Rockford Rage
{{Short description|Roller derby league}}
{{Infobox roller derby league
| name = Rockford Rage
| founded = 2006
| dissolved =
| metro area = Rockford, IL
| country = United States
| logo = Rockford Rage.jpg
| teams = All Stars
| tracks = Flat
| venue = Indoor Sports Center 2007-2016
UW Sports Factory 2018-Present
| affiliations = WFTDA
| orgtype =
| url = {{url|http://rockfordrage.com/}}{{dead link|date=October 2023}}
}}
Rockford Rage is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Rockford, Illinois. Founded in 2006, the league consists of a single team which competes against teams from other leagues. Rockford is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).{{cite web|title=Rockford Rage Women's Roller Derby – WFTDA|url=https://wftda.com/wftda-leagues/rockford-rage-womens-roller-derby/|website=wftda.com|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=28 December 2017}}
History
The league was founded in mid-2006 by Rebecca Engebretson and others,{{cite web|last1=Westphal|first1=Melissa|title=Cruisin' for a bruisin'|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20060809/News/308099999|website=Rockford Register Star|publisher=Rockford Register Star|access-date=28 December 2017|language=en|date=9 August 2006}}{{cite web|title=Rockford Rage Roller Derby team takes on Aurora April 26 {{!}} {{!}} The Rock River Times|url=http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/04/23/rockford-rage-roller-derby-team-takes-on-aurora-april-26/|website=rockrivertimes.com|access-date=28 December 2017|date=23 April 2014}} with its first practices held in the parking lot of a Borders bookstore.{{cite web|last1=James|first1=Mandy|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About the Rockford Rage|url=http://97zokonline.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-rockford-rage/|website=97ZOK Online|date=June 2016 |publisher=WZOK|access-date=28 December 2017}} Its first bout was played in December, 2006, an interleague contest between the Demolition Dolls and the Screw City Slammers, part of a four team inter-league squad that also included the Midwest Maulers and the Rollitas. The bout attracted 650 fans.{{cite web|last1=Gurman|first1=Sadie|title=A sport of fantasy, savage grace|url=http://www.rrstar.com/x1308515110/A-sport-of-fantasy-savage-grace|website=Rockford Register Star|publisher=Rockford Register Star|access-date=28 December 2017|language=en|date=4 December 2006}} In 2009, the league attracted attention for its abandonment of smoking breaks."[http://www.pantagraph.com/news/weird-news/article_0ee4075c-7d10-11de-91ec-001cc4c002e0.html Roller derby team ditches smoke breaks for fitness]", Bloomington Pantagraph, July 31, 2009 This was the same year that the Rockford Rage converted into a traveling team format, forming an All Star team and a B team called the Rockford Rag Dolls. The B team and the inter-league teams have since been disbanded, leaving the current All Star roster.
Rockford was accepted into the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Apprentice Program in September 2009,"[https://web.archive.org/web/20091116110826/http://wftda.com/leagues/apprentice Apprentice Leagues]", WFTDA [version of 16 November 2009] and became a full member of the WFTDA in June 2010."[http://wftda.com/press/WFTDA-welcomes-eleven-new-members-adds-new-regions WFTDA welcomes 11 new members, adds new regions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907035759/http://wftda.com/press/WFTDA-welcomes-eleven-new-members-adds-new-regions |date=2011-09-07 }}", WFTDA, 17 June 2010
In 2016, the Indoor Sports Center was renovated to accommodate Soccer, so the Rockford Rage was forced to seek a new venue. While activity picked up as a travel team, local venues were few and far between, and the Boone County Fairgrounds was used as a temporary home in 2017. An agreement with the UW Sports Factory in downtown Rockford was struck in late 2017, and the announcement was made that the downtown Rockford venue would become their new home. March 24, 2018 will be the first time the Rockford Rage skates a home bout within the city limits of Rockford, IL.{{needs update|date=October 2023}}
WFTDA rankings
{{update section|date=October 2023}}
class="wikitable sortable"
!Season !Final ranking"[https://wftda.com/category/rankings/ Current Rankings]", WFTDA !Playoffs |
2011
|27 NC{{cite web|title=Current Rankings|url=http://wftda.com/rankings|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125085842/http://wftda.com/rankings|archive-date=25 January 2012}} |DNQ |DNQ |
2012
|33 NC{{cite web|title=Current Rankings|url=http://www.wftda.com/rankings|publisher=WFTDA|access-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320122723/http://www.wftda.com/rankings|archive-date=20 March 2013}} |DNQ |DNQ |
2013
|DNQ |DNQ |
2014
|DNQ |DNQ |
2015
|DNQ |DNQ |
2016
|DNQ |DNQ |
- NR = no final ranking assigned this year
References
{{reflist}}
{{WFTDA Division 3}}
{{Illinois Sports}}
Category:Roller derby leagues established in 2006
Category:Roller derby leagues in Illinois