‘We have to do it right’: Curling’s Rock League sweeps into inaugural season

The world’s first pro curling league, ‘Rock League,’ is set to launch with top athletes from 12 countries as it aims to grow the sport globally. Adrian Ghobrial

TORONTO — The world’s first professional curling league is hoping to capitalize on the momentum of last February’s Winter Olympics, and grow the sport not just in Canada, but around the world.

The appropriately named Rock League will feature six franchises with 60 of the world’s best curlers from a dozen countries playing together on separate teams.

There are two Canadian-based franchises, two from Europe, one American and one representing Asia, with players from South Korea, China, Japan and even New Zealand taking part. Canada is well represented with 16 players signed to different teams.

“We want to help the game grow around the world, not just here in Canada,” said John Morris, a two-time Olympic gold-medal winner who joined the league as a strategic advisor.

Following a preview season that’s taken to the ice this week in Toronto, the Rock League will officially kick off its inaugural campaign next January, with stops already confirmed in Utica, N.Y., Moose Jaw, Sask., Halifax and Ottawa. The championships will take place next April in a location that has yet to be named.

Each stop will include four days of head-to-head competition, with a unique format to keep the pace moving. A traditional game of curling has 10 ends; a Rock League game will only have seven to keep each match under two hours. A button will be worth two points and the format will be similar to the Olympics, with mixed doubles, as well as separate men’s and women’s matches.

“We want to make sure the next generation want to get engaged with curling, and the casual sports fan has a reason to come to a Rock League game and take in the excitement,” added Morris.

Reflecting on the historic endeavour set to shake up the curling world, Brad Jacobs, Canada’s most recent Olympic men’s curling champion, shares with CTV News that this is “something that’s never been done, never been seen before.”

“Everyone is working through who they’re going to cheer for,” he said.

Jacobs has been named captain of the Shield Curling Club, and he believes the success of this league is essential to growing the game across the globe.

“We have to do it right. It does feel integral to the future of the game,” he said. “Us, as athletes, we have to be professional, we have to make ourselves available to fans.”

He also believes that the league needs to focus on effectively marketing each of the six franchises.

“I do hope to see curling blow up in general,” he added. “I think the most recent Olympics really helped with that.” Jacobs’ gold-medal winning game was watched by millions of Canadians across the country.

The original six franchise are Alpine, Frontier, Typhoon and Shield Curling Clubs, as well as Maple and Northern United. Each team has 10 players – five men and five women from different corners of the globe, playing together on the same team.

“This is so important to give curling a chance to expand and to go to all different corners of the world and show just how great of a sport this is,” said Canadian Sarah Wilkes, who won an Olympic bronze medal in Milano-Cortina.

The even split of men and woman also continues curling’s long-standing tradition of creating an equal, inclusive game for all.

“Its just so great for young girls to see that you too can grow up and you can curl on a stage like this,” added Wilkes.

With an eye on growing the game and inviting a new generation of fans, the Rock League also hopes to give young curlers a path towards turning their talents and love for the game into a profession.

With an Olympic gold medal now in his back pocket, Jacobs admits that he’s on the back nine of a career that has spanned decades, though he’s still focused on the future.

“This is something that young kids can aspire to be apart of one day, a professional curling athlete,” he said. “We’re also going to have to inspire parents as well to get their children out to try this amazing sport.”