Tyne and Fear are rolling in the Harvest!
ROLLER DERBY
THE first Men’s Roller Derby Association play-off tournament to be staged outside of America, the Harvest of Champions, was held in Toulouse in the south of France.
Newcastle-based men’s squad Tyne and Fear was among those taking part – the top two teams qualifying for the 2017 Men’s World Championships in Cwmbran, South Wales, next month.
As well as the hosts Toulouse Quad Guards, Manchester Roller Derby, Panam Squad from Paris and Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder were also competing.
Each team played each other in a round-robin format – but luck was not with a Tyne and Fear side without two key players.
Their first opponents were Manchester Roller Derby.
Tyne and Fear had played Manchester earlier in the season, taking a tight win in the closing minutes, but it was soon clear the Mancunians had upped their game for this tournament.
At half-time the score was 90-71 in Manchester’s favour.
However, the 33-degree heat inside the sports hall took its toll on the Tynesiders and the game ended in a disappointing 250-167 loss.
After an hour and a half to regroup and hydrate, Tyne and Fear were back on track, this time against Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder – another team Newcastle had taken a win against earlier in the year.
After another close first half, the score stood at 76-93 in Lincolnshire’s favour.
Tyne and Fear again struggled to make up the difference and stop Lincolnshire’s momentum, their 131-218 defeat depriving them of the chance to compete in the World Championships.
However, on day two the Tynesiders looked a totally different team.
Against Paris’ Panam Squad – and despite the oppressive heat in the sports hall – Tyne and Fear triumphed by the impressive margin of 240-72.
The final game of the tournament pitched Tyne and Fear against home team Toulouse and although the Quad Guards took the win the Newcastle side managed to maintain the lowest differential against them in the tournament – an impressive feat after a hot, sweaty, tiring weekend.
The two European teams on their way to compete in MRDA World Championships are Toulouse Quad Guards (winning all four games) and Manchester Roller Derby (winning three out of four games).
The next home fixtures for Tyne dn Fear are on Saturday, September 16 when its A and B teams take on Scottish men’s team Power of Scotland at Newcastle’s Walker Activity Dome.
The Scots are using the match as part of their preparation for the Men’s Roller Derby World Cup in Barcelona in 2018.
Doors open at 11.30am, with a junior game taking place between the two men’s fixtures.
OVER 18 and fancy giving roller derby a try?
Tyne and Fear hold practice sessions at Walker Activity Dome on Wednesdays (6pm-7.30pm) and Saturdays (10am-noon). Check out Tyne and Fear Roller Derby on Facebook for more information.