Montreal
Roller Derby

Our Mission

Founded in 2006, Montreal Roller Derby League (MTLRD) is a non-profit, do-it-yourself, skater-operated flat track roller derby league that operates out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

MTLRD is a group of strong and motivated people dedicated to participating in roller derby as a legitimate sport. To forward this goal, the league promotes athleticism, hard work, skill, high safety standards, sportsmanship, teamwork, mutual respect, a sense of fun, and love for the sport.

As a non-profit organization of skaters, refs, and volunteers, MTLRD follows the governing philosophy of “by the skaters, for the skaters”, ensuring that skaters are represented in management and at all levels of governing.

In 2009, MTLRD became a proud member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), as its first international member. WFTDA allows MTLRD’s main travel team (New Skids on the Block) to compete internationally for rankings with other member leagues, and to help shape one of the fastest growing sports in North America.

Ranking

Check out the latest rankings of our travel teams on the WFTDA website.

History

Montreal Roller Derby is the women's flat-track roller derby league in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A non-profit organization, Montreal Roller Derby was founded as the city’s first flat-track roller derby league in 2006 by Georgia W. Tush. Since then, the league has developed into a formidable force on the track, both domestically and internationally. In January 2009, Montreal Roller Derby became the first non-U.S. Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member league. As the league grew, its presence in the world of roller derby grew with it. Montreal has hosted several tournaments, including the Beast of the East and the 2018 Georgia W. Tush tournament. In 2019, Montreal Roller Derby became the first international hosts of the WFTDA Championships. Members of Montreal Roller Derby have gone to represent Team Canada since the inaugural Roller Derby World Cup in 2011. 

MTLRD is composed of home teams which compete in intra-league play and occasional invitational games against teams from other roller derby leagues, as well as two inter-league travel teams, and a rookie training team called the Smash Squad. The New Skids on the Block and The Montreal Sexpos represent the league in sanctioned WFTDA inter-league competitions that count towards WFTDA rankings. In September 2010, The New Skids became the first non-US team to play in the WFTDA playoffs. Over the years, the Skids have steadily climbed up through the ranks, qualifying for the WFTDA championship every year since 2016.

MTLRD is operated and managed by members through participation in the Board of Directors, Organizational Committees, and other volunteer positions.

Land Acknowledgement 

Montréal Roller Derby acknowledges that we gather today in Tiohtià:ke, also known as Mooniyang in Anishinaabemowin, on the traditional, unceded and stolen territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, who are the custodians of the lands and waters of this area.

For thousands of years, Tiohtià:ke has been serving as a place of meeting and exchange among many First Nations, including the Kanien’kehá:ka of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron/Wendat, the Abenaki, and the Anishinaabeg.

As a sports community composed largely of settlers, we recognize that our ability to play, grow, and connect here is made possible by the stewardship, knowledge, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples who have lived on these lands for millennia.

We are grateful for their ongoing care of this land, and we commit to supporting Indigenous sovereignty and justice.

This acknowledgment is not the end, but a beginning. We invite all participants, viewers, and fans to reflect, learn, and take action… on and off the track! We encourage our members and the public to learn about the rich culture of the Indigenous People, understand the consequences of colonialism and support the Indigenous People who are still facing systemic racism and discrimination. 

Our solidarity extends beyond the borders of this territory. Around the world, Indigenous, colonized, and displaced peoples continue to face violence, genocide, and the theft of their lands in the name of power. In this global context, we affirm that every struggle for justice and liberation must begin with listening to Indigenous voices, respecting their right to self-determination, returning what rightfully belongs to them, and recognizing their legitimate right to resist by any means necessary.