Summary
Wisconsin United Roller Derby (WURD) is an all-gender flat-track roller derby league based in Madison, Wisconsin. The league was originally formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2009 as the first all-men's league in Wisconsin and previously used the names Milwaukee Schlitzkrieg, Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg, and Wisconsin Men's Roller Derby before rebranding as Wisconsin United Roller Derby in August 2019.
| Metro area | Madison, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Teams | Travel Team Wisconsin United Roller Derby Wisconsin Men's Roller Derby (retired) Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg (retired) Home Teams Great Lakes Pirates (retired) Half Barrel Heroes (retired) Mad Men (retired) |
| Track type(s) | Flat |
| Venue | Rollaero Skate Center Fast Forward Skate Center Alliant Energy Center |
| Affiliations | MRDA |
| Org. type | 501(c)(3) NPO |
| Website | www.wisconsinunitedrollerderby.com |
History edit
In May 2009, a few Milwaukee skaters, the core of what would become the Milwaukee Schlitzkrieg, the first men's roller derby team in Wisconsin, traveled to Duluth, near the Minnesota border, for a mixer event with the Twin Cities Terrors.
Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg edit
In June 2010, copyright issues necessitated a name change, and the Blitzdkrieg was born. Thanks to the Paper Valley Roller Girls hosting a double-header event, the team was able to play its first full game, having performed only in expo games until that point. The Terrors once again travelled to play, taking another victory over the Blitzdkrieg in Appleton, Wisconsin.
The next two years were a long, slow, uphill battle. The team faced challenges in finding practice space, recruiting new members, training, and gaining exposure. But hard work and perseverance began to pay off, as new members came through the door and the city started to take notice. New strategies were tested, modified, and sometimes discarded, training plans developed, and the team traveled extensively throughout the Midwest, learning from mistakes and continually growing stronger.
December 2012 was a turning point, as the team’s application to the Men's Roller Derby Association (MRDA) was unanimously approved by the member leagues, officially making the Blitzdkrieg a nationally ranked team.[1] By the end of 2013 they were ranked 29 in the MRDA 2013 End of Season Rankings.[2]
In January 2014, for the first time, the Blitzdkrieg had built up the numbers to form two home teams, Half Barrel Heroes and Great Lakes Pirates. This gave the team the ability to more easily produce events, and allows more skating time for all players, furthering their development.
Wisconsin Men's Roller Derby edit
In 2016, the Blitzdkrieg were joined by a new group of skaters in Madison, WI known locally as Mad Men Roller Derby and decided to rebrand as Wisconsin Men's Roller Derby (WMRD). The league played as Wisconsin Men's Roller Derby for the 2017 and 2018 MRDA seasons. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, several key players decided to retire from roller derby and the league chose to go on hiatus from MRDA. The league remained active and played a series of non-sanctioned bouts in 2019 to focus on rebuilding and gaining experience.
Wisconsin United Roller Derby edit
In the summer of 2019, the league decided to change its name to better recognize the contributions of women and non-binary members.
Media edit
2018
March 11, 2018: Mad Men were featured in an article in the Wisconsin State Journal.[3]
2014
March 7, 2014: Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg were interviewed live by Chip Brewster of the Fox 6[4] morning show, Real Milwaukee.
March 18, 2014: Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg were featured in an article on OnMilwaukee.com[5]
April 25, 2014: A bit of a history on the Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg in Express Milwaukee.com.[6]
2011
January 4, 2011: Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg members were interviewed for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[7]
Home teams edit
In 2014, for the first time, home teams were established - the Great Lakes Pirates and the Half Barrel Heroes. On March 29, 2014 the Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg held their first ever home team bout. The Great Lakes Pirates took the first win, with a score of 338-101 over the Half Barrel Heroes.
