Richter City Roller Derby

Richter City gained early publicity by performing demonstrations at the 2008 Dance Your Socks Off! Festival."[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0809/S00004.htm Get your skates on and boogie at the disco]", Wellington City Council, 1 September 2008 Their first bout in March 2009 sold out the basketball hall used as the venue.

In late 2009, the league held its first season of intraleague competition,"[http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/utr/show/SID/9022/N/Richter-City-Roller-Derby:-Skate-of-Emergency-%28GA%29.utr Richter City Roller Derby: Skate of Emergency]", Undertheradar which saw crowds averaging 950 people.Hadyn Green, "Skate Highway One: New Zealand's First Interleague Bout!", Blood and Thunder #15, pp.36-38 In mid-season the league moved its bouts to TSB Bank Arena as spectator crowds were exceeding the capacity of the previous venue, a basketball hall.Stacey Wood, "[http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/3974989/Whipping-their-sport-into-shape Whipping their sport into shape]", The Dominion Post

In 2011 the league won the Air New Zealand Personality of the Year Award at the Wellington Sports Awards, beating Lower Hutt boxing identity Billy Graham, All Black Piri Weepu, and veteran sports broadcaster Keith Quinn in the popular vote.Dominion Post, [http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/football/5055648/Herbert-joins-elite-list-with-repeat-victory-in-sports-awards "Repeat victory fr Herbert], Retrieved 11 December 2011.Wellington Sports Awards, [http://wellingtonsportsawards.co.nz/default.asp?PageID=22713 "2011 WINNERS"], Retrieved 11 December 2011.

In July 2012, Richter City was accepted as a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Programme,"[http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-leagues-july-2012 WFTDA Accepts 35 Apprentice Leagues] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929121845/http://wftda.com/news/apprentice-leagues-july-2012 |date=29 September 2014 }}", WFTDA, 16 July 2012 and became a full WFTDA member in December 2013.{{cite web|title=WFTDA Welcomes 22 New Full Member Leagues - LatestNews - Women's Flat Track Derby Association|url=https://wftda.org/news/wftda-welcomes-22-new-full-member-leagues-december-2013|website=wftda.org|publisher=WFTDA|accessdate=27 December 2017|date=23 December 2013}}

File:Tuff Bikkies jams at Richter City Final 2011.JPG member Tuff Bikkies (Meryn McAulay), jamming for Smash Malice in the 2011 Richter City intraleague final.]]

In 2009 and 2010 two teams contested the intraleague competition; Brutal Pageant (pink & red/beauty pageant theme) and Smash Malice (leopard print/trailer trash theme). By mid-2010, a bout attracted a crowd of more than 3,500 people. In 2011 the intraleague competition was expanded to include a third team; Comic Slams (blue & silver/super hero and Comic Sans font theme).Word on the Street, [http://www.wordonthestreet.co.nz/news/the-fright-before-christmas "The Fright Before Christmas"], Retrieved 11 December 2011. Comic Slams made the season final, but were beaten by Smash Malice in the title bout.The Dominion Post, [www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5299195/Smash-Malice-win-roller-derby-final "Smash Malice win roller derby final"], Retrieved 11 December 2011.

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Richter City has two interleague teams. The A Team are called the All Stars and the B team are called the Convicts.

In late 2009, Richter City hosted New Zealand's first intercity bout, against Pirate City Rollers' All Scars, losing 88–174 in front of a crowd of 1,200 people. In December 2010, the All Stars faced the All Scars again, this time in Auckland, with the Pirate City team victorious again.Word on the Street, [http://www.wordonthestreet.co.nz/news/taking-it-trans-tasman "Taking it Trans-Tasman"], Retrieved 11 December 2011.

In 2011, both of Richter City's interleague teams faced multiple opponents:

In June 2010 several Richter City skaters attended the Great Southern Slam, the Asia-Pacific region's first roller derby tournament, skating as guests of Western Australia Roller Derby.Beck Wise, "[http://www.derbynewsnetwork.com/2010/06/preview_great_southern_slam Preview: Great Southern Slam] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116102959/http://www.derbynewsnetwork.com/2010/06/preview_great_southern_slam |date=16 November 2010 }}", Derby News Network, 10 June 2010 The league itself did not compete.

File:Roller Derby (22).jpg in March 2011]]

In March 2011 Richter City hosted New Zealand's first international roller derby bout, pitting the All Stars against the Sydney Roller Derby League's Assassins.The Wellingtonian, [http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/4747774/Roller-derby-goes-international "Roller derby goes international"], Retrieved 11 December 2011. The All Stars lost the bout 164–128.The Wellingtonan, [http://www.newswire.co.nz/2011/03/sydney-takes-out-roller-derby-bout/ "Sydney team takes out roller derby bout"], Retrieved 11 December 2011.] In November 2011 the Richter City All Stars traveled to Sydney for the away leg of their home and away tie against the Sydney Assassins. Again the Assassins proved too strong.

In October 2011, Richter City skater Merryn "Tuff Bikkies" McAulay and former Richter City skater Michelle "Perky Nah Nah" Jackson were selected to play for Roller Derby Team New Zealand at the inaugural Roller Derby World Cup, played in Toronto in December 2011.[http://rollerderby.co.nz/teamnz/index.htm Roller Derby Team NZ]Newswire.co.nz, [http://www.newswire.co.nz/2011/06/roller-derby-skaters-get-serious-for-worlds/ "Roller derby skaters get serious for worlds"], Retrieved 11 December 2011. The New Zealand team placed 8th out of 13 teams.

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Category:Roller derby leagues in New Zealand

Category:Sport in Wellington

Category:Roller derby leagues established in 2007

Category:2007 establishments in New Zealand