A Sheffield schoolboy is fundraising £5,000 in order to play in an international competition, in a sport described as “rugby on skates”.

Tom Halsall, 17, from Upperthorpe was selected to compete for Team GB in the Junior Roller Derby World Cup, which is being held over 10,000 miles away in Brisbane at the start of July.

Tom said: “This is a truly-once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. Playing at the World cup is a dream for me, representing not only team GB but also Sheffield on the world stage.

“I am also really looking forward to playing against some of the other top tier skaters from around the world.”

Roller Derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport on quad skates, which has two primary positions: the jammer and the blockers. 

A match consists of multiple rounds, called jams, in which the jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposing team, whilst the blockers stop the opposing jammer.

Tom has been playing alongside his siblings since he was eight-years-old.

His mum, Fay Kenworthy, who played in the adult league, introduced Tom and his siblings to the sport. 

Credit: Fay Kenworthy

He now plays for both Team GB’s Junior Team, under the name ‘Atomic Bomb’, alongside the Sheffield Steel Roller Derby (SSRD) and the Sheffield Steel Junior Rollers (SSJR). 

Tom said: “I would describe it as similar to rugby on skates, but someone is the ball.”

Roller Derby is unique in its inclusivity as athletes of all genders, body types and skill levels compete together. 

Tom said: “Despite its tough image it is an incredibly supportive community and has been a huge part of my life for the last nine years, from playing with matching face paint to filling the car with team mates travelling around the country.”

Roller Derby Leagues in the UK started forming in 2006 but is still a developing sport, with no government funding, meaning that Tom and his teammates have to self-source the funding for training, travel and accommodation.

Tom said: “The main support they [Team GB] provide us is the training and the focus is just to make sure we are in our best shape when we are going into the World Cup.

“Even just a tiny donation can help massively and take me so far.”

Tom has set up a GoFundMe page to fundraise his goal of £1,500 to help with these costs and is hoping that a local business may be interested in sponsoring him.

He is also currently in his last year of college, studying maths, engineering and physics, and will be sitting his A-level exams less than a month before competing in Brisbane. 

Tom said: “It is definitely a bit of a balancing act, just making sure that I stay on top of my college work whilst also keeping up with the rest of the team.”

Tom’s GoFundMe can be found here: Get Tom Halsall to the Roller Derby World Cup in Australia