| Date | Great Lakes Pirates | Half Barrel Heroes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | |||||
| Feb 28 | 110 | 202 | |||
| Apr 11 | 161 | 163 | |||
| May 09 | 321 | 66 | |||
| 2014 | |||||
| Mar 29 | 338 | 101 | |||
| Apr 27 | 258 | 202 | |||
| May 17 | 288 | 157 | |||
Charter team edit
| Alter-Nate | 8 |
| Bombsquad | 0x0 |
| Brad the Impaler | 100K |
| D-Rek | 50 |
| Father Trucker | 00 |
| Havok | 82 |
| Hijack | 82 |
| Kingpin | 65 |
| Lemme Adam | 6 |
| Montezuma | 4K |
| Mr. Burns | 235 |
| Mr. Mojo | 911 |
| Nik Shenanigans | 556 |
| Rufhouse Wainwright | 12 |
| Shock N Austin | 1101 |
| Sir Racha | 110F |
| The Bloody Bearon | B33R |
| Vegabond | 94 |
Interleague seasons edit
| Date | Opponent | Tournament | Sanction | Blitzdkrieg/WMRD/WURD | Opposing Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | |||||
| Mar 16 | MRD Team Unicorn | n/a | 228 | 325 | |
| 2020 | |||||
| Feb 8 | CFDD Muncie Missfits | n/a | 331 | 97 | |
| 2019 | |||||
| Nov 9 | Skunk River Riot (ARDA) | n/a | 189 | 164 | |
| Oct 12 | Barbed Wire Betties | n/a | 136 | 193 | |
| Sep 28 | Omaha Roller Derby | n/a | 148 | 205 | |
| Jun 22 | Cedar Rapids RollerGirls | n/a | 265 | 92 | |
| Apr 7 | Chicago Bruise Brothers B-Team | Udder Chaos 2019 | n/a | 87 | 357 |
| Mar 16 | St. Louis B-Keepers | n/a | 13 | 358 | |
| Mar 16 | Twin Cities Terrors | n/a | 19 | 483 | |
| 2018 | |||||
| Jul 21 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 81 | 246 | |
| Jun 3 | Lane County Concussion | 2018 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 120 | 208 |
| Jun 2 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | 2018 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 222 | 228 |
| Jun 1 | Houston Men's Roller Derby | 2018 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 246 | 171 |
| May 19 | Twin City Terrors | Udder Chaos 2018 | MRDA | 120 | 220 |
| Feb 10 | Brewcity Bruisers Battlestars | n/a | 311 | 149 | |
| 2017 | |||||
| Jul 23 | Dakota Men's Roller Derby | Rolling Along The River | MRDA | 222 | 137 |
| Jul 22 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | Rolling Along The River | MRDA | 226 | 113 |
| May 20 | Race City Rebels | MRDA | 39 | 350 | |
| May 20 | Twin City Terrors | MRDA | 97 | 337 | |
| Apr 15 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 166 | 153 | |
| 2016 | |||||
| Jun 25 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 125 | 192 | |
| Jun 5 | Golden State Heat | 2016 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 155 | 216 |
| Jun 4 | Twin City Terrors | 2016 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 119 | 215 |
| Jun 3 | Dakota Men's Roller Derby | 2016 Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 121 | 270 |
| Mar 19 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 247 | 142 | |
| Jan 9 | FCRD: Valley Vixens | n/a | 257 | 121 | |
| 2015 | |||||
| Jun 28 | Tulsa Derby Militia | Midwest DerbyFest | MRDA | 128 | 262 |
| Jun 28 | Tampa Bay Men's Roller Derby | Midwest DerbyFest | MRDA | 113 | 239 |
| Jun 27 | Harm City Roller Derby | Midwest DerbyFest | MRDA | 292 | 92 |
| Jun 26 | St. Louis B-Keepers | Midwest DerbyFest | 129 | 262 | |
| Jun 20 | Mad Rollin' Dolls | 160 | 279 | ||
| Jun 7 | BisMan Bomberz | Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 186 | 318 |
| Jun 6 | Cleveland Guardians | Midwest BrewHaHa | 393 | 94 | |
| Jun 5 | Capital City Hooligans | Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 136 | 244 |
| May 23 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 141 | 243 | |
| Apr 28 | Quad Squad | 178 | 235 | ||
| 2014 | |||||
| Aug 30 | Rock City Riot | MRDA | 85 | 270 | |
| Aug 30 | BisMan Bomberz | MRDA | 88 | 178 | |
| Jul 19 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | MRDA | 279 | 77 | |
| Jun 29 | OCK Wolf Pack | Midwest DerbyFest | 137 | 163 | |
| Jun 29 | Cowtown Butchers | Midwest DerbyFest | 110 | 68 | |
| Jun 29 | Capital City Hooligans | Midwest DerbyFest | 103 | 45 | |
