As our Sisters of Mersey gear up for their first home game of the year – against Belfast Roller Derby – we caught up with kick-ass Canadian and power-pivot Grace Bones to find out how the team has been preparing…

How have you found this year’s Champs so far?

“It came as a bit of a surprise to be promoted to Tier 2 and it’s going to be a challenging season. Last year was certainly not easy, but I think a lot of us have realised that we really need to up our game, especially in terms of commitment to fitness and cross-training, to compete at a higher level.”

The first Champs game against Birmingham was a tough one! What do you think the team has learned from that game that it can bring into the next one against Belfast?

“Birmingham is such a good team, I personally had a great time being battered by them! Starting the Champs season against them reminded me what it’s like to be the underdog, and how important it is to channel any frustration I start to feel on the track into something useful and controlled, as opposed to losing my cool and acting out of desperation. We are a resilient bunch, and I think we will go into our Belfast game feeling confident.”

What are your hopes and goals for Sisters of Mersey this year – what do you want the team to have achieved by the end of the season?

“As always, I just want everyone to have a good time, learn from any mistakes, and continue to grow better and better as a team. We’ve really worked hard to refine our strategy the past few years and our showing in last year’s tournament really did reflect that hard work.”

And finally…any weird or wonderful top tips for preparing for a big game?

“I don’t really have any pre-game rituals, aside from as many hours of sleep and as much water as I can manage the day before. I also like to make sure my uniform is all nice and folded up the night before. Then I sacrifice a goat, consume its beating heart** and facetime with my Mom in Canada so she can say nice things about me, and remind that its ok if I fall down a lot, which I do!”

Don’t miss Grace and the rest of the team on Saturday 23 April at Greenbank Sports Academy from 2pm, tickets are on sale now.

Plus, you can join us for a well-earned beverage at Evil Eye Burrito Shack afterwards!

(** We THINK Grace is ‘kidding’! Disclaimer: No goats were harmed in the making of this blog post.)