Fair City pair are world class
From left Leeanne McKenzie, Hailey Duff, Amy MacDonald and Rebecca Morrison Perth curlers have booked their ticket to the World Junior Curling Championships.
Robin Brydone will again represent Scotland with Team Whyte while Leeanne McKenzie is set to take to the ice with Team Morrison.
The Fair City talents secured their place at the world juniors following a productive weekend at the Scottish Junior Championships in Aberdeen.
The same city will host the worlds in March and Robin told the PA: “This will be my third World Junior Championships.
“The first one I went to as fifth man and managed to pick up a medal.
“Winning the Scottish last year and then not picking up a medal at the worlds was a bit of a letdown for myself and the team.
“It’s now a chance to go back and redeem ourselves. Hopefully we can get the right colour of medal.
“It will definitely be a different experience on home soil. We’re hoping we can get a huge crowd in to get behind us and give us some support.
“South Korea was a bit of a distance away last year so to have everyone close to home will be nice for us.
“We are more than confident going into the worlds that we can get a positive result.”
The Scottish victory over Team Kinnear was bittersweet for Robin with long-term friends from the Fair City on the other side of the ice.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better performance, especially to go unbeaten which we did last year too,” Robin said.
“We knew what the story was for the week. Two of the guys for Team Kinnear play in the same club as me back here in Perth. It was a social final and we were chatting away with each other. I’m obviously happy for myself but you feel for the other guys because it’s never nice to lose a final.
“It was a great game. We took a three in the first but they ended up fighting back well.
“It’s good to have experience behind you when it gets closer into the last few ends of a final. It helps calm the nerves.
“Fraser, our second, was playing in his first ever Scottish junior play-offs. He was maybe
From left Ross Whyte, Robin Brydone, Alan Hannah (coach), Fraser Kingan and Euan Kyle. Picture: Tom Brydone
feeling the nerves a little bit but we remained focused.”
Perth’s Duncan McFadzean will head to the world juniors as Team Whyte’s fifth man.
Robin said: “You need to be patient in games at the worlds. You can’t go out to try and win it in the first few rounds.
“It’s going to be a long haul so it’s about plugging away.
“Duncan will be coming to the worlds as fifth man which is good. He plays at the club in Perth and I’ve known him since we were really young. He is a good lad and will be an asset to our team.”
This is a next generation of Perth curlers who are being inspired by those who have gone before them.
“It’s crazy to think about the curlers who have come out of Perth,” said Robin.
“It has to be down to the quality of the ice and atmosphere around the place.
“It feels like there is a winning atmosphere. You walk into the rink and you see people who have won championships before.”
Now Robin and Co will be hopeful of maintaining form in the build-up to the worlds.
He said: “We have the Scottish Championships starting next Sunday.
“That is a whole week and should be an interesting one to see who comes out on top.
“Apart from that there will be a lot of team training. We’ll start getting our sessions booked in and work hard until the worlds.”