Wiltshire Roller Derby attended the British Championships Playoffs on 21/22 September and have secured promotion to Tier 1 for next season.
Following a strong season, in which they finished second in division, Wiltshire attended playoffs where they first came up against Hull’s Angels Roller Derby on Saturday morning. Winning this game would mean an opportunity to compete again on the Sunday, and losing would mean they would go home.
Despite a rocky start, Wiltshire were able to secure a win against Hull 186-135, allowing them to compete in day 2 of playoffs.
Wiltshire’s next opponents were Dorset Roller Girls, and this game would decide whether Wiltshire would skate for first and second, or third and fourth place. Dorset presented Wiltshire with a real challenge, but again, they were able to pull off the win 186-86 meaning Wiltshire would skate for first or second place against old rivals North Wales.
Throughout the 2019 British Champs season, North Wales Roller Derby were the only team to gain a win against Wiltshire, meaning tensions were high before the game started. In addition to this, as they had reached the final, Wiltshire v North Wales was broadcast on BBC iPlayer (still available on https://bbc.co.uk/sport/live/49732234 , game starts around 1 hour 54 in).
Wiltshire had a strong start, and their quick offensive and defensive switches allowed them to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the game. A final score of 203-73 in Wiltshire’s favour means they secured first place in Tier 2 and will take on Tier 1 in the 2020 season.
If you are interested in roller derby and would like to know a bit more, please check out our websitewww.wiltshirerollerderby.co.uk or drop us an email on wiltshirerollerderby@gmail.com. If you are a business interested in sponsoring Wiltshire’s 2020 season, please get in touch on our facebook or via email.
Photography courtesy of Paul Jones Photography
