Auld Reekie Roller Derby (ARRD) is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 2008, ARRD was the first Scottish Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member. The league aims to create teams with the ability to compete locally and internationally at the highest levels.
ARRD plays by the rules of the WFTDA and was officially accepted as an apprentice league on 5 October 2010. The league graduated as full members of the WFTDA on 1 September 2011.
History
Formed in April 2008 as Auld Reekie Roller Girls, ARRD was Edinburgh's first women's flat track roller derby league and took their name after the city of Edinburgh, affectionately known as "Auld Reekie" ("Old Smoky" in the Scots language). Within two months of forming there was local media interest.
ARRD organizes and skates in numerous games and tournaments, both "closed" (for development purposes) and "open" public games. ARRD hosted their first public game, entitled "Fishnet Burns Night", at Meadowbank Sports Centre on 24 January 2009 just ten months after their formation and competed in the London Rollergirls-hosted European tournament "Roll Britannia" in 2009, placing fourth.
ARRD has an international standing, having travelled to Berlin to take part in the first European Organizational Roller Derby Conference in November 2012, and to Philadelphia, USA, to compete in the East Coast Derby Extravaganza in June 2013. More recently, in May 2016, ARRD travelled to Eugene, Oregon to take part in the 2016 The Big O tournament, hosted by Emerald City Roller Girls. ARRD played teams including Windy City Rollers, Sac City Rollers and Santa Cruz Derby Girls.
Until its closure in 2017, home games were played at the Meadowbank Stadium, which had a capacity for up to 400 spectators. Home games are currently played at Dalkeith Community Campus, in Dalkeith, Midlothian. The sport of roller derby is still growing in Scotland, with ARRD running a "Protostars" new skaters program that is open to anyone who wishes to learn how to play or officiate roller derby.
Current members of ARRD were selected to represent Team Scotland at both the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup, in Toronto, Canada, the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup in Dallas, Texas, and the 2018 Roller Derby World Cup in Manchester, United Kingdom.
In October 2018, Auld Reekie announced a rebrand as "Auld Reekie Roller Derby", to better acknowledge the diversity of its membership.
Teams Travel Teams All Stars (formerly Twisted Thistles) All Star Reserves (formerly Cannon Belles) All Star Rookies
Home Teams Intra-league teams were previously selected on a game-by-game basis under the names The Highland Heathens and Celtic Chaos. In 2012, three permanent home teams were formed, and the annual Home Season tournament was launched. The Cherry Bombers The Skatefast Club (2014 winners) The Leithal Weapons (2012, 2013, 2015 winners)
The last home season took place in 2015, and home teams were subsequently disbanded.
WFTDA competition
Ranked at 57th overall in June 2016, ARRD qualified for WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs in 2016 (their first time qualifying) but declined their spot, citing the inability to get a full complement of skaters available for the Playoffs and electing to sit it out. ARRD again qualified for the Division 2 Playoffs and Championship in 2017 as the top seed in Pittsburgh, but was upset by #16 seed Dublin Roller Derby in their first game 200–183, and also lost their consolation round game to Oklahoma Victory Dolls, 251–131, to finish out of the medals.
Rankings SeasonFinal ranking"Current Rankings ", WFTDAPlayoffsChampionship2011NRDNQDNQ201235 EDNQDNQ201394 WFTDADNQDNQ201464 WFTDADNQDNQ201565 WFTDADNQDNQ201660 WFTDADNP D2DNQ201755 WFTDAN/ACR D2201883 WFTDADNQDNQ CR = consolation round
Results of Public Bouts
In addition to the public bouts shown below, the team has also undertaken a series of 'closed' (or private) bouts, details of which have not been included.
NB: indicate a win, whilst indicates a loss.
