Girls fire up for festive fight

HARD HITTERS: Under Ceej (Carla Paterson), Hell ’n’ Awe (Eleanor Swiatek) and Mace (Rachel Powers) prepare for Saturday’s Christmas-themed roller derby bout.

Rob Williams

IPSWICH'S roller girls will spread a little Christmas cheer as they fight it out at the city's last derby match of the year this Saturday, December 10.

A Very Derby Christmas will pit the Brisbane MissFits and the Ipswich City Sirens in a big-hitting afternoon, held at the Ipswich Showgrounds on the corner of Warwick and Salisbury rds.

With a win under each of their belts, the final match of the year will be the decider between the two teams of Ipswich's roller derby league - called the Brisbane City Rollers.

For the uninitiated, roller derby is a full-contact sport played on quad roller skates, where two teams compete to race around a flat oval track - passing members of the opposite team to score points.

Following the girls, Brisbane City Rollers' boys will play some men's derby - also known as "merby" - with the Frankies and Uppercuts skating for glory.

Skater Carla "Under Ceej" Paterson said the day would be kid-friendly to reward all the families who had supported the league throughout the year.

"BCR is lucky to have several families with both parents skating," Ms Paterson said.

Fans will see two completely different styles with the female and male games.

"The boys are fast-paced tricksters while the girls are hard-hitting strategists - but both are equally as entertaining to watch," Ms Paterson said.

The day, which starts at 1pm, will also feature the Scoundrelles Burlesque School, a licensed bar, market stalls, kids craft and a prize for the best-dressed derby fan.

The doors open at 1pm, with the first game scheduled for 2pm.

Visit www.moshtix.com.au to pre-order tickets, or simply head to Ultimate Image Tattoo at 4/81 Brisbane St, Ipswich.

Carla "Under Ceej" Paterson

The boys are fast-paced tricksters while the girls are hard-hitting strategists.