Bruce Mouat Embraces Rock League: Curling's New Professional Era
Scottish world curling champion Bruce Mouat is prepared to welcome pyrotechnics, pints, and even a touch of profanity if it helps attract audiences to Rock League, his sport's answer to cricket's The Hundred, darts, and golf. The inaugural professional curling league will debut in Toronto with a condensed proof-of-concept tournament featuring six mixed-nationality franchises, live music, dramatic walk-outs, innovative formats, fans in fancy dress, and an on-ice spectator bar.
A New Venture with High-Profile Backers
Rock League's early investors include a trio of NFL players: current stars George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson, along with Hall of Famer Jared Allen. Founder Nic Sulsky, who also owns parent company The Curling Group, is unapologetic about targeting both committed fans and the curious, drawing inspiration from darts, golf, and WWE to create a venture he believes will eventually be profitable. For athletes like the 31-year-old Mouat, this league offers a rare income stream, including participation fees and a collective $250,000 USD prize pot.
"I think curling has had a lot of tradition in its past, and we still hold on to that at some points," said Mouat, captain of Northern United, in an interview with the Press Association. "But I don't think we should shy away from having pyrotechnics and a good time. As the sport evolves, we need to evolve with it. You see The Hundred in cricket has created this, more similar to darts—they want to make it a bit of a party, a bit of a laugh, with people in costumes and supporting franchises."
Tournament Details and Global Reach
The first season will see curlers converge on Toronto, where six franchises based in Europe, Canada, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region will compete. The week-long event includes mixed fours, an unusual format for professional curling, adding to the innovative appeal. Mouat admitted that receiving a participation fee "wasn't necessarily something I thought was going to happen in my career lifespan," highlighting the significance of this development for athletes.
Building on Olympic Momentum
Curling gained considerable attention at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, largely due to 'Boopgate,' a clash between Canadian and Swedish teams that involved an f-bomb caught on a hot mic over alleged cheating. Mouat, who skipped the British men to Olympic silver in Italy, noted: "That moment brought a lot of eyes to our sport, and they say no publicity is bad publicity. We've seen a massive influx of people looking at our sport because of that situation. It was also quite a meme-able moment for curling. You have to have a bit of a laugh—as intense as it was, it's now a funny story for many curlers."
Addressing Purist Concerns
Founder Nic Sulsky is ready to face disgruntled purists, stating: "Sport needs villains. If I have to play that role in the early days, that's cool. You can't dislike what we're doing and the change we're trying to bring into the sport while loving the curlers who support it. You can't love curling without respecting that curlers should be paid more money." This bold approach aims to balance tradition with modern entertainment, ensuring the sport's growth and financial sustainability for its athletes.
