However, the team members will have to wait until this weekend to learn whether they will be wearing the Team P.E.I. colours or a wildcard uniform in Calgary, Feb. 19-28.
The Birt and Darlene London rinks are the only two teams registered for this weekend’s provincial women’s curling championship. The two rinks will play a best-of-five series at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary beginning Friday afternoon.
“It is too bad there are not more teams,” said Birt, who has won two straight and 10 provincial women’s titles since 2003. “With just the two teams, it makes sense it’s a best-of-five. We will play, and it will work out.”
London and her teammates – third stone Robyn MacDonald, second stone Shelley Rice and lead Gail Greene – who curl out of Montague are “pumped” to play for the right to represent P.E.I.
“We love the Scotties playdowns,” said London, who has never competed in a national championship. “This is probably my 12th year (participating in the provincial Scotties).
London said she and her teammates are looking forward to competing in the Scotties. She said her team has the “utmost respect” for the Birt rink.
“We all have goals and are going to go out there and give it our best shot,” said London. “Hopefully, we have five good games!”
Wild-card berths
Suzanne Birt will skip her rink from the Cornwall and Montague clubs in this weekend’s provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts in O’Leary. – Jason Simmonds • The Guardian
If the Mitch O’Shea-coached Birt rink wins the provincial championship, team members will wear the P.E.I. colours at the nationals.
“We are trying hard to be Team P.E.I. first and foremost,” said Birt, who is 39.
If London earns the right to wear the P.E.I. uniform, the Birt team will compete as a wild-card team based on their standings in the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points.
Kathy O’Rourke, the Birt rink’s alternate, will move into the third stone position this weekend as COVID-19 restrictions prevent Marie Christianson from travelling to P.E.I. from Nova Scotia.
Click for the full story by Jason Simmonds in The Guardian