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. Today the league has over 80 skaters playing on four home teams as well as their All-Star team, which competes in the WFTDA's Division 1.
Video Minnesota RollerGirls
League and business structure
Since 2005, the league has played and practiced at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, with capacity for up to 4,000 spectators for roller derby, and average attendance ranging between 1,800 and 3,000 fans at MNRG events. MNRG claims to be the first league in the country to have a professional space for practices and bouts.
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.
In November, 2015, the Minnesota RollerGirls were the host league for the 2015 International WFTDA Championships at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and in May 2016, Visit Saint Paul named the Championships as their 2015 Event of the Year. The Minnesota All-Stars also competed at the tournament, losing their sole opening round game, 185-173 to Texas Rollergirls of Austin.
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.
Maps Minnesota RollerGirls
Home Teams
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.
Travel Team
The Minnesota RollerGirls All-Stars are the leagues WFTDA-level all-star interleague team. This team of elite skaters, drawn from the home teams, trains together year-round and travels for sanctioned WFTDA bouts throughout the year.
Minnesota was one of the pioneers of the "wall" technique of blocking, where blockers engage the jammer as a unit rather than individually. Their tenacious defense has earned the nickname "the Great Wall of Saint Paul."
WFTDA competition
The Minnesota RollerGirls All-Stars have qualified for WFTDA Playoffs and/or WFTDA Championships every year since the first Championship, the Dust Devil tournament, in 2006, at which they placed fourth overall. In 2007 and 2008, as members of the WFTDA's East Region, the All-Stars competed at the annual WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament without advancing to the Championship.
Starting with 2009, MNRG qualified for the WFTDA North Central Regional Tournament for all four years, advancing to compete in the WFTDA Championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012. MNRG hosted the 2009 North Central Regional Tournament, the "Brawl of America", at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, at which they came in ninth place.
Minnesota has a long-standing rivalry with Chicago's Windy City Rollers, and in June 2012 the two teams played to a rare tie in WFTDA-sanctioned play. The tie (later upheld upon review by the WFTDA) resulted from a scorekeeping correction made well after the end of play, avoiding a potential overtime jam which ordinarily would have settled the score.
In 2013, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association realigned its competitive divisions to emphasize teams' win-loss record and difficulty of opponents rather than organizing by regions. The Minnesota RollerGirls have competed at Division 1 Playoffs since the introduction of the Divisional system.
Rankings
- CR = consolation round
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.
MNRG in the community
The Minnesota RollerGirls has been featured in numerous local media outlets, such as the Star Tribune, the Pulse of the Twin Cities, vita.mn, Minnesota Public Radio, and the City Pages, and were briefly featured in a Coca-Cola/NASCAR national ad campaign.
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.
Minnesota All-Stars Lynn "Juke Boxx" Klass and Melissa "Medusa" Arnold represented the United States on Team USA at the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup. In 2014, Juke Boxx returned to the Team USA roster, joined by Dana "Second Hand Smoke" Noss, for the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup.
References
External links
- Minnesota RollerGirls - Minnesota RollerGirls' official site
- Tickets - Minnesota RollerGirls' ticket info
- Merch - Minnesota RollerGirls' Merchandise
- WFTDA - Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Source of article : Wikipedia
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