An American sporting craze is sweeping across Britain – and the women of the Central Belt are signing up in droves.

But it’s not basketball, baseball or American football at the centre of attention. Instead, it is the country’s roller derby scene which is taking off, bringing with it a host of hard-hitting crashes and entertaining pseudonyms.

Roller derby arrived in Scotland in 2008 with the formation of Edinburgh’s Auld Reekie Roller Girls (ARRG), and both Glasgow and Aberdeen followed suit with teams of their own.

Three years later, the sport finally came to the Forth Valley.

Fierce Valley Roller Girls train and play at Grangemouth Sports Complex three times a week, with regular matches against other teams from around the UK.

Stirling News went along to a training session to see what the fuss was about.

Skater Jo (Hey Ho Let’s Jo) explained: “It’s definitely a growing sport, I think people get more and more interested the more they hear about it. The scene is fast-growing.” Her team-mate Nicky (Gotham Nicky) agreed: “Glasgow and Edinburgh are fourth and fifth in Europe right now, which shows Scotland is doing pretty well. We’re pretty tough girls.” Fiona McCartney (Lady Feerocious) from the league’s design and PR committee added: “I think the fact that guys now want to get involved shows how much the sport has grown. It’s fast-growing enough to get their attention.” Men’s teams and events are now appearing alongside their female counterparts, and the growth of the male version of the sport is such that the first world cup was held in 2014.

Membership is at an all-time high, but behind the scenes the work to bring new faces in continues.

Fiona explains: “We now have three sessions a week; beginners and intermediates, advanced and team skaters. But we’re constantly working on bringing new people in and giving them opportunities to play either for the team or in inter-league events.

“We often split up into internal teams and play against each other, which gives everybody a chance to play. We’re having three of those this year, and we’ve got even more people who are coming in wanting to play.” It is clear to see why those who get involved in roller derby continue to come back, with a friendly atmosphere an advantage few other sports can claim to enjoy.

Skater Mhairi (Camelon Diaz), also a member of the league’s PR committee, noted: “I got involved through good friends who kept talking about it. They joined early on and I resisted it for as long as possible because I thought it wasn’t for me, but I finally gave in and here I am three years later.” Jo added: “It’s great that you don’t need to be an elite athlete to fit in. It’s a lovely inclusive atmosphere and a lovely group of ladies who take part. It’s great for somebody who wants to find a new hobby or meet new friends.” Fierce Valley Roller Girls’ next home game takes place on 3 May. You can find out more about the team at www.fvrg.co.uk, or search ‘Fierce Valley Roller Girls’ on Facebook.