The big freeze has been and gone. All that maths is finally over, and the invitations to the 2026 WFTDA European Championships in Namur have been sent. Between now and the first whistle on 12 June, we are going to be shining a spotlight on the incredible Euro Derby Dozen who will be descending on Belgium. In absolutely no particular order, this series will break down the strategies, the identities, and the unsung heroes of Europe’s elite, hearing from the skaters themselves.
To kick things off, it felt only right to start with a roster that is synonymous with postseason chaos. When we think of a bracket challenge, we immediately think of Antwerp Roller Derby in 2019, stepping onto the track at the Continental Cup and blowing out 95% of the community’s brackets in the very first hour of the very first day. We were there for that serious 9am wake-up call in Helsinki! So…if anyone knows how to shatter expectations on the big stage, it’s Antwerp One Love.
While a 5 game losing streak might rattle some rosters, Antwerp has spent the spring willingly throwing themselves at Europe’s absolute top teams. They aren’t sweating the WFTDA maths, point differentials, and bubble battles, Antwerp has been playing the long game.
Here’s the essential intel on Belgium’s bracket-breakers:
Home City: Antwerp, Belgium
Euro Seed: #7
Sanctioned Form: L – L – L – L – L
(Note: Only higher ranked opponents)
Team Colours: Black and Pink
Vibe: “One Heart, One Team, One Love”
Instagram: @antwerp.rollerderby
Strategy: Depth over Desperation
Antwerp played the WFTDA rankings game with clinical precision this season. Instead of scrambling for incremental ranking bumps, they recognised their safety early on and chose the hardest path possible to forge an unbreakable roster.
“We have some real smarty pants on the team who know all about rankings and GPAs, so we have known for almost a year that our invitation to the post-season was safe and almost impossible to change.”
Facing the reality of the WFTDA algorithm, they noted, “We can’t even climb the rankings unless we go out for 4 to 1 score ratios at every game.” So, what’s a team to do in that situation? Plot yourselves a brutal, intentional gauntlet, of course!
“Instead, we decided the best thing to do was to use this time to develop our roster as deep as possible. We have played nothing but teams in the top 6 this entire time to achieve that goal.”
This means the team arriving in Namur is battle-tested from top to bottom.
“We may have some clear bright lights on our team, but we have ensured that no matter how deep we go in our roster, every single one of us is capable of shining.”
Photo Credit: Marije
Proof is in the Pack
If you want to see exactly how committed they are to this strategy, you only need to look at their late-season schedule. Following an incredible showing at the Super Seven weekend against European heavyweights Crime City and Paris, Antwerp took their roadshow across the Channel to Manchester.
On 19 April, with the ranking freeze already in the rearview mirror and their Namur spot secure, they didn’t coast or rest up. Instead, they squared up against two of the UK’s most formidable rosters in sanctioned WFTDA play.
Taking on both London Brawling (85-191) and the powerhouse that is Rainy City (59-265) in a single day is a test most teams would actively avoid once the maths is done. But for Antwerp, going toe-to-toe with the #1 and #6 was never about the final score; it’s all a testing ground to ensure their deep roster is ready and fully prepared for Namur.
Photo Credit: samantha.creates.stuff
Identity: Tactical Evolution
Antwerp’s signature strength is their impressive adaptability and collective derby brain. They have explicitly shifted their focus away from just physical dominance.
“ARD is all about evolving in ways that go beyond the gym or the track.”
Their secret weapon heading into Championships is their analytical prowess.
“We have been working more on our intangibles this last year than ever before. All of our skaters are experts in opponent analysis, execution of a long list of different strategies, and finding that slight tweak that will help the entire team succeed as a group.”
On top of that tactical edge, ARD is anchored by a massive structural upgrade on the sidelines.
“You’ll also find that One Love finally has a dedicated Bench Crew. Our bench coach has their own strengths in analysis and strategy creation and is also one of our trainers.”
To execute this seamlessly on the track, they rely on super unique auditory cues:
“Dark Pistol’s voice singing ‘Continue’ and ‘CawCaw’ cuts through all the other noise without being aggressive.”
Unsung Hero: Rose Well
If you are looking for a skater to fear on the track, keep your eyes peeled… if you can.
“Don’t sleep on Rose Well. Rose is fast and a great communicator, darts back and forth between offence and defence, and is a real threat when she takes the star. People don’t seem to mention her, but it’s probably because they can’t see her; she’s so FAST!”
Photo Credit: samantha.creates.stuff
Namur Forecast
Antwerp isn’t interested in playing favourites or predicting matchups; they are bringing a terrifying focus to the tournament.
“We love absolutely everyone, but we are 100% focused on being the team giving you the games you want to see.”
They leave the WFTDA community with one final, chilling reminder for anyone doubting their seeding:
“We know that we are up against some pretty big odds. But we would like to remind you that we have broken brackets before and we are ready to do it again.”
Think you can predict the chaos?
Speaking of breaking brackets, the Euro Derby News Prediction Hub is officially open for business! We’ve partnered with Challonge to bring you an ad-free platform to test your derby knowledge against the rest of the community.
Because we love the chaos, we’ve opened the entire post-season slate at once. You can lock in your picks for every bracket right now, but don’t wait too long – brackets lock automatically the moment the first jam of Game 1 starts.
Will you bet on the heavy favourites, or will you bank on teams like Antwerp to detonate the bracket once again?
ENTER THE EDN PREDICTION HUB HERE
Final note – Our new home
You may have noticed things look a little different around here. We have officially made the move away from Substack for two very simple reasons.
Firstly, in the whirlwind of the derby season, it’s one less platform for our small team to manage, allowing us to focus entirely on the coverage you care about. Secondly, we believe in being intentional about where we host our community; while many digital platforms have their pitfalls, some are “necessary evils” we have to endure to stay connected – but others can be avoided. We’ve chosen to avoid this one, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going here on our own terms.
For our current subscribers, rest assured that you have all been safely migrated to this new space, with all personal data protected in full compliance with GDPR requirements. Moving forward, our email list will remain the very first place to get the news, followed by highlights on Instagram, and finally a full release on the website.
Thanks for sticking with us as we grow!