Stirling curlers are out in force

Stirling-based curlers are out in force this week at the Scottish Championships in Perth.

A number of them train at the National Curling Academy at The PEAK while there are two rinks carrying the Stirling flag.

Holders of the men’s event, Team Mouat, boast Stirling University’s Bobby Lammie and Active Stirling curling coordinator Hammy McMillan in their ranks while Olympic silver medallist Michael Goodfellow is an intergral part of Ross Paterson’s squad.

Under the Stirling name, Stirling University student Ross Whyte’s team of up and comers has been in formidable form in spite of making the transition to the men’s circuit at the start of this season and as a result has propelled his team up the World Curling Tour rankings to 15th in the world.

Team Whyte has reached the play-off stages of every event they have contested, including reaching back to back Tour finals and winning the second of those at the Prague Classic and going on to win the Dumfries Challenger series to round off last year. His team is comprised of Robin Brydone, Duncan McFadzean and Euan Kyle.

Team Mouat started the defence of their title with a win over Glen Muirhead’s rink while Team Whyte lost their first match.

Eve Muirhead’s rink will be be hoping to wrench the title back from Sophie Jackson and she’ll be aided by PEAKbased trio Lauren Gray, Jennifer Dodds and Vicky Wright while the Stirling rink of Lisa Davie, Kirsty Barr, Anna Skuse and Emma Barr will hope to cause a few upsets.

Muirhead lost her opening match 7-6 to Team Jackson while Team Davie has suffered two defeats.