Category: State of Play

Fire & Ice – February Review

Grab a coffee (or an apparently traditional Scottish breakfast burrito) and settle in for a February catch up. This month, the European mid-tier was on fire, with 3 pivotal tournaments: Skate Around 7 in Namur, Hard Block Life in Helsinki, and the Meadowbank Homecoming in Edinburgh.

We made it to 2 out 3 of these fantastic events to make sure we can bring you all the details because, with the April 1st ranking snapshot looming like that aforementioned blast door closing, the European Battle Royale is in full swing. The rankings gap between #9 & #30 is thinner than ever, and at the top, every jam carries the weight of a postseason dream.

Note: All statistics are hand-tracked by the EDN team. Don’t treat them as official – we’re just doing our best to bring you the most complete picture we can!

Namur’s Winter War – Skate Around 7

We kicked off with a mathematical scrap at the Centre Namurois des Sports-Tabora. While the venue was fantastic, boasting a legendary bar and an atmosphere that could warm the coldest Belgian night, the weekend was defined by the biting snow outside and a masterclass in tactical discipline inside.

Falling on February 14th & 15th, it really begged the question…How could anyone want to spend Valentine’s Day anywhere else?

While the rest of the world dealt with overpriced roses, we had the true romance of waterfall recycling and apex jumps. This was a rehearsal for the WFTDA European Championships coming to this very track in June; Namur is effectively building the fortress where the elite will fight for their lives this summer. And what amazing hosts they are! Belgium in June – get it in your diary.

Ranking vs. Reality

While Namur entered as the statistical favorite, the dark horse SAM emerged as the undisputed giant.

SAM Surged

SAM’s performance was a masterclass in negative derby – the art of preventing the opponent from playing. They committed only five jammer penalties and held Namur to just 76 points in their Sunday rematch.

Pin’Pon (#640) was a wonder & a workhorse, scoring 117 points with a 70% Lead rate. Spoke (#6) was all about consistent contributing, delivering impact points to finish as the top scorer with 201 points and 4.1 points per jam.

Namur’s Volatility

Ninon (#12), recorded the weekend’s only 20-point jam and averaged 3.7 points per jam. However, Namur suffered 69 total scoreless jams against SAM’s heavy defense. Fresh rotations from #89 (Pulp) and #1957 (Batsmash) provided late-game surges, combining for 267 points.

Newcastle’s Endurance

Arriving on a massive win streak (13-0), the Canny Belters hit a Sunday Slump due to a lack of bench depth. Peregrine (#104) shouldered the load with 100 points, while Hoolia (#2122) earned our Resilience Award (55% Lead rate). Pivot Terri Sudron (#86) was heroic, taking passes from four different jammers, including The Rottwheeler (#22) and Eradi-Cait (#495), to stop the opposition from getting on a tear.

A quality weekend and we can’t wait to be back in June!

Hard Block Life or ‘The Group of Death’

The following weekend the action moved to Helsinki at the Ruskeasuon liikuntahalli. While EDN couldn’t attend in person, we’ve spent the weekend glued to Helsinki Roller Derby’s YouTube channel. (Apparently we still have to do our day jobs!)

If you only watch one game from February, make it Lomme vs. Stockholm (Game 6). The comeback is pure derby magic. Absolutely our favourite game of the weekend. Do you disagree? Tell us in the comments.

Hold please…

Helsinki remains top tier but Lomme’s upset over Stockholm was a total shockwave. But not enough to move the rankings.

Lomme’s Resilience

Trailing by 26 at the half against Stockholm, Lomme secured a 145 – 142 win. Light Fury (#29) was the catalyst, providing the essential 16-point hammer to spark the climb. Brutus (#16) and Mapool (#123) provided game-changing offense, combining to become a proper wrecking crew.

Helsinki’s Juggernaut

Piu Piu (#931) hit the 16-point ceiling three times. The defense, anchored by Pale Lee (#4) and Joanna Koskinen (#455), was impenetrable. Gilbert (#777) was an absolute machine, shredding opposing packs all weekend, while Malou (#22) maintained elite consistency with crowd-pleasing apex jumps.

