Players weigh in on residency rules after Ontario fiasco

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This article was published 07/02/2019 (2767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VIRDEN — Canadian curling’s residency rules might need a major overhaul, but a plot by a frustrated faction to embarrass athletes — and the game itself — is terribly unproductive, say some of Manitoba’s premier players.

The hostility surrounding the contentious issue of how many curlers on a team can live out of province hit the headlines recently after an incident at the Ontario women’s championship involving Rachel Homan. The Olympian and former world champion represents the Ottawa Curling Club but attends school in Edmonton, while her second, Joanne Courtney, is a resident of the Alberta capital.

Homan, pushing to win another provincial title last weekend in Elmira, Ont., was named the recipient of the championship’s Shorty Jenkins Sportsmanship Award last Thursday, voted on by other competitors in what has now been determined to be a concerted effort to mock the talented skip.

The Homan foursome won the championship and will represent Ontario at the national Scotties.

The scheme hatched by unnamed mavericks wasn’t cool, several Viterra championship competitors noted Thursday.

“I know those ladies pretty well and I’ve heard one side of the story… what was reported. Some curlers are obviously feeling strongly about something, but how everything was handled certainly doesn’t look very good,” said Reid Carruthers, who has partnered with Courtney in mixed doubles events. “I don’t think it was handled great at all.”

Homan made a statement on Twitter on Tuesday that hinted the actions of others were meant to ridicule her and were akin to bullying. She did not name the individuals she believed to be involved in the prank.

Ontario’s provincial curling association reviewed a harassment complaint lodged by the Homan team. In a statement Thursday, the association said the athletes have since apologized, the apologies were accepted and no further discipline is coming.

“Each and every one of us must realize that at one time or another we participate in a seemingly minor prank but upon reflection realize the actual impact to our peer(s),” stated CurlON. “We trust that everyone can learn that prior to participating in a prank or calculated attempt at bullying/harassing we need to look ahead and determine if the result of our action could be construed, by a reasonable person, as bullying/harassment and if so stop the action immediately. At no time is bullying/harassment acceptable in society and it is important for all to strive to be better each and every day.”

According to Curling Canada and provincial associations’ residency rules, at least three of four players on a team must reside in the same province. Courtney is the designated ‘import’ member of the team, while Homan competed in the Ontario championship under an exemption that allows post-secondary students the choice to play either out of the province where they are attending school or where they call home.

Emma Miskew, third on the team, and lead Lisa Weagle reside in the Ottawa area.

Viterra curler Jason Gunnlaugson said the incident was unfortunate and not what the sport needs. However, he maintains the residency rule is a hot-button issue for competitors.

He said while other nations pull together their very best athletes to form super teams for world and Olympic events, Canada will have a difficult time keeping pace under the current system that strongly values provincial ties and tightly contested Brier and Scotties national championships.

“I do think the residency rules are very challenging because you have two different points of view. The country wants to have the very best teams they can have, and to do that having residency rules makes it tough,” said Gunnlaugson. “I think it’s extremely tricky. Maybe the only thing I can see is like the Olympics, where we have a separate process. It’s possible that in time that’s how the worlds are also handled.

“I can’t imagine the U.S. saying, ‘No, sorry, you live in different states, you can’t play together.’ They just make the absolute best team they can to compete against us.”

Carruthers expects changes are coming, although he’s not entirely convinced there’s a problem with the current residency rules.

“It’s a very tricky question to answer. You look at some of the other countries that have four players that are obviously really good and practise and play all the time together. We play them on the world stage or even in the Grand Slams. For us to compete and have the option of maybe grabbing from a larger player pool from across the country, I can’t say I disagree with it. But at what point is just too many (imports)?” said Carruthers.

“If you have two of four from a province, at what point do you just start picking what province you play out of, based on strength of the field? I think the way it’s set up, with three of four, I have no problem with it.”

Braden Calvert, 23, doesn’t want an entirely free-agent system, either.

“I won’t speak for the team but for me, I’m a pretty old-fashioned guy. When I was little, I grew up watching Manitoba compete at that Brier and that’s still a huge deal. If you get away from that, if you don’t have the provinces playing at that Brier, I sure don’t like the look of that. I like the idea of having your team members living in the province that you represent at the Brier,” said Calvert. a former world junior champion and two-time Canadian junior champion.

“I think there’s enough deep talent in Canada, that we don’t need to get to a point where we’re creating these super teams. There needs be that rule kept.”

 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell