Paris Vs. Toulouse: You say Revenge, we say Die!

Paris RollerGirls All-Stars (153-117) Nothing Toulouse
March 2nd, 2013 / Paris.

Paris, Bercy was the place to be on that Saturday, March 2nd. It held the long-awaited and not-to-be-missed French derby event of the 2013 season: The rematch of the Paris RollerGirls All Star and the Nothing Toulouse!

The first meeting dated from July 2011 and had witnessed a crushing double victory of the Parisians during the French Connection I tournament, gathering the three pioneer-leagues of Paris, Toulouse and Bordeaux.

But the French landscape has evolved a lot since then and, earlier this season, Paris was challenged by Toulouse to organize the meeting that would put back the French crown in play.

There is no official French cup (yet) and the so-called title comes from a general assessment only. Yet, it was a matter of honor and Paris took up the challenge to prove who the bosses are!

Our All Star game against Windsor two weeks before had been very welcome for us to experience a first bout under the new rules set and adapt to it. In between, we had the time to analyse and correct our main mistakes -- especially slow reformings of the pack, which irremediably led to out of plays or failures to reform... and to decimated packs and players waiting in line to serve their box sentences...

French Connection

Roller Derby Toulouse 

Presents...

Bordeaux Vs. Paris Vs. Toulouse

We spent the weekend in Toulouse for the FRENCH CONNECTION: the event included a derby tournament gathering the Petites Morts of Bordeaux, the Nothing Toulouse, and the Paris RollerGirls on Saturday, as well as a workshop led by Lola Vulkano and Sky Rockit of the LondonRollerGirls on Sunday.

I changed mode of transport twice before deciding how I would go to Toulouse. I was meant to go by bus from Paris with the 50 PRG going on Friday night. Then, in-between, I decided to spend the previous week in Bordeaux. Bordeaux being 2:30 far from Toulouse, it was a waste of time and money to go back to Paris to take the 10hr.bus. I changed my Bordeaux-Paris Train ticket into a Bordeaux-Toulouse… but then the Petites Morts told me that they had one place left in their cars to go together on Saturday morning. I cancelled my train ticket for good and I hit the road with them.

The venue was in the suburb of Toulouse, in a Leisure Base called La Ramée but nicknamed the Lung of Toulouse: it’s green everywhere and there’s a huge lake. We finally arrived after 22 humps on the Leisure Base Road.