Stockholm’s Patience

Stockholm’s Party-O (#404), Juking (#3) & Slenderwoman (#530) led a deep rotation, but the team suffered from Period 2 fatigue. Smärtan (#20) was ever the tactician, patiently waiting for offensive setups.

Göteborg’s Brains

Fröken Fräken (#11) displayed top notch jammer IQ by riding the wake of opposing jammers to slip through packs, backed by a jammer rotation including Fred Finta (#1618) and Chips (#6). Prinsen (#3) showed out as a fantastic blocker and pivot.

Meadowbank Homecoming – Auld Reekie settle in

Our month actually concluded with a quick (750 mile total) trip to Edinburgh at the newly rebuilt Meadowbank Sports Centre. And boy is it pretty! So shiny, so new and so very accessible. We are impressed. Plus that floor looks like the wooden floor of all our dreams, somehow both grippy and fast.

We were also introduced to a Scottish Roller Derby tradition of getting a legendary Breakfast Burrito after the first morning game (the true fuel of champions that we genuinely missed

once we crossed back over the border), the atmosphere was electric in this fantastic state-of-the-art facility.

Ranking vs. Reality

Composure was rewarded at Meadowbank, where Madrid proved tactical discipline wins the day. But it’s London Brawl Saints who are rewarded with a 2 place move up the rankings.

Madrid Mini Margins

Madrid won two games by 10 points or fewer, highlighting their precision and game management. Dame Veneno (#92) posted a 20-point jam against ARRD and finished with 180 points. Pivot Angie (#81) anchored a line that utilised tactical star passes to mitigate fatigue and control the points damage.

Auld Reekie’s Return

Auld Reekie was the highest-scoring team of the weekend (479 points), including a 102-point blitz against Marseille in Period 2. Sasha de Buyl (#626) came in clutch, averaging 4.5 points per jam and using lead status to control the clock. Blacksmith (#275) also showed explosive bursts, combining with Sasha for 31 points in just two jams.

London Leads

Oblivion Newton-John (#999) set a punishing tempo for the Brawl Saints with 10 leads in 16 jams against Marseille. STRUGGLE (#2305) anchored rotations that secured a 165-148 victory over the hosts.

Marseille Moments

For Marseille, Pumba (#33) delivered the weekend’s highest scoring run with a spectacular 22-point jam, supported by the relentless pivots like Crazy Swann (#42) and Pâle Platine (#66), who were essential in escaping suffocating defenses.

Steady at the top

Despite a busy month of gameplay across 3 tournaments, the WFTDA Europe Top 30 remains remarkably stable. While February’s trilogy of tournaments offered plenty of on-track drama, the resulting shifts in the March 1st rankings were subtle rather than explosive. Most teams successfully defended their territory, leaving the leaderboard largely unchanged as we head toward the post-season.

The exceptions? London Brawl Saints and SAM Mérignac, both of whom managed to manufacture some upward momentum. Brawl Saints climbed two places to #27 following their performance in Edinburgh, while Mérignac’s weekend in Namur was rewarded with a two spot bump to #17. Elsewhere, consistency was the theme; despite a standout weekend, Lomme remains at #12, while Auld Reekie and Madrid All Stars held steady at #21 and #22 respectively.

On the losing end of the maths, Newcastle Roller Derby saw the only downward movement among the featured teams, slipping just one spot to #19. While these shifts are small, they serve as a reminder that with the snapshot approaching, even a single place move can impact your invite.

Beware the games of March

February’s results suggest that the European rankings have reached a point of relative equilibrium, with Helsinki firmly entrenched as a Top 10 force at #9. However, this stability is likely to be short-lived. March is packed with even more high-level sanctioned games that serve as the final gateway to the April 1st ranking snapshot.

The schedule is relentless. This weekend (Mar 7-8) Antwerp Roller Derby is set to host a massive triple-header featuring European heavyweights Crime City Rollers and Paris Allstars, a weekend that could see significant movement at the very top of the table. Simultaneously, Nantes will host West Track Story 11, a tournament boasting a who’s who of elite talent including Toulouse, Rainy City, and London Brawling.

