Southland Sirens roller derby to hold fundraiser in Waterford bar

The Southland Sirens Roller Derby has created a fun and inclusive community where skaters of all abilities are welcomed. By fostering an environment free from bullying and discrimination, the Southland Sirens are not only providing a platform for LGBTQ individuals to participate in sports, but also promoting acceptance and visibility within the wider community.

“When my partner and I arrived in Ireland in October 2022, we had already been involved in Roller Derby in South Africa prior to leaving. We knew that roller derby was very accepting and a safe space for queer folk around the world so we got in touch with the Southland Sirens. When we met up with them, we found it a very welcoming group of people so we were delighted to join,” explains Vixen, now a proud member and rep.

Established in May 2015, the Southland Sirens, has grown onto a family, with weekend meet-ups and social nights out. “It’s one of our basic needs; to have a space where you can be yourself and be accepted as you are. Depending on what your work and family situation is, you may not be in a space where you can comfortably be yourself all of the time. Even if it’s only for two hours a week on a Tuesday evening with the Sirens, it’s great to have somewhere where you can feel seen, accepted and supported,” says Vixen.

While it is a roller derby club, there are other options aside from roller derby, for those who want to join in. “Twice a year the Sirens run Learn to Skate programs, there’s an autumn intake and a spring intake. It’s an 8-week program where people come along to try it out. It’s a welcoming space for everyone at any level. There are people on hand to teach you how to skate if you have never been on skates before, or a seasoned skater might want to come to brush up on their skills. Skates and protective gear are available for rental.” 

After the 8-week program is completed, what follows is an introduction to roller derby itself. “As a sport, roller derby is great fun and we want to get as many people involved as possible. We run a 6-week introduction to roller derby which focuses on the derby-specific skills. It’s learning how to skate and then also learning how to play the game.” Sirens Roller Derby is played on a flat track in a sports arena and not a banked (slanted) track as they do in America. “You have 10 players on the track at a time and the jammer has to push through to score points by passing opposing teams’ players. There is no ball that gets passed around, the way we explain it is that the jammer is the ball. That’s how you score. As the jammer, you pass people to score points,” Vixen explains.

For those who prefer not to play roller derby with full contact, there are others ways to take part such as becoming an official. 

“There’s two types of officials in roller derby, there’s on-skate officials who are the referees. They are on skates, calling penalties and making sure everybody is safe. Then there are off-skate officials, timekeepers, penalty box monitors, and various other roles. If somebody comes through the program and they really like the environment but they don’t really want to roller-skate, then they could get involved in one of those roles. I am the first referee of the team so when the team are training, I am practising my referee skills. I hope we get a nice ref crew going soon because it is quite challenging for one person to keep an eye on everything that’s going on.” 

 In addition to providing a safe space, the Sirens also recognise the importance of social outings and making connections outside of the roller derby track. Social activities not only strengthen the bonds between team members but also provide opportunities for members to connect with others in the broader community.

The Sirens are especially delighted to be involved in Pride of the Déise Festival 2024. You can see them at the Pride March on Saturday June 1st at 12:34 pm and also at the Pride Picnic in the Park on Sunday June 2nd at 11am.

The club are organising a table quiz on the 7th June at 8:30pm at Jarrz bar on Johns street, if you would like to go along and support the Sirens in raising money for team jerseys. There will be a raffle and prizes on the night.

If you are over 18 and interested in joining the Sirens, follow Southland Sirens Roller Derby on Facebook and Instagram or drop an email to southlandrollerderby@gmail.com for more information.