The Great Southern Slam (TGSS) is the largest competitive roller derby event in the world,[1] contested by teams from New Zealand and Australia.[1] It is held bienially in Adelaide in South Australia. TGSS was created and continues to be both hosted and run by volunteers from Adelaide Roller Derby.[2] Initially held in 2010, it was the first flat track roller derby tournament to be held in the southern hemisphere.[3]

Great Southern Slam
2010–present
Tournament information
LocationAdelaide
Month playedJune
Established2010
FormatGroup stage, knockout
Websitegreatsouthernslam.com.au
Current champion
Victorian Roller Derby League

Format

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The first round of the tournament sees teams divided into groups, which play on a round robin basis. Each group includes one of the most experienced teams from Australia or New Zealand, a middle-ranking team, and one less experienced team. The group winners and other teams with the highest point difference qualify for the quarter-finals, and the tournament then continues on a knockout basis.[3][4] The 2012 tournament introduced additional bouts between twelve other teams, and some themed bouts with mixed teams, but these were separate from the main competition.[3]

2010 tournament

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The 2010 tournament included fifteen teams. Geelong and Ballarat formed a joint team, while Team Pot Luck included skaters from a number of otherwise unrepresented leagues.[4] More than five hundred skaters were involved in the event.[5]


Round one
Pool Result
A Adelaide 165 42 Canberra
A Canberra 137 63 Van Diemen
A Adelaide 147 35 Van Diemen
B Northern Brisbane 22 134 Victorian
B Newcastle 45 155 Northern Brisbane
B Newcastle 18 185 Victorian
C Sun State 178 16 Wollongong
C Townsville 91 81 Wollongong
C Sun State 168 7 Townsville
D Pirate City 145 30 Sydney
D Sydney 166 31 Western Australia
D Pirate City 197 25 Western Australia
E Geelong-Ballarat 148 80 Perth
E Perth 136 85 Pot Luck
E Geelong-Ballarat 94 60 Pot Luck
Quarter finals
Adelaide 152 102 Geelong-Ballarat
Northern Brisbane 28 184 Sun State
Sydney 19 234 Victorian
Perth 51 207 Pirate City
Semi finals
Adelaide 60 124 Sun State
Pirate City 69 94 Victorian
Third place play-off
Adelaide 93 89 Pirate City
Final
Sun State 99 117 Victorian

2012 tournament

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The 2012 tournament was held from 9–11 June.[6] It expanded to eighteen teams, divided into six groups for the first round.[3]

Round one
Group Result
A Auckland 66 202 Victorian
A Auckland 107 89 Newcastle
A Newcastle 51 233 Victorian
B Geelong 62 131 Sun State
B Geelong 96 110 South Sea
B South Sea 13 193 Sun State
C Adelaide 125 72 Brisbane City
C Brisbane City 180 78 Western Australia
C Adelaide 118 78 Western Australia
D Northern Brisbane 126 42 Pirate City
D Northern Brisbane 229 35 Wollongong
D Pirate City 168 103 Wollongong
E Canberra 124 98 Perth
E Gold Coast 130 125 Perth
E Canberra 199 75 Gold Coast
F Ballarat 79 155 Sydney
F Ballarat 84 98 Convict City
F Convict City 31 177 Sydney
Quarter finals
Canberra 53 310 Victorian
Adelaide 173 139 Brisbane City
Northern Brisbane 180 103 Pirate City
Sydney 54 195 Sun State
Semi finals
Adelaide 75 361 Victorian
Northern Brisbane 110 159 Sun State
Third place play-off
Adelaide 119 217 Northern Brisbane
Final
Sun State 115 198 Victorian

2014 Tournament

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The 2014 TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showgrounds on 7-9 June 2014. The tournament was expanded again to 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand, playing in two divisions.

