Minnesota RollerGirls
 | |
| Metro area | Minneapolis-Saint Paul |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Founded | August 2004 |
| Teams |
Atomic Bombshells Dagger Dolls Garda Belts Rockits Silver Bullets (defunct) MNRG All-Stars (travel) |
| Track type(s) | Flat |
| Venue | Roy Wilkins Auditorium |
| Affiliations | WFTDA |
| Org. type | LLC |
| Website | mnrollergirls.com |
The Minnesota RollerGirls (MNRG) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. Founded in August 2004 by the Donnelly sisters, MNRG was one of the first 30 members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) by early 2006.[1] Today the league has over 80 skaters playing on four home teams as well as their All-Star team,[2] which competes in the WFTDA's Division 1.[3]
League
Since 2005, the league has played and practiced at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium[4] in St. Paul, where spectator attendance averages 4,000 per bout, with many sell-out attendances in 2010.[5] MNRG claims to be the first league in the country to have a professional space for practices and bouts.[2]
The Minnesota RollerGirls has been featured in numerous local media outlets, such as the Star Tribune,[6][7] the Pulse of the Twin Cities,[8] vita.mn,[9] Minnesota Public Radio,[10] and the City Pages,[11] and were briefly featured in a Coca Cola/NASCAR national ad campaign.[12]
As a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the Minnesota RollerGirls are ranked 9th in the world, as of September 25, 2016.[3]
Business Structure
The Minnesota RollerGirls is a limited liability corporation composed of volunteer skaters aged 21 years and older and other volunteers. No skater or volunteer associated with the Minnesota RollerGirls is paid, nor do they profit based upon level of involvement or upon team wins. Proceeds raised by the league pay for practice space rental, legal and promotional fees, as well as traveling costs to play other WFTDA members in other states and in other countries. The remainder of the revenues are donated to a variety of local charities, with a general focus on organizations that benefit women.[13]
The Minnesota RollerGirls is sponsored by a variety of local and national companies, including: The Onion, Minnesota Public Radio 89.3: The Current, Ultra Creative, Archetype Design, Surly Brewing Company, and Pizza Lucé, among others.[14]
Home Teams
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The Minnesota RollerGirls is composed of four home teams: the Atomic Bombshells, the Dagger Dolls, the Garda Belts, and the Rockits. The Silver Bullets, which competed only in the league's inaugural season, were reorganized and re-themed as the Rockits for the 2005-06 season and have remained the Rockits ever since. Each team has a maximum of twenty players. The four teams play against each other at home, with these games comprising the home season. Every MNRG home season concludes with a championship game, with the winner receiving the championship trophy, known as The Golden Skate.[15] The current league champions are the Dagger Dolls, having defeated the Garda Belts 121-99 for the Golden Skate on March 14, 2015.
Winners of the Golden Skate:
2005: Dagger Dolls
2006: The Rockits
2007: Atomic Bombshells
2008: The Rockits
2009: The Rockits
2010: Atomic Bombshells
2011: The Rockits
2012: Dagger Dolls
2013: Atomic Bombshells
2014: Garda Belts
2015: Dagger Dolls
2016: Atomic Bombshells
Travel Team
The Minnesota RollerGirls also has an All-Star interleague team. This team of elite skaters, drawn from the home teams, trains together year-round and travels across the country for sanctioned WFTDA bouts throughout the year.[16] Since 2009,[17] MNRG has qualified for the WFTDA North Central Regional Tournament for four consecutive years, advancing to compete in the WFTDA Championships in 2010,[18] 2011[19] and 2012.[20] MNRG hosted the 2009 North Central Regional Tournament, the "Brawl of America", at Roy Wilkins Auditorium. In 2013, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association realigned its competitive divisions to reflect teams' win-loss record and difficulty of opponents rather than organizing by regions. The Minnesota RollerGirls have competed in Division 1 since then, with a league ranking consistently in the top 10.
Minnesota was one of the pioneers of the "wall" technique of blocking, where blockers engage the jammer as a unit rather than individually. Their famously tenacious defense has earned the nickname "the Great Wall of Saint Paul."
On January 8, 2015, it was announced that the Minnesota RollerGirls would host the 2015 International WFTDA Championships at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.[21]
Interleague Bouting Record
Although the Minnesota RollerGirls home teams occasionally play against other leagues, the majority of their bouts are played by their all-star interleague team.
Rankings
| Season | Q4 ranking[22] | Regionals | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6[23] | — | 4[24] |
| 2007 | 11[25] | R2[26] | DNQ |
| 2008 | 4 | 11[27] | DNQ |
| 2009 | 7 | 9[28] | DNQ |
| 2010 | 2 | 2[29] | R1[30] |
| 2011 | 2 | 2[31] | N/A |
References
- ↑ "Member Leagues". WFTDA.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- 1 2 "About the Minnesota RollerGirls". Minnesota RollerGirls.
- 1 2 "Current Rankings". WFTDA. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "Roy Wilkins Auditorium: The Gigs". Retrieved 2007-06-25.
- ↑ "Minnesota RollerGirls Fact Sheet" (PDF). Xcel Energy Center web site. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ↑ "This is How We Roll". Star Tribune. 2007-12-25.
- ↑ Dochterman, Robyn (2005-02-27). "Let's Tangle: Roller derby is back". Star Tribune.
- ↑ Hobbes, Dwight (February 2006). "Heck on Wheels: Minnesota RollerGirls". Pulse of the Twin Cities.
- ↑ Adler, Erin (2007-06-05). "Rollergirls: The Profiles". vita.mn.
- ↑ Totten, Sanden (2006-02-24). "Roller derby revival charges into national spotlight". Minnesota Public Radio.
- ↑ Thomas, Lindsey (2004-11-17). "Would the WNBA Be More Popular If It Had Players Named Dixie Wrect?". 25 (1250). City Pages.
- ↑ "Derby Dish". Minnesota RollerGirls. 2006-03-15.
- ↑ "About the Minnesota RollerGirls :: Supported Charities".
- ↑ "Minnesota RollerGirls :: Sponsors".
- ↑ "League History".
- ↑ "Teams & Staff". Minnesota RollerGirls. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ↑ "Brawl of America". WFTDA. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "Uproar on the Lakeshore 2010 WFTDA Championships". WFTDA. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "Continental Divide and Conquer 2011 WFTDA Championships". WFTDA. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "North Central Region Playoffs". WFTDA. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "INTERNATIONAL 2015 WFTDA PLAYOFF AND CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED".
- ↑ "Current Rankings", WFTDA
- ↑ "12/8/2006 WFTDA National Rankings", WFTDA [version of 23 February 2007]
- ↑ "February 2006 Dust Devil Invitational Rankings", WFTDA [version of 23 February 2007]
- ↑ "Current WFTDA Rankings", Derby News Network, October 2007
- ↑ "Heartland Havoc", Ohio Rollergirls
- ↑ "Derby in Dairyland", Flat Track Stats
- ↑ "Brawl of America 2009 North Central Regionals", WFTDA
- ↑ "Thunda on the Tundra 2010 North Central Region Playoffs", WFTDA
- ↑ "Uproar on the Lakeshore", WFTDA
- ↑ "Monumental Mayhem WFTDA 2011 North Central Region Playoffs", WFTDA
External links
- Minnesota RollerGirls - Minnesota RollerGirls' official site
- Tickets - Minnesota RollerGirls' ticket info
- Merch - Minnesota RollerGirls' Merchandise
- WFTDA - Women's Flat Track Derby Association
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