The Wizards of Aus have just wrapped up their 2026 World Cup campaign and honestly⊠what a journey itâs been to get here.
Pre-pandemic, this side of the sport was absolutely flying. Australian menâs nationals were electric. The level of competition, athleticism and performance coming out of Australia was something really special to be part of and witness.
Then the pandemic hit, and roller derby across the world took a massive blow. While WFTDA has managed to rebound strongly numbers growing again, competition thriving, big tournaments returning, the MRDA aligned community has had a much tougher road back in Aus. Keeping teams alive, keeping skaters engaged, keeping momentum and belief going⊠itâs taken an enormous amount of dedication from a very small group of people who simply refused to give up.
I feel incredibly grateful to
@brisbanecityrollers for taking me in and to the fellas at the Scartel for giving me a place to train at the intensity I needed to keep pursuing my goals while satelliting for VRDL. The mentoring and mutual exchange weâve built over the years has meant so much to me.
And a personal shout out to
@dropblaircares @kingsley.caldwell @matt58silent @instagrant633 and now Billy/Bazinga as the new kid đ eight years of skating, coaching, growing, rebuilding and navigating all the chaos in between. Missing an entire World Cup cycle because of a once-in-a-generation pandemic is heartbreaking, and I genuinely could not be prouder of you all for staying the course anyway.
As an open gender club, weâve seen firsthand the commitment it has taken to keep Australian menâs roller derby alive. These skaters show up week after week, not just for themselves, but for everyone around them. They support our WFTDA programs, they help run our club, they build community, they volunteer their time and energy constantly.
The Wizzies should be incredibly proud of what theyâve achieved, because all of us back home certainly are. What an incredible showing after everything this group has been through over the last six years. đđ
