Some of the biggest names in Atlantic-Canadian curling will hit the ice at the Charlottetown Curling Club starting on Thursday for the annual Rodd Curling Classic. Eighteen men’s teams, and twelve women’s rinks will compete in separate round robins, with over $20,000 in cash on the line.
Play gets underway Thursday at 1 pm, and wraps up on Sunday afternoon.
Men’s teams entered include Canadian Junior Champion and World Silver-Medallist Brett Gallant, PEI Tankard champ Rod MacDonald, Ted MacFadyen, a multiple PEI Tankard and Seniors winner, eight-time PEI Tankard champion Robert Campbell, along with other Island teams skipped by Tyler MacKenzie, Eddie MacKenzie, and Robert Shaw.
Men’s teams from the mainland include former Nova Scotia men’s champ and Brier finalist Shawn Adams of Halifax who recently won a cashspiel in Windsor, and Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc of Halifax, who was runner-up at that event, and won this year’s TSA cashspiel in Saint John.
On the women’s side, the defending event and PEI Scotties champion Robyn and Rebecca Jean MacPhee rink is back, along with PEI Junior champ Erin Carmody, former Canadian and World Junior champ and multiple Scotties winner Suzanne Birt. New Brunswick’s Provincial Women’s champ Andrea Kelly, also a former Canadian Junior Champ, Heather Strong from Newfoundland and Labrador, a nine-Time Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Champion and four-time provincial junior winner, 2009 NS women’s champion Nancy McConnery from Halifax, former NB Junior champ Mary Jane McGuire, and former Canadian Junior champ and world silver-medallist Jill Mouzar of Halifax, who was Nova Scotia women’s champ in 2007.
John Likely is President of the Charlottetown Curling Club and one of the competitors. He thinks this will be a tough field. “We have the
top competitive curlers here this year and people who come to watch are going to see some great shots.”
Spectators are welcome, and admission is free. Live results will be available at curlingresults.com/rodd.
Event website: www.charlottetowncurlingclub.ca/RoddCurlingClassic2009.htm
Live Results: www.curlingresults.com/rodd/