June 27, 2011

RCRD - Comic Slams vs Brutal Pageant

Girls speedskating in short skirts. What could be better?

Winner of the 2011 Dominion Post Wellington Sports Awards sports personality of the year Richter City Roller Derby held the penultimate bout of their short season last Saturday. New team Comic Slams continued their winning streak by slaughtering Brutal Pageant at almost double the points.

TSB Arena continues to be a good venue; ample room for fans, good but expensive food, the only complaint would be the sound but that isn't likely to have anything to do with them.

All the players were good but no one player stood out as exceptional. Suffer Jet who last year put the brutal in Brutal Pageant and now plays for Slams had only one bout as jammer, Princess Slayer who slayed at the last game didn't get much jamming time for the opposition either. Scary Maclary had the dubious honour of being the first seriously injured player.

The halftime show was disappointing but the audience was very polite. Following on from the last bout it was circus oriented but more family friendly this time. Perhaps the sport has become too family friendly all around - the number of unattended children climbing over seats and falling down stairs was distracting.

Attendance peaked at the season opener triple header, as has been mentioned elsewhere the mainstreaming and ‘uni’form as well as constant reshuffling of players may be why support for the sport is lagging as evidenced by the continued low turn out. The players are difficult to tell apart on the track without their unique uniforms, less skirts, more shorts, less personality. The number of derby virgins at each match indicates the sport itself is still interesting or new enough to get butts in seats but obviously the hype doesn't deliver.


The Comic Slams versus Smash Malice final is 16 July following which the team will travel to play Sydney, Palmerston North and Auckland.

Price: $13-15

Tickets: Under the Radar

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