The Dominion Curling Club Championship, sponsored by The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, is a new event which gives regular club curlers across the country an opportunity to compete in provincial and national level competitions. Club curlers are those who enjoy the sport recreationally, supporting club leagues on a regular basis each curling season. Now, these teams will have an opportunity to demonstrate their skill against other curling clubs in their province and country.
Here on PEI, club-level events are being held at each of the seven curling clubs, to pick men’s and women’s club champions. Winners are to be declared by February 28th, and will compete in the Provincial Dominion Curling Club Championship, March 13-15 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. This event replaces the Intermediate championship that was held in previous years. Entry fee for the provincial event is $30 per player. The Dominion Provincial Club Championship will be a round robin with eight end games, and will follow the PEI Curling Association’s Rules of Play. Ties will be decided by a full extra end. Upon completion of the round robin, the top three teams will advance to the playoff round, with the second-place team playing the third-place team in the semi-final, and the semi-final winner playing the first-place team in the final. Any profit generated from provincial or national Dominion Curling Club Championship events will be directed to charities including the Canadian Paraplegic Association, as well as developmental curling initiatives in communities across Canada.
The winners from the PEI championship will advance to the national event, at the St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Etobicoke Ontario in November.
Here are the eligibility requirements for The Dominion Provincial Club Championship:
1-Teams are to be made up from paid members from one PEI curling club. One women’s and one men’s team may be sent from each PEI curling club. Clubs have sole responsibility for deciding how to choose their representatives.
2-Replacement players must come from the same club, can play any position but skip, and cannot play any position higher than the position being replaced.
3-Clubs are responsible to ensure that eligibility criteria are met.
4-The PEI Curling Association has the sole authority to accept or reject any entry. On the national level, The Dominion reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to exclude any team that violates the intent and spirit of the competition. The rules of the national event may differ slightly from the provincial rules, and will be in effect for the national event.
5-The PEI event is open to men’s and women’s teams of four curlers from the same curling club. Teams may include no more than one player who has competed in the final four of a PEI Curling Association Provincial Championship event in the current and previous two seasons, or has competed in a championship outside the province, in the current and previous two seasons, as a result of winning a PEICA championship event.
6. Curlers from the former Intermediate championship and the Stick curling championship, and from championships not conducted by the PEICA, may compete, regardless of placement in those events, and provided that all team members belong to the same curling club.
7. Each team will be allowed a maximum of 2 players between the ages of 15 and 20, as of December 31st of the year prior to the Canadian championship. Curlers under the age of 15 are not eligible to compete.