Hamilton rink hosts American curling team
Visitors secure trophy but friendship is real winner
Lanarkshire Ice Rink in Hamilton last week welcomed 20 members of the United States women’s curling team as part of a celebration that goes back for 61 years.
South Lanarkshire Provost Eileen Logan welcomed the American ladies to the venue on Friday morning.
The 20-member American team is chosen every 10 years to compete and represent their country in Scotland.
These exchange curling tours had their beginnings when a joint team of eight Americans and eight Canadians visited Scotland for a month in 1955.
At that time a definite schedule for these exchange visits, with an alternate five-year program of three-week tours, was agreed upon.
As well as Hamilton, the gruelling tour will take the ladies to Braehead Renfrewshire, Greenacres Uplawmoor, Waterfront Greenock, Stranraer, Ayr, Lockerbie, Dumfries, Kelso, Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Kinross, Forfar, Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.
The score is cumulative from centre to centre and the Marguerite Roberts Trophy – which was bought by the US for the tour – is won by whichever country has the highest overall score.
Fiona Motion, Hamilton Ice Rink ladies’ section president, said: “It was excellent, and I have received a letter from their team to say they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
“They were very friendly, and thoroughly enjoyed beating us! We then had an excellent night in the Radstone Hotel in Ashgill for the closing banquet and they left on Sunday morning.
“They come over here every 10 years and we go over there every 10 years and it’s very good.
“Curling is an excellent sport for friendship and fellowship, and they were very happy to receive both during their tour of Scotland.”