March concludes with EuroClash 2026, hosted by Newcastle. As the final major fixture before the rankings freeze, EuroClash will feature a high-stakes lineup including Tiger Bay Brawlers, Lomme Roller Derby, Göteborg, and Bear City. For teams sitting just outside the top 12 for the European Championships in Namur, these March fixtures represent the final genuine opportunity to break the current deadlock. Keep your spreadsheets ready; the biggest hits of the season are yet to come.

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The Group of Death and the Road to Malmö: A Season of Mathematical Jeopardy

In the modern WFTDA era, the most brutal hits don’t always happen on the track, they can happen on a spreadsheet. As the April 1st ranking snapshot looms like a hydraulic blast door closing, the European Top 12 is no longer a safe haven. With the 2026 WFTDA World Championships set for October in Malmö, Sweden, the European Roller Derby landscape is escalating from strategic skirmishes to pitched battles.

This isn’t just another tournament; it is the first four-day World Championships and the first ever held in Europe.

But like all historic battles of Europe, you’re going to have to go through Belgium. Before any team can claim a spot on the world stage, their campaign must first survive the European Championships in Namur from June 12-14. This summer showdown is the final hurdle for World Championship qualification, and only the best will advance.

In a season where legacy powerhouses are being pushed by a new pack of fast, furious and tactically astute teams from France, Finland, and Spain, the coming months are fraught with jeopardy.

The Newcomers: Breaking into the Top 12

The 2025 year-end cycle saw four teams officially crash the elite party, fundamentally altering the ‘Hydra Hunt’.

Nantes Roller Derby (#6): ‘Comeback Kids’ of the year. After sliding as low as 15th, they staged the most aggressive climb of the year to secure a top-six spot.

Helsinki Roller Derby (#9): ‘The Workhorses’. They reclaimed their status as Finland’s #1 seed, playing 17 sanctioned games from mid 2024 to present.

Barcelona Roller Derby (#10): ‘Breakthrough team’. Finishing with a 9-3 record, they officially broke the ‘Continental Ceiling’ and proved they are a Top 10 threat.

SIDEBAR: What is the “Continental Ceiling”? In European rankings, the Continental Ceiling refers to the #11-#15 rank plateau where high-performing teams from outside the major power clusters (UK, France, and the Nordics) have historically stalled. Barcelona’s breakthrough proves that the Mediterranean and Central-mainland regions now have the infrastructure to dismantle the geographical monopoly of old.

Lomme Roller Derby (#12): ‘Life on the Edge’. By winning high-stakes bubble games against veterans like Stockholm, Lomme have put themselves at the apex of rankings drama. They’ve reached the hallowed Top 12; now they have to prove they can hold onto it.

The Spreadsheet Gamble

While Helsinki (#9) takes the ‘Workhorse’ approach to cement their status, Tiger Bay Brawlers (#8) could be playing a game of mathematical chicken. As of late January, their absence from the early-season schedule suggests a ‘protected asset’ strategy.

In the modern WFTDA algorithm, sometimes the best move is not to move at all. By staying off the track, Tiger Bay is betting that their current ranking cushion is deep enough to survive the spring scramble without risking a ‘bad loss’ that could tank their average.

It’s a reminder that the road to Malmö isn’t just won with physical hits. It’s managed with spreadsheets and risk-mitigation. (or they’ll announce a slew of scheduled games next week!)

The French Tactical Epicenter

France has officially become the new tactical heart of European derby. With Toulouse (#1), Paris AllStars (#4), Nantes (#6), and Lomme (#12) all in the Top 12, the ‘French Meta’ is no longer an outlier; it is the gold standard.

We saw this in action on Saturday, January 17th, during the French Elite Championship hosted by Lomme. In a highly anticipated rematch, Toulouse defeated Nantes 185–103. Nantes had the #1 rattled, living with them point for point for 45 minutes. And then, trailing by just 13 points with 14 minutes left, a critical jammer injury derailed Nantes and Toulouse showed no mercy.

ANALYST’S NOTE: The French Active Walls

  • Surgical Recycling: Rather than holding a block until it breaks, French walls recycle jammers out of bounds in a continuous loop.
  • Lateral Agility: Teams keep the wall floating to exploit WFTDA rules that penalise stationary pinning.
  • Defensive Resilience: This style allowed Nantes to stay within 13 points of European #1 Toulouse for the majority of their game.

