History of ADRD
Adelaide Roller Derby was formed in 2007 by a small group of women passionate about roller skating and community.
In February 2008, ADRD hosted the first interstate roller derby bout in Australia, Skate of Origin. Played against the Victorian Roller Derby League, this bout attracted over 1400 people and gave Adelaide its first taste of roller derby... and it kept coming back for more!
ADRD launched its inaugural season in July 2008, contested by two teams: the Mile Die Club and the Salty Dolls. The nautical lovelies of the Salty Dolls emerged from three hard-fought bouts as the undefeated champions. Undeterred, MDC partied like winners.
2009 saw the league continue to grow, introducing an army of new skaters as well as a brand spanking new team: the Road Train Rollers. All teams did themselves proud on the track, however the heavenly hosties of the Mile Die Club took out the season undefeated thus rightly claiming 2009 as Year of the Leopard.
In addition to the thrills of the domestic season, the Adeladies and an army of their most fervent supporters travelled to Melbourne in August 2009 to once again challenge VRDL, for Skate of Origin 2. In an emotionally charged contest that saw the two teams neck and neck for the duration of the game, Adelaide emerged victorious after two gut wrenching overtime jams.
ADRD finished 2009 with a bang, holding its first interstate double-header in late September, Skate of Emergency. Playing host to the Sydney City “Assassins” and the Northern Brisbane “Brawl Stars”, the Adeladies split into two teams for this event: Phantoms and Tornados. Both Adelaide teams were victorious, however the real reward was the chance to play and party with our interstate derby-sisters.
From humble beginnings a few short years ago, ADRD has grown into a large and successful league; however, our focus remains the same: the promotion of flat-track roller derby within a nurturing community environment and—most importantly—to always have as much roller derby fun as possible!