The Rotary World Curling Championships are to be held in Dumfries next year for the first time.
The major springtime event will see Rotarians from Canada, United States of America, England and Scotland compete at Dumfries Ice Bowl.
Rotary Clubs of Dumfries Devorgilla, Dumfries, Lockerbie, Thornhill, Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright. are planning for the event which will run from April 8 to 15 and, as well as the 2022 championships, there will also be an associated Friendship competition.
A team of curlers from Dumfries Devorgilla Rotary Club will represent the region after qualifying for Scotland in the main Championship event.
Chairman of the organising committee Bob Carruthers said “We are really excited to be able to bring this international event to Dumfries.
“It is not just about curling but also about developing international friendships. There will be a full programme of social events and sightseeing trips planned for partners and non-curling friends throughout the week.
“It will be a great opportunity to showcase Dumfries on a world stage and support the region after the impact of the pandemic, particularly assisting the hospitality sector.”
He added: “Whilst we have a year of planning still ahead of us our committee will continue to monitor Covid restrictions to ensure that we make the 2022 Championships a safe and hugely successful event.
“We will be delighted to welcome Rotarians and non-Rotarians should they wish to come to the Ice Bowl to watch some of the competition curling and sample the friendly atmosphere of the championships.”
Around 100 curlers and their partners are expected to descend on Dumfries for the week of the friendly but hard fought championships.
Two competitions will run concurrently, one for the Rotary World title and the other for the Friendship title.
The Rotary World Championship dates back nearly fifty years to 1972 with the Friendship event being introduced in 1996.
Each country holds its own qualifying competitions to put forward their champions to represent them in the Rotary World Championships – the Ramshead Competition being the qualifier for Scotland.
The Friendship Games are open to Rotary Clubs that have previously participated in the main Rotary World Championship event.
Curling in Dumfries has been incredibly successful over recent years with the Ice Bowl already experienced in holding significant international events including the World Senior Championships.
Progress on the championship plans can be followed on Facebook. Search for @ICurFRDumfries2022.
