Join Us

Fancy joining the Leeds Roller Dolls, the first roller derby league in Leeds?

The League have two Travel Teams: LRD Rebel Roses and LRD Whip-Its. We hold 3 practices a week and will be holding monthly closed Intra-league bouts throughout the 2012.

We host a 12 week “Ragdoll Academy” for new recruits aged 18+ to learn all the skills and tactics involved in becoming a Leeds Roller Doll!

If you are interested in joining, please email: recruit@leedsrollerdolls.co.uk for further details!!

Love Roller Derby but not sure full contact or even the skating is for you?

Want to still get involved and help out your favourite team?

We are looking for dedicated people to join our Line-up and Bench team

AND

We are looking for all those people who love a bit of Geekery and most importantly love Roller Derby

Our non skating Officials and Support Crews are a vital part of our team and we are recruiting!

Leeds Roller Dolls are currently recruiting for Referees and Non Skating Officials. If you’d like to be involved and want to find out more, please email recruit@leedsrollerdolls.co.uk for further details!!

Current Practice Times:

Sundays

Ragdoll Academy - Kirkstall Leisure Centre - 9:30 - 11:30am
Directions and map can be found here

Skills and Scrimmage - Holt Park Leisure Centre - 3pm to 6pm
Directions and map can be found here

Tuesdays

Skills - Sports Bradford - 7pm to 9pm
Directions and map can be found here

Thursdays

Scrimmage - Holt Park Leisure Centre - 8pm to 10pm
Directions and map can be found here

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From Ragdoll To Rollerdoll

When I went to my first bout I had no idea what to expect. I’d never heard of roller derby before but when we got there it all seemed very exciting. I spent the first half an hour frantically reading the rules in the programme, hoping to understand them before the game actually started………. I think by the end of the bout I sort of had them!

At the afterparty, when someone asked me if I wanted to give it a go, I got caught up in the excitement of the day (or was that the beer?) and said yes. A couple of people held me to my word and I ended up at practice a few weeks later.

I’ve never really been a sporty person, the closest I got was throwing a javelin through the PE teacher’s trouser leg on sports day so I was really nervous, (plus the fact that I hadn’t been on roller skates for about 15 years!) but I shuffled into the sports centre and was handed a pair of skates. The first session I spent wobbling about like a weeble only without the ability to keep upright. I went home and thought that I’d never be as good as the dolls, so wouldn’t go again, but thankfully I had someone to tell me to “shut up and carry on going”. So I did!

The dolls were (and still are) so supportive, encouraging and friendly which is really comforting, especially when you’re starting something new and don’t know anyone. I was soon buying all my own stuff and actually looking forward to Sundays. There’s nothing like a 3 hour practice to banish that Sunday feeling!! Now several months on and the amazing training from everyone means I’m improving all the time. I can’t thank the dolls enough, I’m so proud to be part of LRD, and would recommend it to anyone. No matter how awful you think you’ll be, just remember that loads of the dolls were rubbish at first, so stick with it!

Shere Carnage, #209, skater

Originally posted - June 11, 2010