Scottish Mixed Doubles Draw

If you were planning to do your Christmas shopping on December 21-23, then perhaps you should reconsider. That's the weekend that the Murrayfield rink will host the playdowns to find the pair who will represent Scotland at the first World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, set for Vierumaki, Finland, next March.

Curling Today has talked about Mixed Doubles before, here.

The Royal Club has received twenty-four entries for the Mixed Doubles Championship, from twelve different rinks, and the draw was sent out yesterday. The teams will play in four sections of six, with two to qualify from each for quarterfinals on Sunday, December 23. The winning team will represent Scotland at the world event.

So who are the favourites? Well, there are a lot of interesting pairs out in the draw, for example, former world junior champion David Aitken with his daughter Tasha. Then there is Gordon Muirhead with his world junior champion daughter Eve. But I think a brother and sister combination will be the pair to watch: Hammy McMillan and Gail Munro!

But if we are talking about family connections, the prize for the most support of the event should go to the Dick family. Dad Mike will play with wife Alison, older son Jamie will play with Kay Adams and younger son Colin will play with Kay's sister Vicki.

Mind you, the combination of Logan Gray and Kelly Wood will be hard to beat.

Yes, given that it is all so new, I think the Christmas shopping may have to be done early and attendance at Murrayfield will be a priority.

Hopefully the WCF will have a website for the world event soon. Word in the English Curling Forum is that the lack of a website was discussed by the WCF executive at recent meetings in Perth. So expect action soon.

England has eight teams competing for that country's first Mixed Doubles Championship, to be held at Kelso next month. But it seems that the Canadian Curling Association does not intend to have a playdown at all but will send two of the Canadian mixed champion team to Vierumaki. Is that not an interesting expression of support for this possible new Olympic discipline!