This explosive mix attracted more than 1000 vocal fans to the University of Wollongong's Sports Hub on Saturday night for the first inter-city roller derby to be held in decades.

To their delight, the Steel City Derby Dolls bashed and barged their way to a 175-127 victory over the Newcastle Dockyard Dames in a best-of-three series.

"We hoped that about 500 people might turn up, but we were gobsmacked when stadium officials were forced to turn people away before the contest got underway," Steel City Derby Dolls trainer Kim Gallagher said yesterday.

"The crowd really got involved and there were plenty of big hits.

"And there will be lots of bruises and sore muscles today, especially with the Newcastle girls."

Billed as "the Meltdown", Wollongong travel to Newcastle next month but Ms Gallagher hopes the third game, at the Sports Hub on May 15, will be the series decider.

"This contest brings new meaning to 'bringing back the biff'," she said.

"If Saturday night's crowd enthusiasm is any guide, it could herald a popular comeback for roller derby, which originated in the United States in the 1920s and became popular television viewing in Australia in the 1960s and '70s.

"In June, Adelaide will host the first national championship and here in NSW we are trying to build a round robin tournament with teams already established here, in the ACT, Central Coast, Wagga and Western Sydney," Ms Gallagher said.

She would like people to see the girls who make up the Roller Derby teams as athletes rather than entertainers.

"There is a great deal of skill involved and we train very hard," the former junior roller skating champion said.