Wheels in motion to add men's team

Whangarei could soon be home to the country's third men's roller derby team.

Wellington and Tauranga have men's teams, and Northland is keen to join the party.

The Northland Nightmares Rollergirlz league consists of just the one senior women's team, Hells Wives.

Other women's teams from Auckland, Tauranga and other parts of the North Island travel to take on the Hells Wives, and vice versa.

The men's team is still in the early stages of recruitment.

Founding skater Carl Mansell says they're pushing hard to get their team numbers up in order to be competitive.

"We'd like to have as many guys as possible, but ideally around 14," Mansell said.

"The more you can rotate and the stronger your bench is, the team just functions so much better."

The predominantly women's sport is growing in popularity in the north with an increase in spectators and now men keen to play.

Hells Wives' skater Wendy Baird is excited to have another local team join the league.

"The sport's really gaining momentum around here so it's great that we have more people wanting to play," Baird said.

"We generally have 100-plus people turn up at our fixtures at ASB Stadium, which fills a stand, so that's awesome.

"They're actually fans, not just friends and family, but people who've come out to watch what we're doing because it's entertaining."

Asked whether Hells Wives were keen to take on the boys in a competitive game, Baird wasn't sure, saying: "We'll certainly play them in an exhibition match, for sure."

Mansell, in the meantime, will be concentrating on competing for New Zealand as they take on Australia in a world first men's international roller-derby fixture in Sydney today.

Prospective players can contact Carl Mansell at fision-eye@hotmail.com