Visitors to the National Sports School in Pembroke on Sunday morning were greeted by the sound of whistles, bodies slamming against each other and the screeching sound of skates on parquet. 

For in the large and humid stadium, the island’s first-ever roller derby game, one of the many activities taking place as part of EuroPride 2023, was taking place.

The event, ‘Tutti Frutti Roller Derby Game’, saw skaters from Spain, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, and Malta strap on their helmets and roller skates to have their fun. 

Roller derby is a high-speed women’s contact sport on skates during which two teams race each other on an oval track, attempting to score points by skating counter-clockwise and out-lapping each other.  

Starting off back in 2021, the Honey Island Rollers is Malta’s first and only roller derby league. Although the sport was still in its infancy, a large crowd of spectators gathered to watch Sunday's match.

The 25 players were split into two teams- the Cherry Bombs (black gear) and the Brutal Berries (white gear).

The players, known by their pseudonyms, were decked from head to toe in protective gear, wearing helmets, mouth guards, and protective pads on their elbows and knees - all for good reason. 

The game was tough, and from the first whistle, players put on their game faces, as they skated, bumped, and fell on the wooden floor. 

While it took a few jams for the spectators to fully understand the game, they were soon hooked to the performance.

The crowd cheered and clapped as players were knocked to the ground and quickly got back up, determined to make their way around the track. 

'Jammers' wearing a cap with a star on it, have to race around the rink while trying to dodge blockers stopping them from getting through. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The rules of the game

A match is two, 30-minute periods composed of two-minute "jams". The "jams" are fast, energetic and intense. 

A team consists of a "jammer" wearing a star cap on the helmet, and four "blockers". The jammer has to race around the rink while blockers try to keep the opposing team’s jammer from getting through. 

The first jammer to make it past the group of blockers on their first lap earns "lead jammer status" and even has the power to stop the jam before the two minutes are up. 

Blockers cannot hit other skaters with their hands, head or feet, and can only use their full body to block. 

‘Whatever you identify as you have a place in the game’

While the Brutal Berries won the derby-  leading with 290 points against the Cherry Bombs' 97, players of both teams hugged, cheered and celebrated together at the end of the match.

“It’s not about winning, I think it’s amazing that we managed to put on the first roller derby game in Malta, and it will definitely not be the last,” Morina, a member of Honey Island Rollers, told Times of Malta. 

“It goes to show that our community is run by skaters for skaters. We have so many lovely volunteers who helped us to put this together. We actually don’t care about the score, we are just so happy this happened.”

It may be a tough and fast-paced sport but a sense of community prevails. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

While Roller derby is played mostly by women, people who identify as women, non-binary or gender nonconforming are also welcome to play. Men can be referees. 

“Whatever you identify as you have a place in this game,” Morena said. 

Noe Mercy, who joined Honey Island three years ago, said it’s not about what you look like but about your team spirit. Throughout the match, players would stop to cheer one another and share high-fives, despite being on opposing teams.

“The sport welcomed me, it didn’t look at what I am or what I look like, but welcomed me, and I became a sports person.”

The two players said it was an “honour” and a “dream come true” to host the first roller derby event during EuroPride. 

For those interested in putting on some skates and trying out the game, the Honey Island Rollers will be having an open day at the beginning of 2024 and will provide a 10-week training programme.

The island's first roller derby game was a success and members hope it won't be the last. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier