Renowned MCA ‘spiel attracts 403 teams
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/01/2010 (6038 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A total of 403 teams have signed up for this year’s MCA Bonspiel, down five from last year.
And that number won’t change when the bonspiel opens Jan. 28, as Curl Manitoba decided not to extend the entry deadline past Thursday afternoon like it has done in past years.
“I think the positive news is that we took about 20 teams after the deadline last year,” said Shane Ray, executive director of Curl Manitoba. “So when you compare us to the same point in time, we’re ahead of the game by 15.”
Ray says having a firm deadline will make things easier on drawmaster Mel Marsh, who won’t have to be plugging teams in at the last minute like he’s done before.
For those who missed the cut-off point, Ray says it will hopefully get them moving faster to get their entries in next year.
“I think if you talk to anybody, (they’ll say) it’s one of the greatest bonspiels in the world, and they’re missing out on a lot of fun and a lot of great curling,” said Ray. “So I think it’s a lesson learned.”
By Tuesday, just 268 rinks had entered.
“The three days here have been absolutely crazy in terms of people coming in, web entries and phone calls,” said Ray.
Ray said teams can still get on a waiting list, but they’ll only get in if some teams drop out.
As it did for the first time last year, the bonspiel will use a format that guarant
ees teams six games instead of eight. The move to shorten the bonspiel by two days was made to make it easier for teams coming from out of town and those needing time off work.
The 2009 bonspiel had 408 teams, up eight from the previous year.
Ray says Curl Manitoba is already discussing ideas on how to raise the number of entries next year. They include offering a reduced entry fee for juniors, marketing the bonspiel more outside of Manitoba, and giving rural teams a chance to save money by being billeted.
“We’re going to try some new things and I think that will help us,” said Ray.
sean.grassie@freepress.mb.ca
