The Five Nations Roller Derby is off to an exciting start after the Hallam Hellcats fought to clinch a home win at Concorde Sports Centre on Saturday. 

While the Manchester Valkyries proved themselves to be stiff competition, it was Sheffield’s Hellcats who managed to hold onto their 15-point lead up to the final blow of the whistle. 

“We got control of the game towards the end of the first half and it was just a case of maintaining that, which we did,” said coach Andrew ‘Stuntman’ Morley, 38.

“We knew it was going to be a close game, I’m just glad we came out on the right side of the scoreboard.”

One roller derby game consists of two 30-minute halves, which can be broken down into two-minute ‘jams’, each separated by a 30-second interval. 

With a total of ten players on the track at any time, both teams will put forward one ‘jammer’ – distinguishable by the star on their helmet – and four ‘blockers’. 

The role of the jammer is to fight their way past all four blockers in order to complete a full lap of the track, earning a point for every blocker they leave behind.

Importantly, roller derby is a full-contact sport, allowing the blockers to use a combination of their shoulders and hips to prevent the jammer from succeeding in their goal.

Saturday marked the first game of the season for the Hallam Hellcats and their victory over a team like the Valkyries bodes well for their upcoming fixtures.

Caroline ‘Carnage’ Adams-King, 39, said: “I feel like the first game really sets the tone and we wanted to come in winning, so that we can try and carry that on for the rest of the season.”

The all-female team muscled their way into Tier Two of the league table after triumphing at the playoffs back in 2023 – and have been working tirelessly to defend their position ever since. 

While the Manchester Valkyries are relatively new to Tier Two, having been promoted last season, the team is currently ranked one place ahead of the Hellcats, making Saturday’s win all the more impressive. 

The Hellcats have taken the Valkyries on several times in recent years and are familiar with the team’s game play, but they are yet to beat their next opponent, Glasgow’s Irn Bruisers, who are notoriously strong competitors. 

“The Glasgow bunch that we’re playing next are really tough,” said the team’s captain, 38-year-old Chelsea ‘Abattoir’ Abbott.

“We’ve played them a couple of times and we’ve come away thinking: ‘Well, at least we’re in one piece!’”

Perhaps the most integral part of roller derby, though, is the emphasis it places upon fun, as well as competition.

And with an unusual array of alter egos for every player, including the coach, the Hellcats are no exception.

Robbyn ‘Bobcat’ Snow, 40, explained: “We train quite hard, but I think part of being a Hellcat is not taking things too seriously, so training tends to be intense, but still enjoyable.”