Betties Host National Champions

Swift Current's Redneck Betties are ready for their biggest challenge yet.

The local roller derby squad is hosting the national champion Saskatoon MindFox on Saturday.

"It's the biggest game and we are very pumped for this," said Betties Captain Smash Vegas. "We've been studying their strategy, video of old games... and developing some defence against their strategy. We're ready to chew them up and spit them out."

The Betties actually worked with a coach who has helped the MindFox and Vegas noted they've received some inside information and goals to work towards.

Smash Vegas Interview"Our conditioning is way better than theirs," Vegas said. "They practice a lot but I would say the intensity of our workouts are way more than theirs. We're going to shut down their jammers. They leave their jammer out cold so she doesn't have any help from their blockers. We are going to concentrate on that, wear them down, hit a lot, knock them out of bounds a lot."

Work ethic may also impact the final result on Saturday.

"I've seen them play and they're lazy," Vegas said. "We're not."

Despite the trash talking, Vegas was respectful of how big a challenge this is for them.

"Even just to play them and to compete with them is enough for us," she noted. "Obviously a win would be massive."

The Betties are 1-1 so far this season after a tough recent loss in Calgary.

They have been promoting this bout by encouraging their fans and supporters to send pictures of them "phoning" in their support with banana phones. You can see that on their Facebook page.

The bout with Saskatoon goes Saturday night at the Credit Union iPlex. Tickets are available at Empire or Elmwood Grocery.