosting a closed-door scrimmage with the Dock City Rollers from Gothenburg, Sweden.
“It’s opportunities like this that fuel our search for a new venue,” says Kim “Rocket Mean” Stegeman, Rose City Rollers Executive Director. “We’re seeing explosive growth in our league—especially throughout our youth and recreational programs. Teams are willing to travel far and wide to play against us; but we won’t be able to continue providing these opportunities unless we find a new home.”
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The next time that Portlanders will be able to see the Rose City All Stars take the track at The Hangar will be late June for Hometown Throwdown, RCR’s annual tournament that brings some of the top roller derby teams in the world to town to compete. Before then, Portland’s home teams will compete on the 17th and 18th of May, before they head to Home Team Championships on June 1st. You can get tickets for these and other games at www.rosecityrollers.com.
Media are invited to join us for any of our upcoming games; interviews and photography opportunities are available upon request. Please reach out to marketing@rosecityrollers.com with any inquiries.
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About Rose City Rollers:
The Rose City Rollers is 501(c)3 charitable organization that serves nearly 400 of Portland’s women and girls who want to play the team sport of roller derby, connect with an inclusive community, and realize their power both on skates and off.