27 June 2025 Lincoln Tutor to represent NZ at Roller Derby World Cup

Over a decade ago, Sarah Gingrich watched the first-ever Roller Derby World Cup from the crowd. Next week she’ll be skating in it, representing Aotearoa New Zealand on the world stage.

Sarah is an English for Academic Purpose tutor here at Lincoln, preparing students to succeed in further study at all levels.

She’s one of just three skaters from Christchurch selected for the national squad. 

She’ll hit the track as a jammer, the position responsible for scoring points by passing the opposing blockers and completing laps around the track. 

The 2025 Roller Derby World Cup takes place in Innsbruck, Austria, from 3 - 6 July.

Sarah is especially keen to play teams from completely different backgrounds, with 48 teams competing from around the globe.

“We’ve only ever played Australian teams so seeing the diversity of playing styles and cultures will be an amazing experience.”

She discovered derby in 2010, watched it for three years, then signed herself up. 

Playing for the local league, the Dead End Derby, Sarah trains three times a week outside of work. Preparation for the World Cup had her travelling the country over weekends and helpfully slipping in training at the Lincoln Uni gym. 

Sarah loves how fast and fun the game is, and how completely absorbing it becomes once the whistle blows.

“You can be physical and playful with your friends and teammates in a way that you can't in other sports. It’s fast paced and full contact, so when you're playing you can't think about anything else but what's happening in the moment.”

The community around derby has also kept her coming back.

“There are so many awesome, friendly, and hilarious people who are involved in derby and I have so many amazing memories and experiences with these people in and outside of derby.”

Her derby name, Iona Shotgun, is a pun on “I own a shotgun”, part of a long-standing tradition of players acquiring derby names, often a pun or funny play on a person’s name or tough alter ego. 

If you haven’t seen roller derby before, Sarah recommends starting with a quick rules video, then heading along to a local match.

“I think why I really enjoyed watching it was because of the amazing skate skills, tenacity, and strength of the skaters. I loved seeing the big hits and the big jumps and agility of the skaters.

“if you find it amazing like I did back in 2010, you can learn to skate and start your own roller derby journey.”

Best of luck to Sarah and the team! You can follow the action via the team's social media, @teamnzrollerderby