Division 1 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 Victorian 352 71 Sydney
Semi-final 2 Sun State 176 100 Vice City
3rd place play-off Sydney 137 175 Vice City
Grand Final Victorian 197 168 Sun State
Division 2 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 Western Sydney 192 240 South Side
Semi-final 2 Wollongong Illawara 106 301 Reef City
3rd place play-off Western Sydney 185 162 Wollongong Illawara
Grand Final South Side 140 225 Reef City

2016 Tournament

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The 2016 TGSS was held from 11-13 June, with 45 teams again playing in two divisions.[7]

Division 1
Pool Result
1 Reef City 12 764 Victorian
1 Reef City 204 125 Dragon City
1 Victorian 921 2 Dragon City
2 Sun State 409 69 South Sea
2 Sun State 422 59 Coastal Assassins
2 South Sea 286 152 Coastal Assassins
3 Sydney 267 106 Geelong
3 Geelong 151 153 Northside
3 Sydney 391 40 Northside
4 Perth 378 41 Varsity
4 Varsity 187 160 Northern Brisbane
4 Perth 352 66 Northern Brisbane
5 Canberra 459 29 Ballarat
5 Ballarat 90 239 Convict City
5 Canberra 527 61 Convict City
6 Adelaide 227 127 Western Australia
6 Western Australia 334 121 Whakatane
6 Adelaide 382 80 Whakatane
7 Brisbane City 367 67 The Bay Rollers
7 The Bay Rollers 159 213 Newcastle
7 Brisbane City 260 94 Newcastle
Division 1 Finals
Bout Result
Quarter-final 1 Sun State 366 87 Brisbane City
Quarter-final 2 Perth 84 204 Canberra
Quarter-final 3 Victorian 708 16 Western Australia
Quarter-final 4 Sydney 205 103 Adelaide
Semi-final 1 Sun State 128 146 Sydney
Semi-final 2 Victorian 471 18 Canberra
3rd place play-off Canberra 103 217 Sun State
Grand Final Victorian 561 15 Sydney
Division 2 Finals
Bout Result
Semi-final 1 West Side 134 146 Devil State
Semi-final 2 Diamond Valley 160 140 Inner West
3rd place play-off West Side 142 105 Inner West
Grand Final Devil State 66 234 Diamond Valley

2018 Tournament

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The 2018 TGSS was held from 9-11 June, with 48 teams competing over three divisions. 2018 was the first year that a third division was added.

Finals Results
Division Team Score Team Score
1 Canberra Roller Derby 185 Victorian Roller Derby (B) 138
2 Victoria Roller Derby League (C) 205 Brisbane City Rollers 138
3 Westside Derby Dolls 137 South Sea Roller Derby 113

2020 Tournament

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TGSS was planned to be held in 2020 from 6-8 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

2022 Tournament

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In 2022 TGSS was held from 11-13 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds. 30 teams competed across three divisions.[8] It was the first roller derby tournament to be held globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Division Team Score Team Score
1 Victoria Roller Derby League (A) 248 Adelaide Roller Derby (A) 66
2 Convict City Rollers 196 WestSide Roller Derby 101
3 Light City Derby 251 Nerdy Dragons 50

2024 Tournament

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2024's TGSS was held at the Adelaide Showground and included 45 teams from Australia and New Zealand playing across 65 games over three divisions. Three additional challenge bouts were also played.

For the first time ever TGSS doubled as the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships, which meant that the first and second place winners of Division 1 will earned a place in the 2024 WFTDA World Championships to be held in Portland, Oregon. Victorian Roller Derby and Adelaide Roller Derby were the first and second placed teams for the WFTDA Oceania Regional Championships.

Division Team Score Team Score
1 Victoria Roller Derby League (A) 302 Adelaide Roller Derby (A) 79
2 Brisbane City Rollers 166 WestSide Roller Derby 142
3 Kingston City Rollers 171 Dragon City Roller Derby 100

References

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  1. ^ a b "SupaNovas join the BattleStars on wheels". The Northern Star. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  2. ^ "» Contacts - The Great Southern Slam". greatsouthernslam.com.au. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Beck Wise, "Feature Preview: The Great Southern Slam Archived 10 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine", Derby News Network, 8 June 2012
  4. ^ a b Beck Wise, "Tournament Recap: The Great Southern Slam Archived 11 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine", Derby News Network, 23 June 2010
  5. ^ Kirsty Bennett, "Behind the news", ABC News, 22 June 2010
  6. ^ Emily Altschwager, "Gloss put on a real sport", Eastern Courier, 8 April 2012
  7. ^ Gage, Nicola (11 June 2016). "Great Southern Slam rolls into action as roller derby begins". ABC News. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Participating Leagues". The Great Southern Slam. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
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