WFTDA adds four new leagues, including two in South America

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association added four new member leagues on June 30, bringing Banzai Roller Derby in Berazategui, Argentina, Colorado Legacy Roller Derby in Fort Collins, Colorado, Radical Derby in Medellín, Colombia, and Root River Rollers in Racine, Wisconsin, into its competitive and governance structure.

That membership is far more than a name on a roster. For each league, WFTDA status opens the door to sanctioned play, rankings access, tournament eligibility, voting rights in leadership elections and other organizational decisions, and a seat in the process that shapes the sport’s direction. It gives local programs a formal path from homegrown momentum to the structure that governs women’s flat track roller derby at the highest level.

The geographic spread of the new class says as much about the sport’s map in 2026 as it does about the four leagues themselves. Two of the new members are based in the United States, but Banzai Roller Derby and Radical Derby extend WFTDA’s footprint deeper into South America, where derby has kept building competitive depth and regional identity. With clubs in Argentina and Colombia now inside the membership pipeline, the organization’s growth is no longer confined to its traditional North American core.

For the leagues, the practical payoff begins immediately. Sanctioned play and rankings access can help clubs measure themselves against a wider field, build credibility with recruits and opponents, and create clearer pathways toward postseason relevance. Voting rights add another layer, giving new members a voice in the rules, elections and decisions that guide the association. In a sport where recognition and scheduling matter almost as much as results, the move gives all four leagues a firmer place in the structure that determines who gets seen, who gets ranked and who gets a route into major events.

The announcement also highlights how WFTDA is still expanding through local strength rather than top-down expansion alone. Banzai Roller Derby, Colorado Legacy Roller Derby, Radical Derby and Root River Rollers each arrive with their own regional followings, and now those followings connect to a broader network that turns local leagues into part of a larger competitive ecosystem.