A very cold day in Oldham saw local roller derby team the Rainy City Roller Girls take on Birmingham-based Central City Roller Girls at Rainy City’s home venue the Thunderdome. The King Street venue was packed to the rafters as over 300 fans crowded into the former nightclub. Unfortunately, dozens of fans ended up disappointed when the Thunderdome hit maximum capacity half an hour before the bout was due to start.

The bout started quietly for both teams, the score remaining a shocking 0-0 for the first 2 jams. Jam 3 kicked off points for both teams, and the score stayed fairly level until Central City gained the advantage late in the first period, when five Rainy City skaters picked up major penalties, condemning them to the Sin Bin for a minute each. The half time score was Rainy City 69 Central City 115.

Rainy City fought back hard in the second period to reduce the gap in the scoreline. Impressive pack-work from Rainy City blockers Dee-Mise, Red and Oona Bomber held the Central City jammers at bay, while jammers Missy Rascal and Belle-istic scored heavily. Central City worked hard to maintain control of the bout, and a series of power jams for Hustle ‘Her saw the away side take the victory. Final score: Rainy City Roller Girls 113 – Central City Roller Girls 150.