Roller derby star on the ride of her life

A CHANCE to represent her country on the world stage in roller derby has driven Sarah Sugars to become one of the best talents on skates in Australia.

Sugars, 28, plays and coaches at the Tweed Valley Rollers and has just been selected in the national team for the first time.

The Australian team will contest the Roller Derby World Cup in Austria on July 3 to July 6.

Roller derby is a fast-paced roller-skating contact sport noted for its skill and physicality.

Sugars came from a gymnastics background and has played the game for close to a decade.

She always wanted to represent at the highest level and will now have the chance to compete against the biggest names at international level.

“It’s a big achievement and a lot of work has gone into it,” Sugars said.

“I didn’t really play team sports growing up and to be able to do this as a 28-year-old is special.

 

“Most athletes in other sports have probably missed their opportunity by the time they reach my age.”

Sugars plays as a jammer which is one of the main point scorers and most important positions in determining the outcome of a game.

She plays with the Brisbane City Rollers in the Queensland league and still coaches the next crop of players at Tweed.

She describes the game as a cross between American football and chess.

By day she works in finance and said roller derby players come from all walks of life.

“People at work think I’m crazy, but they’ve always been very supportive,” Sugars said.

“Like most people in the sport, I watched the movie Whip It and was interested in finding a local league after that.

“I was terrified when I first saw it at Tweed in 2016, but I eventually learnt how to play, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

 

Australia were silver medalists when the Roller Derby World Cup was last played in Manchester, England in 2018.

The sport took a hit at national and local level during the COVID-19 pandemic and has slowly bounced back.

The United States team won the gold medal in 2018 and will be favourites again this year.

“The Americans bring a lot of flair to the game and they have the top names in the sport who I’ve watched for years,” Sugars said.

“The game has evolved into a highly skilled athletic sport over the years and it’s really popular around the world.”

The Australian team is self funded and open to donations to assist with expenses at asf.org.au/projects/queensland-roller-derby-leagues.