Roller Derby News from Canada

“Sports League creates a new franchise”

Success lasts two years!

Date Line November 30, 2001: Unfortunately, the Canada Conquerors are no more. The Manitoba Skating League is officially over. It lasted just two seasons.

Here is a brief history about the MSL.

The league started back in the spring of 2000. You see, after Rollerjam started in '99, a lot of people up here in Canada were glad to roller derby back on TV. But here in southern Manitoba, roller derby was a bit popular. I like in Glenboro, Manitoba. Just a small town of 700 people. No much happens around here. At Glenboro Collegiate, we have championship volleyball and basketball high school teams. The coach of the boys' volleyball team, Rick Scott, really loved roller derby. He told me that he and his dad grew up watching it on TV.

Anyway, he thought that since Canada DID have a roller derby back in '60s and the early '70s, then why not create a new team. But there was a problem.

Creating a Canada team or even a Canadian league probably wouldn't take off. Though he was willing to do it. Out of Glenboro Collegiate came the Canada Conquerors. On the site, I say why we were representing Canada rather than Glenboro. Rick became our coach and then soon the president of the MSL. He was able to recruit another team, the Treherne Tigers.

It's hard to believe that a small town high school coach could create a league such as this. I still find it hard to believe. Anyway, these were the two first teams. Five more teams were created. The Minnedosa Suns, Landmark Rebels, Pilot Mound Trojans, Cartwright Cougars, and the Carberry Blazers were the other teams that were created.

The league was called the Manitoba Skating League cause it was only seen in southern Manitoba. All the teams in the league were from within the Pairie Spirit School Division No.50. They were all high school students on the teams. It became not only a new league but a new high school sport. The very first game took place on March 16, 2000 between the Canada Conquerors and the Treherne Tigers. Our team name did get other teams and people questioning us.

We didn't think that the league would take off at all but we were wrong. Our first game which was at the Glenboro Arena brought about 650 spectators of all ages.

The teams were consisted of 12 players (6 boys/6 girls). There were four 5 minute periods. We followed the same rules in the ARDL league. We didn't have a banked track so we just skated on a flat wooden floor. It was still fun and fast. Though there was one difference with our league. All the fights and hits were REAL. We never expected fights to happen but they did. They didn't last long though.

Throughout the two seasons we had, there were no serious injuries reported. By the beginning of May, all seven teams were in the league and we start the playoffs for the championship trophy. We did the same playoffs the same way you in the ARDL do. Once you lost a match, you're out!

We ended up winning the first season. The season ends by the beginning of June.

In 2001, new skaters come to the team. We only had 5 new skaters. Unfortunately by this time, Landmark, Cartwright, and Minnedosa teams had left the league due to lack of interest and recruits. By April, Mr. Scott stated that due to lack of interest and low attendance, the league will end by June. On June 7, 2001, the Conquerors faced the Tigers for the championship at Glenboro Arena and the Conquerors won for the second year in a row.

So now, all the team members have gone their separate ways onto college universities. I myself have recently gone to college. There are no plans to restart the league.

That was the long brief history of the league. The league never even really got of the ground. We never even got to play a game in Winnipeg or Brandon, the two largest cities in Manitoba.

I hope this was a good read for you.

Alex Greenlay

GelnBouro, MB