Roller derby is a fast and furious female sport not for the faint-hearted – and growing in popularity in York

CHARLOTE HIPKIN is a student nurse with an unusual past-time.

Operating under the nickname "Chariz'ard" (go on, say it out loud), she dons helmet, protection pads and a mouthguard and goes into battle as a member of the fearless roller derby team, York Minxters.

The 27-year-old's mean-sounding moniker is a bit of a give away as to the nature of the sport which could be likened to fairground dodgems – but instead of bumper cars there are women on rollerskates.

In roller derby, two teams of five race in the same direction around a track, the object being for each team's "jammer" to race ahead and lap the pack for points. The other team members do their best to impede the opposition's jammer by nudging, pushing and lunging in a rough and ready fashion.

York Minxters set up in 2011 and many members are new to rollerskating. Full training is given to newbies. This year they have gained entry to the British Championships, bringing league roller derby for the first time to York.

They have 34 members, from all walks of life, aged from 18 to late 30s, and practise twice a week at Energise in Acomb. Each August they have an intake for new members.

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Charlotte joined the squad two years ago, looking for "a challenge and something different".

She says: "I saw a poster in the pub and thought it sounded like a really good idea. I couldn't skate at first – and I still fall over a lot."

Players wear quad skates: with four wheels on each boot, set in rows of two rather than in a straight line like on a roller-blade or a blade on an ice skate.

"For most people, it takes a good few weeks to find your feet and make yourself go forward!" says Charlotte. "The first thing you learn is how to fall safely. We wear lots of safety equipment when we play – protective pads on our knees, elbows and wrists, as well as a helmet and mouth guard.

“When you fall, you have to try to land on one of the pads to protect yourself. Also we are taught to fall small, which means rolling into a ball so people can jump out of the way and don’t fall on top of you.”

Film fans might be familiar with roller derby from the 2009 movie Whip It, starring Drew Barrymore (and might recall her busted nose in one scene).

Since players are permitted to push, shove, and budge opponents out of the way it is not surprising, injuries are part and parcel of the sport.

Charlotte says: “I have been pretty lucky so far. I have hurt my coccyx at the base of my spine when I fell on it once and some players have had broken ankles. The main injuries are twisted knees and ankles – and there have been a few black eyes. I am quite bruised after a game.”

While risks do come with the combative nature of the sport, Charlotte points out it is not a physical free for all and that strict rules apply regarding appropriate contact.

Charlotte explains: “At a game, there are lots of referees and non-playing officials - it is very safe. When you play, you can only hit each other on certain parts of the body.

“You can’t use your hands, you have to steer people off the track using your body. You can use your hip, shoulder, torso or flank, but not your hands, elbow, knee, head or feet.

“You can’t throw a punch and you can’t hit anybody higher than their shoulders, or down their spine, or lower down their legs.

“It takes discipline – you see a lot of players skating with their arms tucked in, looking like T-Rex. And it takes some getting used to.”

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READY TO ROLL: Charlotte Hipkin

Rule breakers are punished with time-out in a penalty box – often for 30 seconds - leaving their team depleted on the track until the punishment is over and the player can rejoin, explains Charlotte.

Players have to pass a written rules test before they can play matches. “There are loads of different rules and it normally takes a couple of times before people pass the test,” says Charlotte.

Matches are one hour long with two halves of 30 minutes with a 15-minute break in the middle. Teams compete in a succession of “jams” which each last two minutes, where the object is to lap the opposition. Teams can have up to 14 players, but only five are allowed on the track at one time, so players are switched around in the short interval between jams.

When Charlotte joined the team, all she knew about roller derby was from the Whip It movie. “I’d watched that film with Drew Barrymore, so had it in the back of my head.”

Since joining the team, not only has she become fitter, and made new friends, but her confidence has grown.

“I originally wanted something to improve my fitness, but it has given me more than that. You have to be quite mentally strong to play the game because there is so much going on. It’s a really competitive sport and it has given me much more confidence as a person.

“There are not many women-only sports that encourage women to join, get fit and feel better about themselves.”

Find out more at: yorkminxters.com