British Curling’s Team Morrison make their top tier Grand Slam debut this week buoyed by the confidence generated from consistent performances on Canadian ice this season.
Aberdonian Rebecca Morrison, Gina Aitken, Jen Dodds, Sophie Sinclair and Sophie Jackson form part of a record number of British Curling teams contesting this week’s HearingLife Tour Challenge.
A total of 64 teams will take to the ice at the Niagara Falls GSOC event, split across two tiers with the top world ranked rinks featuring in Tier 1 and the next in Tier 2.
While three teams from the Olympic programme will compete in the men’s event, Team Morrison fly the Scottish and British flag alone in the women’s event.
They do so on the back of an event which saw them defeat both the reigning world champions, Switzerland’s Team Tirinzoni and European champions, Denmark’s Team Dupont.
In four events in Canada this season Team Morrison have reached two finals and a semi-final before winning all five of their group matches on their way to the play-offs at The Player’s Open last week.
Rebecca Morrison: ‘It is great that we are represented in both the women’s and men’s’ Grand Slams
Skip Morrison said: “At last week’s Players Open it was good to tick off so many wins against great teams and that really filled us with confidence.
“After last season we are now where we want to be and it feels like we are putting our name on the map this year and there is definitely a growing awareness now of what the Scottish teams are capable of.
“Scotland has always been a great curling nation, so it is great that we are represented in both the women’s and men’s Slams.
“There is definitely a growing presence of teams from around the world getting to the Slams now, it is not so Canadian dominated and overall I guess it shows how much the sport is becoming a global game, which is good for all of us.
“We now feel ready and excited about the week ahead, we want to make the play-offs and we have big goals.
“We know we have the ability to beat anyone out there, so we are feeling really optimistic and excited about playing in our first Slam together.”
