Roller derby girls speak up

While Adrian did not suffer insults from local derby players, he was swamped with hundreds of abusive emails condemning his anti-roller derby comments.

Chris Ison Rokcroller

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ACCORDING to Marney 'Lil Miss Lucifer' Kucharski and Sabrina 'Rink Bitz' Toby, The Morning Bulletin columnist Adrian Taylor is skating on thin ice.  

The working mothers and Rockhampton roller derby players banded together, along with their teammates, and made a unified decision not to respond to Adrian's column last week when he declared their beloved sport was, in his opinion, not a sport at all.  

The 24-strong local club is comprised of many mothers, with day jobs ranging from a nurse, a teacher, university students, an apprentice diesel fitter, corrections officer and a disability worker to name a few.  

The women, who finally felt they had found a sport they excelled in and gave them confidence, brushed off Adrian's comments they were "well-built" ladies playing in "scantily clad" uniforms with fishnets.  

While Adrian did not suffer insults from local derby players, he was swamped with hundreds of abusive emails condemning his anti-roller derby comments.  

The Morning Bulletin poll for readers to vote if roller derby was a sport attracted thousands with only 3% agreeing with Adrian.  

But to Marney, a hairdresser and mother, and Sabrina, a cultural heritage surveyor and mother, the Englishman's second column attacking the dignity of the "non-sport" was just "harping on".  

Marney slammed Adrian's claim the players dressed inappropriately for their bouts, stating they covered up more than many other sports.  

Their attire includes stockings, bike pants, their uniform, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards, helmets and mouth guards.  

"We're more focused on the safety than the looks," Marney said.   Sabrina agreed, adding: "Personally we see it as more of a sport than a spectacle. The spectacle part of it just makes it more fun."  

"We don't have anything against Adrian, he's entitled to his opinion," Marney said.  

She said today's roller derby was an international game with very specific rules and requirements, including at least a two-month probation period before players were allowed to take to the track.  

"It's a lot different to what people remember from the '70s," she said.  

"He's possibly harping on about an era that's long gone. It's not a social Friday skate night, it's a sprint, it's hard work."  

The mothers explained the personas they took on when they were competing gave them an opportunity to let loose, an outlet from their jobs and motherhood.  

"It actually helps me to focus," Sabrina said.   But Marney and Sabrina aren't ones to hold grudges.  

"We couldn't have paid for this sort of publicity," Marney said with a cheeky grin.  

"We'd like those who don't know about roller derby to come along and make their own opinion."