The Great Southern Slam (TGSS) is the largest competitive roller derby event in the world,[1] contested by teams from New Zealand and Australia.[1] It is held bienially in Adelaide in South Australia. TGSS was created and continues to be both hosted and run by volunteers from Adelaide Roller Derby.[2] Initially held in 2010, it was the first flat track roller derby tournament to be held in the southern hemisphere.[3]
| 2010–present | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Adelaide |
| Month played | June |
| Established | 2010 |
| Format | Group stage, knockout |
| Website | greatsouthernslam |
| Current champion | |
| Victorian Roller Derby League | |
Format
editThe first round of the tournament sees teams divided into groups, which play on a round robin basis. Each group includes one of the most experienced teams from Australia or New Zealand, a middle-ranking team, and one less experienced team. The group winners and other teams with the highest point difference qualify for the quarter-finals, and the tournament then continues on a knockout basis.[3][4] The 2012 tournament introduced additional bouts between twelve other teams, and some themed bouts with mixed teams, but these were separate from the main competition.[3]
2010 tournament
editThe 2010 tournament included fifteen teams. Geelong and Ballarat formed a joint team, while Team Pot Luck included skaters from a number of otherwise unrepresented leagues.[4] More than five hundred skaters were involved in the event.[5]
| Round one | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool | Result | |||
| A | Adelaide | 165 | 42 | Canberra |
| A | Canberra | 137 | 63 | Van Diemen |
| A | Adelaide | 147 | 35 | Van Diemen |
| B | Northern Brisbane | 22 | 134 | Victorian |
| B | Newcastle | 45 | 155 | Northern Brisbane |
| B | Newcastle | 18 | 185 | Victorian |
| C | Sun State | 178 | 16 | Wollongong |
| C | Townsville | 91 | 81 | Wollongong |
| C | Sun State | 168 | 7 | Townsville |
| D | Pirate City | 145 | 30 | Sydney |
| D | Sydney | 166 | 31 | Western Australia |
| D | Pirate City | 197 | 25 | Western Australia |
| E | Geelong-Ballarat | 148 | 80 | Perth |
| E | Perth | 136 | 85 | Pot Luck |
| E | Geelong-Ballarat | 94 | 60 | Pot Luck |
| Quarter finals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 152 | 102 | Geelong-Ballarat |
| Northern Brisbane | 28 | 184 | Sun State |
| Sydney | 19 | 234 | Victorian |
| Perth | 51 | 207 | Pirate City |
| Semi finals | |||
| Adelaide | 60 | 124 | Sun State |
| Pirate City | 69 | 94 | Victorian |
| Third place play-off | |||
| Adelaide | 93 | 89 | Pirate City |
| Final | |||
| Sun State | 99 | 117 | Victorian |
2012 tournament
editThe 2012 tournament was held from 9–11 June.[6] It expanded to eighteen teams, divided into six groups for the first round.[3]
| Round one | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Result | |||
| A | Auckland | 66 | 202 | Victorian |
| A | Auckland | 107 | 89 | Newcastle |
| A | Newcastle | 51 | 233 | Victorian |
| B | Geelong | 62 | 131 | Sun State |
| B | Geelong | 96 | 110 | South Sea |
| B | South Sea | 13 | 193 | Sun State |
| C | Adelaide | 125 | 72 | Brisbane City |
| C | Brisbane City | 180 | 78 | Western Australia |
| C | Adelaide | 118 | 78 | Western Australia |
| D | Northern Brisbane | 126 | 42 | Pirate City |
| D | Northern Brisbane | 229 | 35 | Wollongong |
| D | Pirate City | 168 | 103 | Wollongong |
| E | Canberra | 124 | 98 | Perth |
| E | Gold Coast | 130 | 125 | Perth |
| E | Canberra | 199 | 75 | Gold Coast |
| F | Ballarat | 79 | 155 | Sydney |
| F | Ballarat | 84 | 98 | Convict City |
| F | Convict City | 31 | 177 | Sydney |
| Quarter finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra | 53 | 310 | Victorian | |
| Adelaide | 173 | 139 | Brisbane City | |
| Northern Brisbane | 180 | 103 | Pirate City | |
| Sydney | 54 | 195 | Sun State | |
| Semi finals | ||||
| Adelaide | 75 | 361 | Victorian | |
| Northern Brisbane | 110 | 159 | Sun State | |
| Third place play-off | ||||
| Adelaide | 119 | 217 | Northern Brisbane | |
| Final | ||||
| Sun State | 115 | 198 | Victorian | |
2014 Tournament
editThe 2014 TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showgrounds on 7-9 June 2014. The tournament was expanded again to 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand, playing in two divisions.
