Wearside Roller Derby has secured a place in the UK’s premier roller derby competition, marking the first time a Sunderland team will compete in the national tournament since 2018.
Sunderland’s mixed-gender roller derby team, Wearside Roller Derby, is proud to announce its official entry into the 2026 Five Nations Roller Derby Championships. The team will be competing in Tier 3: North, battling other open-to-all teams for a spot in the tournament’s play-offs. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the Wearsiders, and puts Sunderland back on the national roller derby map.
The Five Nations Roller Derby Championship is the largest and most competitive open-gender derby competition in the UK and Ireland. Wearside Roller Derby will face off against established teams from across the North of England and Scotland, representing the city and the wider Wearside region on a national platform for the first time in seven years.
Officially launched in 2015, the Five Nations Roller Derby Championships is incredibly significant in the UK roller derby landscape, and gaining a place in it is a mark of recognition and a commitment to a higher standard of competitive play.
The team’s acceptance into the tournament follows a period of dedicated growth and development, including a major rebrand earlier this year and a record-breaking new skater intake. Competing in Five Nations represents the culmination of this hard work, and sets the stage for the team’s most ambitious competitive season to date.
Nineteen men and women from across Wearside, ranging in age from 18 to almost 50, make up the roster for the competition. Among them are several former players from Team Great Britain’s Junior team. This line-up will take part in bouts across the country over the next few months, culminating in a home game in June.
- Friday 28th February: A double-header in Aberdeen against Granite City Roller Derby and Manchester’s Chaos Engine
- Sunday 13th April: Away in Hull against Sheffield’s The Inhuman League Saturday 14th June: ‘Home’ fixture at Gateshead Leisure Centre against Barrow Infernos
While thrilled to compete, the team faces significant financial hurdles typical of a completely self-funded, community-led club. Notably, they’ve been unable to host their designated home fixture in their home city due to a lack of suitable and affordable sports venues in Sunderland. Securing the venue in Gateshead for a single game has cost the team over £1,000—a substantial sum raised entirely through member dues and fundraising.
Captain David Garrick (AKA Barbarrick) said: “This is a huge moment for everyone involved with Wearside Roller Derby. To be representing our city in a national tournament again, after so many years, is an incredible honour and a real validation of the effort every skater has put in over the past year. We’re here to compete, to learn, and to show exactly what roller derby in Sunderland is all about.”
“The privilege of playing at this level comes with real financial pressure for a team like ours,” added Head of Fundraising Nic Wright (AKA Demonic). “Having to budget over a thousand pounds just to host a ‘home’ game, and outside of our own city at that, highlights the challenges community sports teams face. Costs are rising; our hall hire fees are going up sharply this year, on top of everything else.”
“This year, we’ll be actively seeking sponsorships and exploring grants to support this journey, though these opportunities are notoriously limited and competitive for local clubs. Our commitment to this sport and this club is unwavering. But if we’re going to continue to provide opportunities for the people of Sunderland to enjoy roller derby, we’ll need broader community and commercial support.”
The team continues to welcome new members and encourages anyone interested in the sport, whether to skate, officiate, or volunteer, to get in touch and be part of this exciting new chapter.