| Jun 27 | Tulsa Derby Militia | Midwest DerbyFest | MRDA | 188 | 214 |
| Jun 01 | Twin Cities Terrors | Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 113 | 318 |
| May 31 | Dallas Deception | Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 125 | 429 |
| May 30 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | Midwest BrewHaHa | MRDA | 259 | 127 |
| 2013 | |||||
| Aug 24 | Big O Roller Bros | 88 | 253 | ||
| Aug 24 | Cincinnati Battering Rams | 166 | 180 | ||
| Jul 20 | Green Bay Smackers | Border Battle | MRDA | 170 | 117 |
| Jul 20 | Twin Cities Terror | Border Battle | MRDA | 116 | 235 |
| Jun 22 | Green Bay Smackers | MRDA | 246 | 99 | |
| May 19 | Carolina Wreckingballs | 2013 Spring Roll | MRDA | 93 | 218 |
| May 19 | Your Mom Men's Derby | 2013 Spring Roll | MRDA | 23 | 447 |
| May 17 | Harm City Roller Derby | 2013 Spring Roll | MRDA | 67 | 327 |
| Apr 14 | Sioux City Korn Stalkers | MRDA | 229 | 242 | |
| Mar 23 | Chicago Bruise Brothers | 325 | 180 | ||
| Feb 23 | Cincinnati Battering Rams | 255 | 310 | ||
| 2012 | |||||
| Sep 1 | Sioux City Korn Stalkers | Rolling Along the River | 164 | 182 | |
| Sep 1 | St Louis GateKeepers B-Keepers | Rolling Along the River | 61 | 284 | |
| Aug 11 | Green Bay Smackers | 92 | 174 | ||
| Jun 23 | Rock City Riot | 60 | 222 | ||
| Jun 16 | Race City Rebels | 29 | 311 | ||
| 2011 | |||||
| Dec 3 | Twin City Terrors | 164 | 138 | ||
| Mar 20 | Twin City Terrors | 65 | 198 | ||
| 2010 | |||||
| Oct 23 | Race City Rebels | Rolling Along the River | 23 | 155 | |
| Oct 23 | Rock City Riot | Rolling Along the River | 21 | 125 | |
| Oct 23 | Twin City Terrors | Rolling Along the River | 29 | 117 | |
| Jun 26 | Twin City Terrors | 22 | 127 | ||
Stats provided by Flat Track Stats[8]
MRDA rankings edit
| Season | Ranking | Championship |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 29[2] | DNQ |
| 2014 | 24[9] | DNQ |
| 2015 | 27[10] | DNQ |
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | 35[11] | DNQ |
| 2018 | 31[12] | DNQ |
| 2019 | hiatus[13] | DNQ |
Notes edit
- ^ "MRDA Goes International With Its Six New Members". MRDA. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ a b "MRDA Releases End of Season Rankings and 2013 Champs Seeding". MRDA. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ Kalk Derby, Samara. "Men's derby on a roll in Madison". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ Bee, Trisha. "Did you know Milwaukee had a men's roller derby team?". WITI | Fox 6 Milwaukee. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ Mueller, Matt. "Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg slams men's roller derby onto the local map". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ "Roller Derby Isn't Just for Women Anymore". Express Milwaukee.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ Richards, Erin (January 4, 2011). "Roller derby not just for women anymore". Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ "Flat Track Stats - Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg". FlatTrackStats.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ "MRDA Announces the Fall Ranking and the Seeding for the 2014 Championships". Men's Roller Derby Association. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ "MRDA 2015 Spring Rankings". Men's Roller Derby Association. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
- ^ "MRDA 2018 Winter Rankings". Men's Roller Derby Association. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "MRDA 2018 Winter Rankings". Men's Roller Derby Association. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "MRDA June 2019 Rankings and Qualifiers Announcements". Men's Roller Derby Association. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
External links edit
- Wisconsin United Roller Derby Official Website
- Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg Official Website
- MRDA Website
- Flat Track Stats - Wisconsin United Roller Derby