About the Concussion
The Concussion played its first bout in December of 2010. In February 2012, the Concussion Roller Derby (CRD, formerly Lane County Concussion) was accepted into the Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA), the international governing body of men’s flat track roller derby. Since then, the Concussion have played teams from as far away as England and Australia.
Who are the Concussion
The Concussion is made up of the best in our league: the players of MRDA roller derby in Oregon. This team competes in both sanctioned and non-sanctioned MRDA bouts. Sanctioned MRDA bouts are essentially the bouts that count toward CRD’s world ranking. For the current rankings, you can visit the MRDA website. Non-sanctioned MRDA bouts are generally used to sharpen the skills of the travel team as well as our competitors. These bouts are by no means less intense.
To make the roster of the Concussion, there are a variety of criteria CRD skaters must meet. They must regularly attend CRD practices. They must live up to the CRD and MRDA codes of conduct, including showing respect, sportsmanship, honesty, and dignity for fellow players, opposing players, trainers, and coaches. Finally, they must be ready to have a good time and leave it all on the track!
When and Where Does the Concussion Play?
Due to the current structure of men’s roller derby in Oregon, there is no set season, like what you see in other sports. In its history, the Concussion has played at all times of the year.
In CRD’s history, the Concussion has played throughout Oregon as well as Washington, California, Utah, and Colorado. The travel team has played teams from London, England; Mexico; Canada; Phoenix; Des Moines, Iowa; Texas; Australia; and just about every place in between.
In 2023, we ramped up our competitive level to the highest level available, and were invited to compete in the 2023 MRDA Western Hemisphere cup. Again in 2024, we were ranked 5th in the MRDA North America and were invited to the 2024 MRDA Championships in Newcastle, UK. We were knocked out by the host league, Tyne and Fear, just short of the semifinals. Currently, as of writing 1/1/2025, our travel team are ranked 6th overall in the MRDA.
Concussion skaters are not paid. In fact, they have to pay their own way. Though many of the costs are offset through sponsorship and fundraisers, there is still always an out-of-pocket cost associated with playing men’s roller derby. If you are interested in becoming one of our valued sponsors, please contact us.
What Is the Men’s Roller Derby Association?
MRDA exists to further the sport of men’s flat track roller derby throughout the world. The goal of all travel teams within MRDA is to qualify for the playoffs held in October of each year. To qualify, teams must play at least five sanctioned bouts since the previous year’s playoffs, and they must finish in the top eight of the rankings, which are decided upon by an elected committee. The CRD travel team has yet to qualify for the playoffs.