May 2025
Upcoming Events
May 22: Open Skate
RCRD will be hosting Rock ‘N’ Roan, a Chappell Roan-themed open skate at the Rollerdome, 4902 Williamsburg Rd. All ages are welcome to skate and rock out to covers from the popular School of ROCK (Short Pump) band! Tickets are $7, and you can purchase them in advance here.
May 24: Rats/Riots Away Game
The River City Rats and Riots will be taking off to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina to compete in sanctioned games against the Blue Ridge Roller Derby teams. Livestream information coming soon!
May 31: Rats/Riots Home Game
The River City Rats and Riots will return home and play sanctioned games against the Charlotte Roller Derby teams on Saturday, May 31, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. There will be snacks, drinks, vendors, and LOTS of derby! So come on out with your whiskers and RCRD gear to watch your favorite derby team!
June 17 - Trivia Night
Attention all trivia lovers: RCRD Trivia is back by popular demand! Come hang out with us and put your knowledge to the test on Tuesday, June 17, from 7pm-9pm at Studio Two Three (109 W 15th St). We’ll also have snacks, drinks, and merch for sale.
EVERY DAY IN JUNE - $100 Raffle
If you ever find yourself thinking, “Man, I would love a chance to win $100 every day,” you're in luck! Every day in June, RCRD will be giving away $100 in a raffle. All you have to do is buy a $10 raffle ticket! We’re drawing a ticket each day, and all winning tickets will be reentered for more chances to win. So the more tickets you buy, the greater your chances of winning. That means YOU have exactly 30 chances to win $100, which could add up to a total of $3,000! Raffle tickets are only for sale through the end of May, so BUY A RAFFLE TICKET TODAY! They will be available at all our May events, or you can dm us on Facebook or Instagram for a ticket.
For more details on our upcoming events please check us out on Facebook or Instagram.
RCRD Takes on the Cap Trail!
You might have seen some RCRD members on the Capital Trail on April 13. Despite the threat of bad weather, the sun shone bright on our skaters as they completed an amazing 51.7 miles to raise money for the league. The day included a few scrapes, plenty of laughs, and lots of smiles. At the end of the day, there was nothing but pure bliss and a great sense of accomplishment. We’re proud of every skater who completed this astonishing achievement. WAY TO GO, RCRD!
Game Day Recap: Rats vs Greensboro
Greensboro Roller Derby came in swinging for the River City Rats’ second sanctioned game on April 26 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. With claws out and whiskers twitching, the Rats had an amazing win in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, with a final score of 269 to 55. Special shoutouts to Rats jammers Killer B, Lenni Scabitz, Lin Diesel, and Deadly Long Legs, who each had 20-point jams! INCREDIBLE! Plus, the Rats’ defensive walls were strong and the team played slow and smart. They are now ranked #64 in the Southern region!
Congratulations, Rats! And thank you so much for playing with us, Greensboro!
Photos by @chris.fessler
Game Day Recap: Home Team Showdown
RCRD had an absolute blast at our first home team showdown of the season at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on April 26. With successful assessments under their belts, a number of brand-new veteran skaters made exciting debuts in this game! The notoriously powerful Poe’s Punishers came in after an almost-perfect season last year and faced off against the underdogs, our Hollywood Undertakers. But unlike their name, the Undies did NOT take this lying down! Fighting like the undead, the Hollywood Undertakers were resurrected and won the game with a final score of 122 to 111. Stay tuned to see if the Undertakers will stay above ground or if the Punishers will exact their revenge at the next home team game on July 10 at the Rollerdome!
Photos by @chris.fessler
Hollywood Undertakers - Skater Spotlight
Mother Ducker aka “Ducky”
Number?
555
How long have you been playing derby?
I started in August as a rookie.
Favorite position?
I've only played in two games so I haven't found a favorite position yet, but I like them all so far!
How'd you pick your derby name?
I used to have pet ducks, and they're my favorite animal! I thought of a bunch of names with duck-related puns but landed on Mother Ducker because it was my favorite.
Roller derby "origin story"?
I was looking for a way to stay active that was also fun! I first joined an adult softball league and felt very out of place. Then I remembered that pair of roller skates my grandma got me that I had only used a handful of times, and I found RCRD on Instagram. I was nervous but I went to rookie orientation and found that everyone was super nice and welcoming!
Favorite derby memory?
My favorite memory so far is jamming at the Star Wars scrimmage even though I fell a million times!
How has derby positively impacted you off the track?
As someone who is a bit shy, being part of RCRD has given me a community in Richmond that I wouldn't have been able to find anywhere else. I've gotten more confident in my skating abilities and with myself in general.
Poe’s Punishers - Skater Spotlight
Barbarian Butt Lift aka “BBL”
Number?
333
How long have you been playing Derby?
I've been playing derby for just over a year now and recently vetted up, but have been skating my whole life.
Favorite position?
My favorite position right now is pivot. I like being able to be defensive in a wall, but also reach out into offense to help my jammer.
How'd you pick your derby name?
Picking my derby name was definitely a very lengthy process. My nickname my whole life has always been "Mayo", so I really wanted to incorporate that into my name somehow and I initially wanted to be "Spicy Mayo". I also started getting called adjacent condiment names, most prominently "Aioli" by my then-rookie coach, Iggy Icarus. I kept thinking, though, and one random day while I was bored at work and writing down a bunch of name ideas I started thinking about a video I had watched the other day about how BBLs are performed, don't ask why, and at the same time my brain went to DND and all the character classes and then BOOM, it hit me, Barbarian Butt Lift. Fun fact: My first dnd character was also a barbarian.
Roller derby "origin story"?
As a kid I would rollerblade with my dad at the rink and around the neighborhood, I also had many a birthday party at the roller rink. When I got to middle school, though, I had outgrown my skates and took a break. In high school I ended up getting a pair of quad skates for my birthday and OH MY was it completely different; I had to re-learn A LOT. My life got super busy with school and work, though, going into college so I took a break again. Eventually, I began to miss skating again and started going to the rink once or twice a week working on some skills either alone or with my dad. I started thinking about roller derby and if we had a team in richmond. I had never really looked into it before, but figured it would be worth a try since I was spending so much time at the rink and loved it so much. I found RCRD on Instagram and ended up sending them an email during the off-season and came in for the next rookie orientation that winter. Fast forward and now I'm in the Bruiseletter!
Favorite derby memory?
My favorite derby memory so far probably has to be my first game I played in recently. Towards the end of the game I just felt like everything I'd been working on was falling right into place and clicked in my brain. It was a really cool feeling and made me feel very accomplished.
RCRD FANS!
We love engaging with our community, so we have rolled out (pun intended! 😉) a few ways for you to connect with us and get featured in our BRUISEletter! Here's how:
RCRD in the Wild: Spot someone wearing their RCRD merch out in the world? Get consent for a pic and send it in. We love seeing your team spirit!
Fan Art Submissions: Submit your RCRD paintings, digital art, stories and more! We love when y'all show your support and create with us!
RCRD Featured Fans: Show off your team spirit, get loud, proud, and a little rowdy for the team, and show your support at our games for a chance to be one of our Featured Fans and get a spotlight in our BRUISEletter!
🖤💚 Email your submissions to pr.rivercityrollerderby@gmail.com 💚🖤