Formerly known as the Brick House Betties, the newly assembled North Island Roller Derby (NIRD) is ready to take the region by storm on the night of June 15 at the Comox Valley Curling Centre.

NIRD member Teenah LeBlanc looks forward to playing the club鈥檚 first-ever two games at home against their opponents hailing from Victoria.

鈥�(These) teams are excellent and we expect these games to be a pretty tough match-up for us, especially because we鈥檙e pretty new on the scene,鈥� said LeBlanc. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be super fun, but it鈥檒l be a challenge for us for sure.鈥�

Doors open at 4:30 p.m., the first game will start at 5:30 p.m. and the second game will start at 7:30 p.m.

A recommended cash donation of $10 per adult and $5 per child (free for kids under 5) is appreciated and will be collected at the entrance.

Beverages, snacks, food trucks and a 50/50 draw will also be available to keep everyone entertained throughout the night.

The non-profit, volunteer-run association accepts all donations, which go a long way in helping the team continue playing, explained LeBlanc.

鈥淭hese kinds of events are what (allow us to) keep playing derby in the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a nonprofit and our members pay to play. Roller derby is a tricky game (and) it鈥檚 not cheap to put on events like these.

鈥淓very little dollar helps to keep roller derby rolling in the Valley.鈥�

The group became an official team last February and had their first game in Vancouver against a team from the Greater Vancouver Roller Derby Association on May 25.

Although the club resulted from a split from the Brick House Betties, the two organizations remain on good terms, according to LeBlanc.

鈥淭he Brick House Betties don鈥檛 play roller derby anymore. They鈥檝e moved to more of a recreational (pursuit),鈥� LeBlanc explained. 鈥淢any members have moved over to NIRD (and we had) a little bit of a fresh start so there are a lot of similar faces that you鈥檒l see.鈥�

LeBlanc and her team extends an invitation to everyone in the Valley and beyond for a good time.

鈥淚f you鈥檝e never seen roller derby, you should come because it鈥檚 super fun,鈥� LeBlanc said. 鈥淎nd if you鈥檝e ever thought about playing roller derby come out and try it. Just contact us鈥� whenever you want.鈥�

For more information about the NIRD, visit the group鈥檚 website at or their Facebook page at

RELATED: The Brick House Betties are ready to hit big and take the Comox Valley by storm

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