Upon joining roller derby i thought i had the measure of what a rollergirls job was: skate fast, hit hard, look hot… i can do that, i thought. so here i am.

I hadnt considered what happens in the eventuality that you’re a rollergirl but dont make the team selection for one reason or another. At our first home bout this weekend Sui-Cider sat out of track action, but still managed to whip us into shape between every jam in her very special position as Bench Manager.

Working as the ultimate team, Stef Mainey and Sui-Cider kept us all in check, uptodate and organised throughout the bout. The remit was very simply to make sure everyone on the team knew when there were on the track, and when to be ready. The reality on the day saw these ladies performing the most amazing juggling act with our motley crew of skaters who developed quite a penchant for the penalty box.

Despite racking up an astonishing 37 trips to the box, being the marked underdogs and having passions riding high, Sui-Cider and Stef kept us calm, collected and helped us through every jam to push us within a hairs bredth of victory.

“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all girls doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; . . . If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same . . . Yours is the Bench and everyone on it.”

Thank you ladies <3