08/06/2026
British Curling Programme team announcement for 2026/27
HARDIE BOYS FORM NEW LINE-UP AS BRITISH CURLING PREPARES FOR 2030
After almost a decade together, culminating in two years of domination of Grand Slam tournaments and the world rankings, two-time former World Champions and Olympic silver medallists Team Mouat are undergoing major change for the coming season with the departure of vice skip Grant Hardie to lead his own team.
Having established himself as one of the outstanding third stone players in the game, Hardie will now join a trio of the players who have been Team Mouat’s closest domestic rivals in recent years – Ross Whyte, Craig Waddell and Euan Kyle – as their new skip. Hardie will call the shots while Whyte, who led his team to a bronze medal at the World Championships this year, will continue to play last stones.
Robin Brydone, who previously played third in what was world number five ranked Team Whyte, will meanwhile make the switch in the other direction to join Bruce Mouat, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan, after playing alongside Mouat in Canada's newly formed Rock League earlier this year.
The third of the British Curling supported men’s teams that forced their way into the world’s top ten during an exceptional rise through the rankings last season, remains unchanged as Kyle Waddell, who won an Olympic silver medal in February as the fifth player for Team Mouat, once again lines up alongside Mark Watt, Angus Bryce and Blair Haswell.
Duncan McFadzean, who was previously a member of Team Whyte before a knee injury prevented him from playing for almost the entirety of last season, resulting in Craig Waddell joining that line-up, will meanwhile focus primarily on mixed doubles along with the partner with whom he won the Scottish Championships in the 2023/24 season, Sophie Jackson.
Jackson’s former teammate, 2022 Olympic Women’s Champion and 2021 World Mixed Doubles Champion Jen Dodds will also be concentrating solely on mixed doubles.
Fay Henderson will skip the only women’s team on the British Curling World Class Programme, once again lining up with Lisa Davie, Laura Watt and Katie McMillan, as well as Sophie Sinclair, who competed at this year’s Olympics alongside Dodds and Jackson.
Twelve women and eight men have, in the meantime, been recruited to the British Curling Performance Foundation, forming the next generation of world class athletes being developed at the National Curling Academy. That cohort includes two time World Junior bronze medallists Team Carson whose skip Orrin Carson takes on Mixed Doubles duties with 2022 Olympic Champion Jen Dodds.
“The start of a new four year cycle is the right time to examine our resources and look to establish the way forward and the British Curling Olympic programme has worked closely with athletes to maximise our prospects as we bid to prepare to ready ourselves for an assault on the French Alps in 2030,” said Performance Director Dave Leith.
“As well as past performances, there is an array of elements to consider, including team dynamics, along with the sharing of best practice and the changes that have been made reflect that.
“It is particularly pleasing that the men who have brought unprecedented success to our sport have all committed to the next Olympiad, while some very exciting talent is also emerging in the women’s game where we now have an excellent blend of youth and experience with two members of our World Class programme – Fay Henderson and Sophie Sinclair - having gone to their first Olympics this year.
“The World Class programme selections also reflects the growth of the third Olympic discipline mixed doubles, as we look to build on the success of British Curling programme supported teams in the international game that has brought two World Championship wins and an array of other titles in recent years.
"Equally exciting is the range of talent emerging in our Performance Foundation programme, many of them having already won medals on the global stage at junior level, so all in all we feel British Curling is in excellent shape to tackle the coming four year cycle."
Images: Team GB & TCG
