Photography by Daniel Regan

Ever since Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut film, Whip It, a wave of roller derby love has been sweeping across the US. A full-on all-girl contact sport, all the cool kids are down with it and for the first time in my life I wanted to be one of those cool kids. It took a fateful meeting outside a grotty Bethnal Green pub with one of the London Rockin’ Rollers to change my opinion of sport forever.

At Duke Hall in Bethnal Green there’s a stellar mixture of clientele: forties rockers, family funsters and I’d suspect a healthy portion of first timers, just like us. Opting to sit upstairs, away from the possibility of being accidentally crushed by the high speed roller girls, it’s not long before the venue fills up with this bouts contenders:

The London Rockin’ Rollers vs. Manchester’s Rainy City Roller Girls

Photography by Daniel Regan

In contrasting red and white team uniforms, I’m instantly opting to support the home team, decked out in crimson red, each player’s name emblazoned across the back of their shirts. A quick read of the rules and an explanation from the compère and we’re away with girls whizzing around the track way before we can actually understand what’s happening. All I know is this: I like it. As the girls defend their teams by smacking down their opponents, I feel a surge of competition run through me, beer in hand. These girls are hardcore at smacking each other straight down, often taking down whole groups at a time. Before I know it my voice is hoarse from all the screaming and the match draws to a close, home team winning.

Roller derby is a growing sport in the UK with two major teams competing for London’s top hotspot: The London Rockin’ Rollers and The London Rollergirls, both active touring teams. Forget the football crowds, kick back with a beer and let these tattooed girls provide the full afternoon’s hectic entertainment.