Watch the Action: Make sure you’re following Lomme Roller Derby’s Twitch channel to get notifications next time they treat us to a livestream.

Dip into the archives to truly appreciate how far these teams have come. It is absolutely worth going back to watch the footage from Capitol Clash 3 & 4 in 2025.

These earlier encounters between Toulouse and Nantes provide a perfect before and after snapshot. In those games, you can see the seeds of the French tactical shift helping to solidify France as the dominant force in the year-end rankings.

It serves as a reminder that the current Top 12 didn’t just happen; it was built through brutal, high-level tournament play.

Group of Death: Hard Block Life

Sitting in the most agonising spot in sports is Göteborg Roller Derby (#13). Formed from the blockbuster 2025 merger of Dock City and GBGRD, they are the ominous spectre looming just outside the Top 12.

Carrying the championship pedigree of the former Continental Cup-winning Dock City squad, they are a consolidated powerhouse designed for one purpose: to disrupt the established European order. One big win in the coming months could see them swap places with Lomme or Stockholm. Securing that invite to playoffs would announce to the world; the merger worked.

The upcoming Hard Block Life tournament in Helsinki (February 21-22, 2026) will be the first true flashpoint of the season. This particular weekend at the Ruskeasuon liikuntahalli acts as the designated Group of Death, transforming individual struggles into a four-way mini-playoff between #9 Helsinki, #11 Stockholm, #12 Lomme, and #13 Göteborg.

What to Watch? ALL THE GAMES but especially these:

Lomme vs. Göteborg A: The Bubble Battle. This is the direct head-to-head between #12 & #13.

Helsinki A vs. Lomme: A clash of styles between French tactical control and Finnish workhorse endurance.

Helsinki A vs. Stockholm: Familiar Favourites hungry to reassert consistent Top 10 status, a derby in all senses.

The leadership at Göteborg (#13) is moving with a level of focused intent that their upcoming schedule clearly reflects. Currently the ‘odd man out’ in the Top 12 scramble, the Swedish powerhouse isn’t sweating the pressure of the #13 spot; they are focused on the mechanical precision required to dismantle it on the track in Helsinki.

This season marks a significant turning point for the club. When asked how their approach to Hard Block Life has evolved now that the merger is settled and a Top 12 spot is within reach, A-Team Captain World’s Okayest Skater pointed to a year of deep structural integration.

“With the merger now fully settled, our approach to Hard Block Life is different from previous years,” they explain. “The consolidation of DCR and GBGRD was necessary not only to secure a Gothenburg-based team competing at a high European level, but also to create long-term growth and depth within the club. Now, a little over a year in, we truly feel like one team and we’re ready to show Europe what that means on track.”

That unity has translated into a sharper tactical edge. Since they last competed at Hard Block Life (then as DCR), the team has prioritised high-speed adaptability and refined communication over the “new merger” growing pains of the past.

Göteborg A-Team Captain World’s Okayest Skater…

“We’ve added several new skaters and trained with a much sharper focus on the areas where we knew we needed to improve,” says World’s Okayest Skater. “We have been working on our strategies and improving our on-track communication. Now we’re able to make faster adjustments during play, and stay sharp when things get chaotic. Hard Block Life (and EuroClash later this spring) is our opportunity to put that work to the test.”

By grouping these closely ranked opponents, Helsinki serves as a mid-winter simulation of the European Championships. For the winners, it provides a vital rankings cushion; for the losers, a bad weekend could mean chasing a Top 12 ghost for the rest of the year. For Göteborg, however, the standard for the season is already set in stone: nothing less than a ticket to Belgium.

“Our goal is to give everything we have to push ourselves into a Euro Champs qualification position,” the Captain adds. “As for success this season: we know we are good enough to reach Namur. Qualifying for Euro Champs is the standard we hold ourselves to. Anything short of that would be a disappointment.”

The Marauder’s Long Game: #15-31

The intelligence coming from the front is cold and final: for the Mid-Tier Marauders (#15-31), the April 1st Snapshot is a blast door slamming shut. Mathematically, a Namur Deployment (European Champs) is out of reach, and by extension, so is the road to Malmö.

But there will be no retreat. Having the World Champs on the doorstep has electrified the theatre. These teams aren’t fighting for a seat at the table this year; they are fighting to ensure they are the ones leading the charge for the next campaign.

Skate Around 7: Establishing the Forward Operating Base

In Namur, the mission for the mid-tier has shifted from seizing an invite to operational longevity. Teams like Namur A (#15), Newcastle (#18), and SAM (#19) are using this tournament to prove that the Top 12 should be looking over their shoulders.

Architects of the Arena: For Namur (#15), hosting this tournament is about logistical supremacy. They are the builders of the fortress where the elite will eventually fight for their lives in June.

The Unstoppable Ascent

Newcastle (#18) enters the fray protecting a flawless 8-0 record. Unbeaten since November 2023, they aren’t looking for shortcuts; instead, they are leaning into a culture of consistency and a genuine love for the sport.

​Speaking with Euro Derby News, co-captains Machine and Helen Drew made it clear that being in the mix for a postseason spot is as much about being fans as it is about being competitors.

“Honestly, we’re massive derby nerds and huge fans of teams like Nothing Toulouse and Rainy City,” they say. “We can’t get enough of watching and cheering on other UK and European teams, so we’re chuffed to even be part of this conversation.”

​That conversation is the result of a steady climb, including a Five Nations Tier 1 title and breaking into the WFTDA European top 20. But the captains are realistic about the road ahead. “This ‘streak’ didn’t happen overnight, it’s down to showing up for each other week in, week out, and the support of our amazing league,” they explain.

​While the wins have built confidence, “who doesn’t love winning?!”, the focus is now on the “huge leap” required to hit the Top 12 by the April 1st snapshot.

To prepare for higher-ranked opponents at their upcoming EuroClash tournament, the team is digging into the psychological side of the sport. “We’re working on our mental game as well as physical… our team culture thrives on that challenge and supporting each other to meet our goals. We’re all in, and we’ll give getting to Playoffs our best shot.”

Subscribe now for our exclusive next week, where we reveal the teams heading to the ultimate cut-off destination – EuroClash 2026.

Homecoming: Reclaiming the home of Scottish derby

The Meadowbank Homecoming is more than a tournament. It’s a Caledonian signal fire. A reclaiming of a legendary theatre of athletic battles and grounding the next generation of Scottish skaters in their storied roots.

World Champs is the doorstep siren song Scottish derby needs. Even if teams like Madrid (#22), London Saints (#30), and Marseille (#31) aren’t boarding the bus to Sweden, they are showing those who will fill their ranks tomorrow how it’s done.

Because tomorrow is everything for these teams, focusing on future-proofing is key to growth. Both in rankings and recruitment.

Take Marseille’s defensive brilliance against Toulouse, holding the European #1 to under 250 points. They’ve drawn a blueprint for their own development. We’ll be watching these teams build the tactical nous and roster depth today so that by the time the next season begins, they are the new elite.

February Flashpoints & March Madness

Follow the Scramble

In this Snapshot Scramble, momentum is everything. Whether it’s legacy powerhouses defending safe ranking placement or bubble teams fighting for that last qualifying spot, the road to Malmö can’t be contemplated until Namur is survived.

As April 1st creeps closer, every jam carries the weight of a postseason dream.

This is a race to be part of history.

To stay updated on the latest shifts and tactical evolutions, subscribe to our Substack or visit us at euroderbynews.com

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London Stalling? 2025 WFTDA Season Review

As the dust settles on a transformative year, the European landscape is unrecognisable. The Old Guard has been challenged, the French ‘Tactical Meta’ has ascended, and the rankings reflect a continent that is no longer chasing the elite. It has become the elite.

While the global spectacle of the summer was captured in our previous feature, The Innsbruck Reflection: A 2025 Roller Derby World Cup retrospective,

The WFTDA sanctioned season tells a grittier, more technical story. If the World Cup was a celebration of heart, the 2025 competitive cycle was a clinical demonstration of its evolution.

The Sunset of an Empire

For over a decade, the narrative of European derby began and ended with London Brawling. For over 10 years, London Brawling was not just a Top 3 team in Europe, but frequently the undisputed #1.

2011-2012: London established themselves as the top non-US team, finishing as the 4th seed in the WFTDA East Region (which at the time was the highest level of competition available to European teams).

