ROLLER derby fanatic Vicki Powell hopes to one day compete in her beloved sport at the Olympics.

Bury player Powell, who competes under the moniker "Nyte Owl", says roller derby has exploded in the UK after crossing the pond from America.

Her team, Manchester Roller Derby, are to host a showcase event in Bury next month, bringing the sport to the Castle Leisure Centre for the first time.

Roller derby is a full-contact sport consisting of teams of five skating around an oval-shaped track, with the aim of stopping the opposition’s points scorer, called "The Jammer", from passing them to score points. Pushing and shoving is encouraged.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity for the people of Bury to come and experience the fast-paced thrills of roller derby in the very sports hall I learned to roller skate over 30 years ago,” said Powell.

“It’s really exploded. When I started playing six years ago there were around 35 teams. Now there’s 100s. Most cities have a team.

"The aim is to get the sport on TV, and push for it to be in the Olympics.”

The Bury showcase event will take place next Sunday, December 11, and will feature Manchester’s men’s team "Chaos Engine" against Wirral’s "Pack Animals", while Manchester’s women's team "Furies" will face "Roller Derby Leicester".

Roller derby was made famous by the 2009 Drew Barrymore film Whip It and has traditionally been seen as a women’s sport, but more and more men are starting to take part, with Manchester running two men’s teams.

“We’ve had the ‘New York Shock Exchange’, one of the top teams in America, come over and play our men’s team the ‘New Wheeled Order’," added Powell.

The Castle Leisure Centre showcase will start at 1.30pm, with tickets costing £7 in advance from www.manchesterrollerderby.com or £9 on the door.