ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the complexities of labelling this new' women's sport subcultural'. As a sport', tension exists between views of roller derby as explicitly related to the mainstream sport as a site of health, fitness and social capital' versus the subcultural ethos identified by many of its enthusiasts. Roller derby is one practice that has been labelled subcultural' in recent times. A contact sport played almost exclusively by women, roller derby is a highly skilled game played in most Western countries. The concept of subculture is widely used, but there have been many others such as club cultures', lifestyle', scenes', neo-tribes' and post-subcultures'. The majority of roller derby organisations is predominantly female-run, and is set up like most other sports, as incorporated associations under the Incorporations Act of each Australian state and territory. In the United States, there are several versions' of roller derby, each vying for authority to claim the status of the real' roller derby.
