Regardless that the ladies’s world championship is simply across the nook, two-time defending champ Team Rachel Homan will likely be sitting at house, watching on the tv like everybody else.
So as to attain the ladies’s world championship in Canada, you want to win the Scotties Match of Hearts, one thing Homan’s staff didn’t compete on this season.
Nevertheless, in accordance to Homan’s longtime teammate Emma Miskew, who has gained 5 Scotties championships, it’s not as a result of the staff didn’t need to be there.
Miskew and teammates Homan, Tracy Fleury and Sarah Wilkes are coming off an Olympic bronze-medal win simply over every week in the past at Milano Cortina 2026.
However, now, their season as a staff is over.
To put on the maple leaf at the Olympic Video games, you may have to win the trials, which Homan simply did. With the win, nevertheless, got here a call made by Curling Canada in the summertime of 2025 that was relayed to all of the groups competing at these trials.
Curling Canada “strongly really helpful” the winner shouldn’t compete within the Scotties due to its proximity to the Olympics.
“Our viewpoint was primarily based on focusing efficiency on the Olympics, and with the four-player groups’ departure scheduled for a pair days after the conclusion of the Scotties, it was decided that it will not be in the very best curiosity of the ladies’s trials winners to compete within the Scotties, and undergo the strain and rigours of doubtless 10 days of competitors, after which flip round and fly to Europe and compete in an much more pressure-packed occasion lower than two weeks later,” a Curling Canada spokesperson advised Sportsnet.
“The groups and full high-performance program perceive that relaxation and preparation for the Olympics is paramount over competing within the Nationals.”
The Scotties came about from Jan. 23 to Feb. 1, whereas the ladies’s self-discipline at the Olympic occasion started on Feb. 12.
Miskew understands that logic.
“(Taking part in within the Scotties) in all probability wouldn’t be excellent prep heading into an Olympics,” she stated.
However there are additionally bigger points, Miskew stated.
“I believe our greatest concern with it’s that for the final 16 years now, so, a number of (quadrennials), the lads can do each and the ladies can not,” she stated. “It’s at all times this scheduling-conflict motive, however nobody has ever made any effort to change the schedule in order that it doesn’t solely have an effect on the ladies.”
Not solely did Miskew and her rink lose out on defending their Scotties championship for the third yr in a row, however additionally they misplaced out on up to $100,000 of prize cash.
“One of many greatest issues about it too is the prize purse at the Scotties and the Brier is substantial, and we aren’t given the chance to play for any of that purse, nor do you get any compensation for profitable the trials,” Miskew stated on the podcast. “So, yeah, we have been just a bit dissatisfied that it’s persevering with to be a problem the place there’s an inequality between the lads and the ladies.”
Requested by Sportsnet if Team Homan will obtain compensation for profitable trials and not getting to compete within the Scotties, a Curling Canada spokesperson replied, “That they had entry to monetary incentives and assist via the Canadian Olympic Committee, primarily based on Olympic qualification and efficiency.”
Miskew stated that when phrase was beginning to unfold that they selected not to go to the Scotties, Curling Canada didn’t inform folks why.
“Nobody piped up from Curling Canada and stated, ‘Really, we stated they couldn’t go.’ So, it made it look (dangerous), and, particularly too, as a result of the Scotties have been in Mississauga (and) we’ve repped Ontario for years,” Miskew stated. “We had lots of people that purchased tickets and stuff anticipating us to be there.”
The spokesperson for Curling Canada stated, “We did (put out a remark). Our response was distributed to media retailers that have been asking this query in December.” In a narrative revealed on Dec. 2, The Canadian Press cited an announcement supplied by Curling Canada that stated Team Homan would “not return to defend” its title, however extra specifics have been not given.
Curling Canada’s ticket announcement stated, “With Team Rachel Homan’s victory at the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials … her journey to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy means she’s going to not play as Team Canada at the 2026 Scotties.” No additional motive was cited.
Would Team Homan have performed if the schedule had been modified?
“It’s onerous to know as a result of we knew we weren’t given the choice. Perhaps we might have not performed just like the (Gamers’ Championship) after which completed the Scotties,” Miskew stated. “We don’t absolutely know what we might have determined to do, however we weren’t given a selection. Or, if it was like every week earlier, in all probability would have been an important alternative to get some video games.”
Miskew pointed to the very fact Brad Jacobs (who gained the Olympic gold medal) was allowed to play within the Brier that began simply six days after his gold-medal match.
“Jacobs is (enjoying within the Brier). They’re in all probability drained, however (Curling Canada) doesn’t care as a result of they’ve already performed the Olympics, obtained the end result, and now they will go and play free, for an excellent sum of cash,” Miskew advised John Cullen on the Broom Brothers podcast.
“Realistically, (Jacobs) goes to make the playoffs, which comes with at least 30 or 40 grand or no matter it’s. I imply, it’s not even all in regards to the cash. It’s sort of the precept, too.”
Dates for the Scotties in the course of the subsequent Olympic yr are already set and, if nothing modifications, the identical drawback would occur. The Scotties are scheduled for Jan. 18-27, 2030, whereas the primary day of the Olympics is Feb. 1, 2030.
So, will Curling Canada look into altering the schedule?
“Curling Canada will likely be discussing the schedule with the Athlete Council to get extra suggestions earlier than we finalize any plans for the 2030 quadrennial. Altering dates would create some points with different occasions such because the Grand Slam of Curling, the Rock League, and our Member Associations and their playdown techniques however we are going to look at all avenues earlier than making any ultimate selections for the subsequent quadrennial,” the spokesperson stated, including shifting dates would create “many domino results for different curling stakeholders.”
A spokesperson for The Curling Group, which owns the Rock League and Grand Slam of Curling, stated it hasn’t nailed down dates past the 2027-28 season for Rock League or GSOC occasions.
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