Montreal Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal Roller Derby became the first non-U.S. Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member league in January 2009.[3] In 2019, Montreal Roller Derby hosted the International WFTDA Championships, marking the first time the event was held outside the United States.[4][needs update]

Montreal Roller Derby
League logo
Metro areaMontreal, Quebec
CountryCanada
Founded2006
TeamsNew Skids on the Block (A team)
Les Sexpos (B team)
Les Contrabanditas
Les Filles du Roi
La Racaille
Smash Squad (rookie)
Track type(s)Flat
Venuele TAZ[1]
Arena St Louis[2]
AffiliationsWFTDA
Websitemtlrollerderby.com

History and organization

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A non-profit organization, Montreal Roller Derby was founded as the first flat-track roller derby league in Montreal in 2006 by Georgia W. Tush;[5] in 2018, the league first held a tournament named after her, after she had retired from skating.[6]

The league has a three-team house league, formerly Les Contrabanditas, Les Filles du Roi, and La Racaille, plus two travel teams.[7] Formed in March 2007, La Racaille is identified by green and silver uniforms. The name translates in English to "riff raff",[8] and is often used as a derogatory term in France to refer to delinquents and people living on the fringes of society. La Racaille won the 2008 championship and their captain, Iron Wench, was named MVP for the 2008 season. Colloquially known as "FDR", Les Filles du Roi is identified by purple and gold uniforms. The team formed in 2006 and won the championship in 2007. The name, which translates in English to " the King's Daughters", refers to the women that were shipped to New France under the auspices of the French monarchy in the mid-seventeenth century. Colloquially known as "The Ditas", Les Contrabanditas is identified by red and black uniforms. The Ditas were the first team formed under the Montreal Roller Derby League.

Montreal's top level travel teams are The New Skids on the Block and Les Sexpos. These teams are made up of members from all three league teams. In September 2010, The New Skids became the first non-US team to play in the WFTDA playoffs, but were eliminated from qualifying for the 2010 finals by The Boston Massacre of Boston Derby Dames.[9] Les Sexpos, as the B team, have also had an impressive record, and when they were beaten by Toronto Roller Derby's CN Power in September 2011, that marked only the first time they had been beaten by a Canadian squad.[10]

WFTDA competition

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In 2011, the New Skids took part in the first WFTDA regional tournament bout to feature two non-American teams, losing the fifth place bout at the WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland to the London Rollergirls London Brawling squad, 137 to 135.[11] In August 2012, The New Skids were ranked third in the WFTDA East Region.[12]

In September 2016, Montreal Roller Derby hosted a 2016 International Division 1 Playoff at Centre Pierre Charbonneau,[13][14] at which their New Skids on the Block finished in third place and became the first Canadian team to qualify for Division 1 WFTDA Championships.[15][16] At Championships, Montreal lost their opening-round game against Angel City Derby Girls 217-116, and were eliminated.[17] In 2017, Montreal again finished in third at their Division 1 Playoff, this time by defeating Rat City Rollergirls 257-126 in Seattle.[18] At Championships, Montreal won their first game, 133-129 over Crime City Rollers,[19] but then lost to Victorian Roller Derby League in the quarterfinals[20] and to London in the consolation bracket and finished out of the medals.[21]

At the 2018 Playoffs in Atlanta, Montreal was the second seed and finished in third place with a 180-175 victory over London.[22] At Championships in New Orleans, Montreal again faced Crime City in the opening game of the weekend, and again defeated them by 4 points, this time 184-180.[23] After losing their quarterfinal to eventual champions Rose City Rollers, Montreal lost their consolation game to Angel City, 199-118.[24]

Rankings

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Season Final ranking[25] Playoffs Championship
2008 NR E[26] DNQ DNQ
2009 13 E[27] DNQ DNQ
2010 7 E[28] 7 E[29] DNQ
2011 6 E[30] 6 E[31] DNQ
2012 5 E[32] 5 E[33] DNQ
2013 15 WFTDA[34] 4 D1[35] DNQ
2014 17 WFTDA[36] 5 D1[37] DNQ
2015 15 WFTDA[38] 4 D1[39] DNQ
2016 19 WFTDA[40] 3 D1[41] R1 D1[17]
2017 8 WFTDA[42] 3 D1[18] CR D1[21]
2018 8 WFTDA[43] 3[22] CR[24]
  • CR = consolation round

