No Merci! Paris PRG Vs. Dublin DRD (A&B)

PRG All-Stars (163-158) Dublin A

PRG Quedalles (207-135) Dublin B

July 6th, 2013 / Dublin (IRE)

The write-up is less factual than the previous ones because:
1) I have less material to rely on and
2) although the two games were of pretty good quality and although the All-Star bout was thrilling with suspense, it is not what prevailed for me in the weekend. Still, they were the most delighting cherry-on-top. On top of what? On top of a marvellous ultimate experience, of which I wanted to make the most in enjoying each and every second. Sports yeah, but people most of all.

NO MERCY. Our last game(s) of the season. MY LAST GAME AS A PARIS ROLLERGIRL. My ultimate experience fully and officially belonging to that group of girls with whom I developed bonds so strong that it still surprizes me.

A perfect trip from A to Z. From the two Parisian teams travelling together, being hosted together by the most wonderful people, double winning together against such lovely opponents in an amazing atmosphere, having some quality time together, at night and in the sun, partying, dancing, laughing, chatting -- crying too, a bit -- a cluster of overwhelming emotions. Together.

Paris All-Stars Vs. Team Unicorn

Paris All-Stars 170 - 163 Team Unicorn

June 1st, 2013 - Paris, Gymnase des Fillettes

It was such a huge thing that I needed time to digest and get more objective about it. The UNICORN Double Header was the last home event of the season and we made justice to that long-awaited ultimate game, to our greatest surprise!

A non-exhaustive presentation of the teams is essential:

• The PARIS ROLLERGIRLS ALL-STARS are currently the best ranked French team, and we did our first bout in 2010. Classy, yeah... but CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING: 
• The UNICORN TEAM is a non-charted and inter-league travel team, affiliated with the Mad Rollin' Dolls in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, a league that started its first full season BACK IN 2005 (!)

Quedalles Vs. HDG Allstar

Paris RollerGirls Quedalles (173-155) Hérault Derby Girls All-Stars

June 9th, 2013 / Le Crès 

IT'S A WIN! We FOUGHT for it, didn't give up despite the lead of our opponents, NARROWED the score gap little by little and REVERSED the advantage at the second period.

Everything could happen until the VERY LAST jam, which was full of twists and changes, at the image of the whole game.

HOW DID WE COME TO THAT ?

4th jam. Kill Belle scores the first 4 points, with already a loose gap of 23 points! An unfortunate powerjam in favor of HDG...

As soon as the first minutes, elbows and high blocks are flying. Of course the first blow goes to team mate Billie Frechette who has been collecting bad hits to the nose throughout the season. Bad luck!

5th jam. My turn to have a try at jamming. I take the lead, the other jammer is hot on my heels, I make her skate around a bit, for fun and for the show, trying to neutralize the tension I was sensing in the atmosphere. I must say that I spent the whole game trying to adapt to the mood of the game without success.

17th jam. We finally challenge the lead, being only 1 point behind thanks to Thelma Track. We are neck and neck for three jams after which the HDG distance us again, and the first period finishes with a score of 55 to 72.

Paris All Stars Vs. Ruhrpott | Quedalles Vs. Gent

Paris All-Stars (266-85) Ruhrpott A
Paris Quedalles (217-157) Gent Cuberdonnas
May 4th, 2013 / Paris

That was one hell of a double header!

I have not had much time to write lately as I have been VERY busy in the real life, so that my report is coming a bit late and will not be as thorough as usual. But I still wanted to write a few lines about that reboosting event.

It was a sold-out double header taking place in Paris, with both our teams playing --and WINNING-- in front of the craziest and most supportive public ever. The venue was on fire as never before! MOREMOREMORE!

In addition to all the buzzing and excitment, it was our first game with our BRAND-NEW JERSEYS which we were given on D-Day! The whole league has now BLUE uniforms, the red'n blue days are over!

Paris All Stars Vs. Inglorious Bombshells

Paris RollerGirls All-Stars (197-139) Berlin Inglorious Bombshells

April 20th, 2013 / Wohnzimmer Bout II, Berlin (GER)

The scores do not reflect the game. It was harder than expected from a B-team (especially with lots of their players having their first go at bouting) and we had to fight against a strategic and organized opponent.

The game took place in the Bombshells' training venue and was private: only the people on the guestlist could come and watch. We had 200 pairs of eyes observing us, cheering Berlin. All but three little Parisian girls, supporting us with pom-poms and songs!

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...