All Stars (formerly The Twisted Thistles)
Breakdown of results Total Won Lost Drawn 44 21 22 1
Date Event Result Opponents Notes19 April 2009I Scream Sunday142 - 132Central City Rollergirls23 May 2009Derby Mayhem175 - 124Central City Rollergirls20 June 2009Fear and Lothian117 - 117Birmingham Blitz Derby DamesA rare draw, now impossible in WFTDA Roller Derby18–19 July 2009Roll Britannia94 - 74Central City RollergirlsEarly rounds of Europe's first Roller Derby Tournament127 - 45Royal Rebellion Rollers109 - 123Birmingham Blitz Derby DamesSemi-final of Europe's first Roller Derby Tournament70 - 120Glasgow Roller Girls3rd place play-off of Europe's first Roller Derby Tournament26 September 2009Hassle at the Castle64 - 110Glasgow Roller Girls14 February 2010Jailhouse Block96 - 93Leeds Roller Dolls11 April 2010Hadrian's Brawl147 - 20Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls22–23 May 2010Highland Fling224 - 6Dundee DestroyersScotland's first Roller Derby tournament95 - 98Glasgow Roller GirlsFinal of Scotland's first Roller Derby tournament19 June 2010Get Kilt92 - 68Stuttgart Valley Roller GirlzAway match in Stuttgart26 June 2010Central Belter88 - 84Glasgow Roller Girls7 August 2010The Prisoner of AzkaSLAM93 - 117London Rockin Rollers16 October 2010Stop! Jammertime73 - 59Central City Rollergirls20 November 2010Blockenspiel108 - 109Berlin Bombshells15–16 January 2011Tattoo Freeze63 - 117London Rockin RollersTournament held at the "Tattoo Freeze" convention, Telford102 - 75Central City Rollergirls66 - 135London Brawl Saints16 April 2011Gore-onation St109 - 92Rainy City Roller Girls11 June 201147 - 195London Brawl Saints20 August 201194 - 95Stuttgart Valley Roller GirlzPart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.3 September 2011Need for Greed110 - 149London Rockin Rollers22 October 2011The Monsters Brawl88 - 120Leeds Roller Dolls13 January 2012UKRDA Tournament61 - 78London Rockin RollersPart of the Tattoo Freeze convention14 January 2012UKRDA Tournament74 - 79Glasgow Roller DerbyPart of the Tattoo Freeze convention20 January 2012100 - 60Dolly Rockit Rollers10 March 2012131 - 167Central City Rollergirls5 May 2012 COWABUNGArrg!202 - 103Helsinki Roller Derby19 May 2012103 - 221Suffra Jets18 - 667London BrawlingWFTDA closed bout16 June 2012 70 - 176Bear City Roller Derby4 August 2012Edinburgh Fringe Bout 147 - 184Tiger Bay Brawlers25 August 2012Chaos on the Clyde 89 - 130Leeds Roller Dolls26 August 2012Chaos on the Clyde 224 - 39Sheffield Steel Rollergirls26 August 2012Chaos on the Clyde 173 - 92London Rockin' Rollers22 September 2012 246 - 12Sheffield Steel Rollergirls16 November 2012Track Queens - Battle Royal 180 - 142Central City Rollergirls 1st European WFTDA-Tournament in Berlin17 November 2012Track Queens - Battle Royal 28 - 475London Roller Girls 1st European WFTDA-Tournament in Berlin18 November 2012Track Queens - Battle Royal 139 - 149Stockholm Roller Derby 1st European WFTDA-Tournament in Berlin - 4th Place for ARRG27 April 2013Anarchy in the UK 148 - 99Bear City Roller Derby's Berlin Bombshells28 April 2013Anarchy in the UK 149 - 187London Roller Girls' Brawl Saints29 June 2013ECDX 207 - 137Ithaca League of Women Rollers East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Philadelphia, USA30 June 2013ECDX 262 - 129Dominion Roller Derby East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Philadelphia, USA10 August 2013Die ARRG 194 - 104Stockholm Roller Derby Part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
All Star Reserves (formerly The Cannon Belles)
Breakdown of results Total Won Lost 18 1 6
Date Event Team Result OpponentsNotes26 September 2009Hassle at the CastleARRG Cannon Belles66 - 97GRG Maiden GrrdersB-team mini expo bout11 April 2010Hadrian's Brawl ARRG Cannon Belles 76 - 69 Newcastle Roller Girls/Middlesbrough Milk Rollers22–23 May 2010Highland FlingARRG Cannon Belles3 - 198GRG Irn BruisersARRG Cannon Belles98 - 20GRG Maiden GrrrdersARRG Cannon Belles63 - 66Granite City Northern Fights26 June 2010Central BelterARRG Cannon Belles66 - 116GRG Maiden Grrders4 September 2010Jurassic Skate ParkARRG Cannon Belles187 - 46Perth Fair City Rollers26 February 2011CrashablancaARRG Cannon Belles158 - 22Wakey Wheeled Cats2 April 2011Space QuaddityARRG Cannon Belles106 - 46Granite City Roller Girls9 July 2011Star Spangled JammerARRG Cannon Belles115 - 63Liverpool Roller Birds6 August 2011ARRG Cannon Belles126 - 86GRG Maiden GrrdersPart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.3 September 2011Need for GreedARRG Cannon Belles126 - 124LRR Rising Stars22 October 2011The Monsters BrawlARRG Cannon Belles71 - 114LRD Whip Its25 March 2012Cell Block TangoARRG Cannon Belles324 - 65Fair City Fear Maidens26 May 2012ARRG Cannon Belles216 - 150Kent Roller Girls18 August 2012Edinburgh Fringe BoutARRG Cannon Belles 153 - 199Dublin Roller Girls18 May 2013ARRG Cannon Belles 114 - 112Vienna Roller Girls24 August 2013Die ARRG - With a VengeanceARRG Twisted Thistles 322 - 69Helsinki Roller Derby Queen B's Part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe28 September 2013ARRG Cannon Belles 308 - 128Middlesbrough Milk Rollers30 November 2013ARRG Cannon Belles 142 - 210Amsterdam Roller Dames
References