International play

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In August 2011, six members of Montreal Roller Derby were chosen to play for Team Canada at the inaugural Roller Derby World Cup, held in December 2011 in Toronto, Ontario.[44]

Beast of the East

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Every spring, Montreal roller derby hosts an invitational tournament at Arena St Louis known as The Beast of the East. Sixteen teams play a tournament of abbreviated bouts over the course of the weekend.[45] The tournament is open to home teams only – not travel, or "all-star" teams – and is typically the last weekend in April. The 2012 edition played April 20 and 21.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Taz - Roulodôme". Taz.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  2. ^ a b "Events and Tickets". Home Bouts schedule. Montreal Roller Derby. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  3. ^ Seale, Chris "Hurt Reynolds" (22 January 2009). "WFTDA makes a run for the border | Derby News Network". www.derbynews.net. Derby News Network. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  4. ^ "2019 WFTDA Postseason Dates and Locations Released – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Montreal Mirror - News". Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  6. ^ "Montreal roller derby league hosts weekend tournament - CityNews Toronto". toronto.citynews.ca. CityNews. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  7. ^ Montreal Roller Derby – accueil
  8. ^ Maki, Allan (5 July 2011). "ROLL BABY ROLL". Globe & Mail. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  9. ^ "2010 WFTDA East Playoffs Day 1 Recap - Latest News - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". Wftda.com. 2010-09-24. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
  10. ^ Smollet, Ashleigh (12 September 2012). "Toronto Roller Derby". Citynews.ca. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  11. ^ Justice Feelgood Marshall (18 September 2011). "East 5th Place: 10E London Holds Off 5E Montreal, 137-135". Derby News Network. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  12. ^ "Current Rankings - Women's Flat Track Derby Association". Wftda.com. 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  13. ^ "D1 Playoffs Montréal, QC Sept 2-4 - About the venue". WFTDA. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  14. ^ Pall, Navneet (4 September 2016). "Montreal hosts international roller derby tournament". Global News. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  15. ^ Poetic, Whacks (4 September 2016). "Game 16: Montréal Roller Derby (#4) vs Bay Area Derby (#3)". WFTDA. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  16. ^ Pucci, Michelle (5 November 2016). "Montreal women ride new wave of roller derby". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  17. ^ a b "2016 WFTDA D1 Champs: #4 Angel City has no carbs against #19 Montréal, 217-116". Derby Central. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  18. ^ a b "D1S: #5 Montréal takes down #6 Rat City, 257-126 | Derby Central". Derby Central. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  19. ^ Deadwards, Lisa (3 November 2017). "D1 Champs: #9 Montréal Skids past #12 Crime City, 133-129". Derby Central. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  20. ^ Defiance, Brroklyn (4 November 2017). "2017 WFTDA D1 Champs: #1 Victoria bests #9 Montréal, 253-99". Derby Central. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  21. ^ a b Deadwards, Lisa (4 November 2017). "WFTDA Champs: #8 London takes down #9 Montréal, 231-152". Derby Central. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  22. ^ a b "2018 Playoffs Atlanta Game 15: London vs. Montréal – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  23. ^ "2018 Championships New Orleans Game 1: Crime City vs. Montréal – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  24. ^ a b "2018 Championships New Orleans Game 9: Montréal v. Angel City – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  25. ^ "Current Rankings", WFTDA
  26. ^ "Rankings – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Current Rankings". WFTDA. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  28. ^ "Current Rankings". WFTDA. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  29. ^ "Derby in the Burbs 2010 East Region Playoffs", WFTDA
  30. ^ "Current Rankings". WFTDA. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  31. ^ Nightmare on 95 Archived 2011-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Current Rankings". WFTDA. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  33. ^ Sugarbush Showdown
  34. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2013 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  35. ^ D1 Playoffs: Fort Wayne
  36. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2014 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  37. ^ "D1 Playoffs Salt Lake City, UT". WFTDA. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  38. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2015 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  39. ^ "D1 Playoffs Omaha, NE Oct 2-4". WFTDA. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  40. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2016 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  41. ^ "D1M 3rd – Montréal heads to champs over Bay Area, 178-166". Derby Central. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  42. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2017 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  43. ^ "Rankings: December 31, 2018 – WFTDA". wftda.com. WFTDA. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  44. ^ Mercy Less. "Team Canada Roster Announced". Derby News Network. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  45. ^ "Beast of The East". Montreal Roller Derby. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
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