2013-2019: London became the first non-North American team to reach the WFTDA Championships. During this era, they consistently held the #1 European ranking and peaked at #3 in the World in 2015.

2023: Even as play resumed post-pandemic, London was ranked #1 in WFTDA Europe as recently as November 2023.

By the end of 2024 their narrative reached a volatile chapter, slipping out of the Top 3 and not qualifying for Champs. Data from the 2025 sanctioned window reveals the seatbelt light is still on. The turbulence isn’t over. London finished the year with a rare losing record (10-7 overall, but a staggering 4-4 in recent high-level sanctioned play), ending with a GPA of 221.14.

Once the immovable #1, London sits #5 in the European rankings. In a punch that could have been delivered by Anthony Joshua, a relentless Rainy City delivered a historic 283-63 defeat at the ‘Rainy Weekender’. The largest point differential loss in Brawling’s storied history.

If it sounds like doom and gloom in the English capital, fear not LRD fans; the future is already visible in the resilient performance of the London Brawl Saints (Peaked at #28 in Euro Rankings in Nov 2025 but holding in #30 currently). As the program’s B-team, Brawl Saints spent 2025 proving that London’s competitive pipeline remains flush with elite-level talent.

Competing in the Five Nations Tier 1 (WFTDA-aligned) division, Brawl Saints established themselves as a powerhouse in their own right, amassing a significant +441 point differential over the season. While they faced a tough 202-122 loss to the surging Newcastle Canny Belters, their ability to hang with top-tier A-teams suggests the gap between London’s rosters is narrowing.

With gritty international wins over Zurich (168-102) and a nail-biting 168-156 victory against Madrid A (Las Gatas), Brawl Saints are doing more than just winning, they are providing a battle-tested blueprint for the A-team’s rebuild. If Brawling is looking for the spark to reclaim their European Top 3 status, they likely won’t need to look further than their own practice floor.

2026: Rebuild, Reclaim and/or Revenge?

Channel Hopping: Precision Over Power

If 2025 had a definitive winner, it was the French system. The rise of Toulouse Roller Derby and the Paris AllStars is not an accident; it is the result of a highly structured national system that has perfected a new ‘Tactical Meta’.

You keep saying that…

Why do some teams suddenly seem unstoppable? It usually comes down to the ‘Tactical Meta’ – the secret sauce of the ‘Most Effective Tactics Available.’

It’s the game within the game, where strategy meets survival under the latest WFTDA rule changes.

The 2025 season marked a major extinction event for the old heavy wall. With new rules cracking down on pinning, the stationary ‘grind’ became a liability. The void was filled by the active wall – a meta (most effective tactic available) built on athletic discipline, rapid-fire recycling/reforming, and constant movement.

For the average fan, an ‘ascending meta’ means the sport is evolving in real-time. Smart teams aren’t just playing harder; they’ve figured out a superior way to play that makes traditional jamming look like a relic of the past. It’s why those Official Reviews feel so impassioned. They are the front lines of a tactical war. Treat yourself to a French A-team replay and watch the future of the sport move at a delicious, relentless speed.

Le Top 3

Nothing Toulouse – European #1: Finishing the season with an immaculate 13-0 record and a GPA of 393.62, Toulouse is the new gold standard. Their performance at the Capitol Clash tournaments (April and November) showcased a defensive style built on surgical recycling and agility that effectively neutralised the jamming styles of the previous era.

Paris AllStars (# 4 Europe): Paris became the season’s Giant Killers, securing two pivotal wins over London Brawling (June and November) and a victory over Crime City (November).

While the “Tactical Meta” has seen teams like Paris and Toulouse soar, perhaps the most impressive redemption arc belongs to Nantes Roller Derby (Les Duc.hesse.s). After a difficult stretch that saw them slide as low as 15th in the European rankings, Nantes spent 2025 staging a ferocious comeback that has officially returned them to the elite conversation at 6th in Europe.

Their resurgence was punctuated by a statement performance at Capitol Clash 4 in November, where they battled hard in narrow losses to Crime City (181-161) and held their own in a high-stakes clash with Toulouse. By leaning into the high-speed, lateral active wall strategy and showcasing a depth of jammer talent that few can match, Nantes has proven that their fall was merely a temporary setback. With a current GPA of 214.48, they are no longer just chasing the Top 5. They are breathing down their necks, officially signalling that France is ready pour en découdre.