| Division 1 Finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bout | Result | |||
| Semi-final 1 | Victorian | 352 | 71 | Sydney |
| Semi-final 2 | Sun State | 176 | 100 | Vice City |
| 3rd place play-off | Sydney | 137 | 175 | Vice City |
| Grand Final | Victorian | 197 | 168 | Sun State |
| Division 2 Finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bout | Result | |||
| Semi-final 1 | Western Sydney | 192 | 240 | South Side |
| Semi-final 2 | Wollongong Illawara | 106 | 301 | Reef City |
| 3rd place play-off | Western Sydney | 185 | 162 | Wollongong Illawara |
| Grand Final | South Side | 140 | 225 | Reef City |
2016 Tournament
editThe 2016 TGSS was held from 11-13 June, with 45 teams again playing in two divisions.[7]
| Division 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool | Result | |||
| 1 | Reef City | 12 | 764 | Victorian |
| 1 | Reef City | 204 | 125 | Dragon City |
| 1 | Victorian | 921 | 2 | Dragon City |
| 2 | Sun State | 409 | 69 | South Sea |
| 2 | Sun State | 422 | 59 | Coastal Assassins |
| 2 | South Sea | 286 | 152 | Coastal Assassins |
| 3 | Sydney | 267 | 106 | Geelong |
| 3 | Geelong | 151 | 153 | Northside |
| 3 | Sydney | 391 | 40 | Northside |
| 4 | Perth | 378 | 41 | Varsity |
| 4 | Varsity | 187 | 160 | Northern Brisbane |
| 4 | Perth | 352 | 66 | Northern Brisbane |
| 5 | Canberra | 459 | 29 | Ballarat |
| 5 | Ballarat | 90 | 239 | Convict City |
| 5 | Canberra | 527 | 61 | Convict City |
| 6 | Adelaide | 227 | 127 | Western Australia |
| 6 | Western Australia | 334 | 121 | Whakatane |
| 6 | Adelaide | 382 | 80 | Whakatane |
| 7 | Brisbane City | 367 | 67 | The Bay Rollers |
| 7 | The Bay Rollers | 159 | 213 | Newcastle |
| 7 | Brisbane City | 260 | 94 | Newcastle |
| Division 1 Finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bout | Result | |||
| Quarter-final 1 | Sun State | 366 | 87 | Brisbane City |
| Quarter-final 2 | Perth | 84 | 204 | Canberra |
| Quarter-final 3 | Victorian | 708 | 16 | Western Australia |
| Quarter-final 4 | Sydney | 205 | 103 | Adelaide |
| Semi-final 1 | Sun State | 128 | 146 | Sydney |
| Semi-final 2 | Victorian | 471 | 18 | Canberra |
| 3rd place play-off | Canberra | 103 | 217 | Sun State |
| Grand Final | Victorian | 561 | 15 | Sydney |
| Division 2 Finals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bout | Result | |||
| Semi-final 1 | West Side | 134 | 146 | Devil State |
| Semi-final 2 | Diamond Valley | 160 | 140 | Inner West |
| 3rd place play-off | West Side | 142 | 105 | Inner West |
| Grand Final | Devil State | 66 | 234 | Diamond Valley |
2018 Tournament
editThe 2018 TGSS was held from 9-11 June, with 48 teams competing over three divisions. 2018 was the first year that a third division was added.
| Division | Team | Score | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canberra Roller Derby | 185 | Victorian Roller Derby (B) | 138 |
| 2 | Victoria Roller Derby League (C) | 205 | Brisbane City Rollers | 138 |
| 3 | Westside Derby Dolls | 137 | South Sea Roller Derby | 113 |
2020 Tournament
editTGSS was planned to be held in 2020 from 6-8 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds but was cancelled due to COVID-19.
2022 Tournament
editIn 2022 TGSS was held from 11-13 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds. 30 teams competed across three divisions.[8] It was the first roller derby tournament to be held globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Division | Team | Score | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria Roller Derby League (A) | 248 | Adelaide Roller Derby (A) | 66 |
| 2 | Convict City Rollers | 196 | WestSide Roller Derby | 101 |
| 3 | Light City Derby | 251 | Nerdy Dragons | 50 |
2024 Tournament
edit2024's TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showground and included 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand playing across 65 games over three divisions. Three additional challenge bouts were also played.
For the first time ever TGSS doubled as the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships, which meant that the first and second place winners of Division 1 will earned a place in the 2024 WFTDA World Championships to be held in Portland, Oregon. Victorian Roller Derby and Adelaide Roller Derby were the first and second placed teams for the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships.
| Division | Team | Score | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria Roller Derby League (A) | 302 | Adelaide Roller Derby (A) | 79 |
| 2 | Brisbane City Rollers | 166 | WestSide Roller Derby | 142 |
| 3 | Kingston City Rollers | 171 | Dragon City Roller Derby | 100 |
References
edit- ^ a b "SupaNovas join the BattleStars on wheels". The Northern Star. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
- ^ "» Contacts - The Great Southern Slam". greatsouthernslam.com.au. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d Beck Wise, "Feature Preview: The Great Southern Slam Archived 10 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine", Derby News Network, 8 June 2012
- ^ a b Beck Wise, "Tournament Recap: The Great Southern Slam Archived 11 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine", Derby News Network, 23 June 2010
- ^ Kirsty Bennett, "Behind the news", ABC News, 22 June 2010
- ^ Emily Altschwager, "Gloss put on a real sport", Eastern Courier, 8 April 2012
- ^ Gage, Nicola (11 June 2016). "Great Southern Slam rolls into action as roller derby begins". ABC News. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Participating Leagues". The Great Southern Slam. Retrieved 7 June 2022.