Southern Discomfort Roller Derby

Southern Discomfort Roller Derby (SDRD) is a men's roller derby league based in London, England. Founded in 2010, the league consists of two teams which compete against teams from other leagues.

The league was founded in November 2010, initially as a south of England representative team. After playing a single bout, it remained inactive until August 2011, when it was refounded on a permanent basis. In September, the SDRD played a further game against a North of England team, then later in the year it suffered its first defeat to a mixed team of skaters from two new leagues: The Inhuman League from Sheffield, and Tyne and Fear Roller Derby from Newcastle.^[1]

Late in 2011, Southern Discomfort was involved in two firsts for the UK: the first international men's bout, against Roller Derby Toulouse, and the first women vs men game, against the London Rockin' Rollers.^[1][2] In 2013, Southern Discomfort skater "Sutton Impact" said the league's greatest rivalry was with Toulouse.^[3]

In 2012, Southern Discomfort won the first Men's European Roller Derby Championships, and also played a hard-fought game against the New York Shock Exchange on their tour of Europe.^[3] In December, Southern Discomfort was accepted as one of the first three non-American members of the Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA).^[4] They followed this in May 2013 by competing in the Big O tournament in Eugene, Oregon, at which they played several other MRDA leagues.^[3]

References

1. 1 2 "About", SDRD
2. ↑ Jake Wallis Simons, "Spills on wheels", Sunday Times, 22 January 2012
3. 1 2 3 Malcolm Sex, "MRDA’s June 2013 Featured Skater of the Month: Sutton Impact of Southern Discomfort Roller Derby (London, UK)", Men's Roller Derby Association, 3 June 2013
4. ↑ "MRDA Goes International With Its Six New Members", MRDA, 24 December 2012