Structure and Stability: The Five Nations

Beyond the elite tier, the architecture we discussed in “European Roller Derby Architecture” is bearing fruit. While France may have authored the new tactical rulebook, the UK proved it still has the raw power to produce its own statistical monsters.

This brings us to the Newcastle Canny Belters, the undisputed breakout stars of the Five Nations Tier 1. While the French teams were busy perfecting lateral movement, Newcastle was busy perfecting the art of the blowout. Finishing their WFTDA-aligned season with a 4-0 record and a staggering +516 point differential, the Canny Belters didn’t just win their tier; they dismantled it.

Their 100-point victory over London Brawl Saints served notice: whether you play the French active style or the classic British grind, Newcastle has the tools to shut it down. Newcastle is no longer a team to watch; they are a team to fear.

Ruthless and Resilient

While the French surged, Rainy City (Manchester) proved to be the only UK outfit capable of maintaining the pace. Finishing the year at #2 in Europe with a 388.97 GPA, they sit less than five points behind Toulouse. Their season was defined by a ruthless consistency, proving that their post-pandemic rebuild is complete and they are the primary challengers for the 2026 European crown.

All about Austria: Vienna’s 17-Game Ascent

Vienna’s “Oyster Marathon” was indeed one of the highest game volumes in Europe, but the data shows they were not just grinding for ranking points, they were actively trading wins with the continent’s best.

While they finished with an 11-6 record overall, their most significant tactical victory was actually a revenge match. After losing to Hard Breakers Prague early in the year, they returned in September for a double-header that saw them split results with the Czech powerhouse.

2025 Results: This 17-game marathon proved the Austrian scene has the athletic depth to sustain an elite-level schedule. By facing Namur A, Oulu, and Marseille within a three-week October window, Vienna proved they could manage roster burnout while maintaining a Top 20 pace.

The Prague Pivot: Perfection in the Shadows

The story of the Hard Breakers Prague (Pink Avalanche) is one of a mid-season correction that turned into a dominant tear across Europe.

Hard Breakers Prague actually finished the year with a 14-3 record (counting all regional play) or 7-1 in their most recent European sanctioned stretch. Their only major sanctioned blemishes were a narrow 2-point loss to Rotterdam (161-163) at the Harbour Cup and an early-season loss to Vienna.

The Streak: Following the Rotterdam loss in June, Hard Breakers went on a 9-game winning streak that included their clean sweep of the November Triple Header.

The Numerical Surge: Their dominance was solidified in late November when they dismantled Zurich (154-120) and Wiltshire (152-69) on the same day. These wins propelled them to a peak regional ranking of #28 in Europe, which they currently maintain.

2025 Stat Wrap:

  • The Workhorse Award (Most Games): Helsinki Roller Derby (19 sanctioned games)

  • Highest Season Win Streak: Hard Breakers Prague (9-game undefeated streak to end the year)

  • Largest Point Differential (UK Tier 1): Newcastle (+516 differential across a 4-0 season)

  • The Giant Killer Award: Paris AllStars (The only team to defeat both London Brawling twice and Crime City in 2025)

The Road to Namur: Who Survived the Winter?

As we turn the page to 2026, the European rankings are no longer a static list. They are a living, breathing beast to be managed. All eyes are now fixed on the April 1st snapshot, the critical deadline that will determine the seeding for the WFTDA European Championships in Namur.

With the French ‘Meta’ fully integrated and the UK powerhouses like Rainy City and Newcastle looking to reclaim their territory, the first quarter of 2026 is effectively a three-month sprint for survival. Can London Brawling claw their way back into the Top 3? Will Nantes continue their meteoric rise onto the podium? Or will #13 Göteborg stage a bubble-bursting upset to steal a last-minute ticket to Belgium?

We have entered the era of the European Battle Royale, where historical legacy counts for nothing and current form is everything. History is being written on our continent right now.

The question is: Will you be in Namur to see who’s left standing?

Subscribe now here – https://euroderbynews.substack.com/ and be the first to read our next article, where we track the “Snapshot Scramble” – the games that will define the 2026 post-season.