A new sport is set to roll across the island in the new year.

Malta’s first roller derby league is gearing up to make its debut in the coming days.

Traditionally consisting of all-female teams, the sport is sometimes described as rugby on roller skates. The derby is played on an oblong rink in which two teams attempt to score points by skating counter-clockwise and out-lapping each other.

A team consists of a ‘jammer’ and four ‘blockers’. It is the jammer’s job to race around the rink while blockers are tasked with keeping off the opposing team’s jammer and assisting their own, effectively playing both offence and defence.

Many players are often known only by pseudonyms.

The Honey Island Rollers came around at the beginning of summer, after the partial lockdown left a number of skaters longing for company and exercise.

Founding member Ġiġġifogu brought together the first 13 members of the league. Led by three experienced skaters who have played in leagues across Europe, the team completed its first ‘fresh meat’ training – a sort of boot camp for new recruits – over the summer.

“The group came together after a number of us were tired of sitting around bored in lockdown,” Smacks, who handles the team’s public relations, told Times of Malta.

“This year has been challenging and a lot of people have been looking for something to keep them occupied or looking for a way to get in some exercise.

“We started putting feelers out and now we’re building from the ground up.”

Smacks said that the joy of doing a team sport and learning new skills offered a fun and exciting activity to look forward to.

“I hadn’t put on roller skates since the ’90s so it was a challenge to learn new skills and meet other players who were really keen on bringing the sport to life,” she said.

The group came together after a number of us were tired of sitting around bored in lockdown

“Most of us had little to no experience when we started training but it’s amazing how quickly you can come into these skills. In September, some of us could barely keep upright and suddenly we’re doing complex manoeuvres on skates and completing fast laps.”

While a match is around an hour of gameplay, much of the action comes in quick bursts over two-minute ‘jams’. Players need speed and skill to keep up the pace and avoid contact.

“There’s a perception that roller derby can be brutal, and make no mistake it’s a full contact sport... strength and endurance are key,” Smacks said.

However, the sport is well regulated and there are certain strict rules on how and where a player can be tackled.

“It’s no more or less brutal as any other contact sport, about the same as rugby or waterpolo.”

The Honey Island Rollers also pride themselves on their inclusivity policy, with the league openly accepting trans and non-binary players to participate.

“This is something that’s really important to us,” Smacks said.

“Society has made some movement in trying to understand and accept gender diverse people but in sports we feel this is not only lacking but can sometimes be controversial.

“If you identify as a woman then you can play as a woman. This is a safe space for all non-binary and trans people.

“We want anyone to know that if they join us they’ll find an accepting space here.”

While gameplay is female-led, trans and cisgender men are welcome to join the training programme and qualify as referees.

The Honey Island Rollers will be having an open day on January 3 ahead of their intake for a new ‘fresh meat’ training programme planned to start at the end of next month.

Novice skaters are welcome and training will be provided over a 10-week course.

The only requirement is that skaters are over 18 years when the intake begins.

For more information on how to attend the open day visit Honey Island Rollers on Facebook or send an email to ​honeyislandrollers@gmail.com.