23/08/2026
NEW HARDIE LINE-UP MAKES STRONG START TO SEASON AT EURO SUPER SERIES
Ultimately their campaign may have ended in defeat to world number two ranked Team Schwaller, but newly formed Team Hardie served notice of their potential with an excellent run to the final of the Euro Super Series on their home ice at Stirlingâs National Curling Academy.
For skip Grant Hardie it was a form of title defence, since he had been part of the Team Mouat line-up that had won this title 12 months ago, during an extraordinary run of success that had seen them dominate the world rankings for the past two years.
However his close season switch to their closest Scottish rivals previously skipped by his now teammate Ross Whyte, has added intrigue to the new season and Hardie was pleased with the marker they put down.
âThat was a very encouraging week for the four of us,â he said, following the 8-2 loss to the Swiss quartet in a battle between two teams that had reached the final undefeated.
âWe knew we had new roles to adapt to and this was our first test to see where we were at, so on the whole we are happy with how we performed.
âWe came up today against one of the hottest teams in the world over the past year and we knew that would be the real test we would be looking for and we just missed a few by an inch which exaggerated the score line.â
Schwallerâs men having kicked off their season with victory at last weekâs Baden Masters, Hardie acknowledged that it was always going to be difficult to overhaul opponents who started with last stone advantage.
âThey tend to start the season pretty hot and did well in Baden so we knew we would have to step up in the final and actually had a really good first end, but we just over-curled on Rossâs last and turned a force into a three and chasing them can be quite difficult,â he pointed out.
On a personal level, having spent so many years playing with Bruce Mouat, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan, he admitted it had felt unusual to find himself playing alongside them in a different capacity as they narrowly missed out on reaching the play-offs, but noted that domestic rivalry can fuel the drive for excellence.
âMy first time on a sheet competing next to Team Mouat was quite strange looking over, but we know we are going to get used to that and when we get to play against each other I think that will reinforce that this is how it is now,â said Hardie.
âWe have a strong domestic scene here and Team Carson are playing with a lot of fire and when they are good they are a match for anyone so everyone here at the NCA will keep pushing the bar higher and that is good for the programme, having that extra edge.â
The Euro Super Series had an extra element of its own this season, doubling as a qualifying event for the forthcoming Grand Slam of Curling Invitational (13-18 October) event which Hardie enthusiastically welcomed.
âIt is a great thing that the Slams have done to give people the opportunity to win an invite from these satellite events and incentivise these Tour events too,â he said.
âThe Slams have been very good to us over the years, it is where you pride yourself on your performances and where you judge your performances over there, so we are really excited about getting back out there in October and play in our first Slam together as well.
âIt is a very exciting time and as a player I am very encouraged by what Nic Sulsky and the guys at the Curling Group are doing and it is certainly moving the global game in the right direction.â
With the finalists both qualified for that Grand Slam as of right, due to their places in the top five in the world rankings, four-time Scottish Junior champions Team Carson narrowly missed out on claiming that invitation to Canada as fellow semi-finalists Team Spiller from Italy just edged them out on the basis of their own record.
However, having pushed Team Schwaller all the way before losing the semi-final 7-6, their skip Orrin Carson also expressed satisfaction as they set out on a season in which they will look to close in on the three Scottish teams already in the worldâs top 10.
âWe are very disappointed with the outcome of the semi final, but we played some really good stuff today,â he said.
âWe obviously couldnât quite get over the line there, but we have lots to take from this weekend and things we can work on.
âAll in all if you can make it here to the semi final and make the opposition skip have to draw the four foot you are obviously doing something right especially with a field as strong as this.
âSo we are happy with this performance but we know the areas we want to improve on and we are going to work hard over the next few weeks to do that.â
While losing out on the Grand Slam invite was tough to take, the near miss has only whetted their appetite
âGetting a Slam spot is our major goal of the season, but the ESS and our next event in Oakville are the only two chances we get this season to grab a spot in the Slam,â he said.
âWe are disappointed we couldnât take the first chance but we know we have a huge opportunity in two weeks so we will train hard to try and get there.
âWeâve been together so long now and we have had a few good wins on the menâs tour but we know the next big thing for us is to get to a Slam so we want to see how we can cope in that environment with the worldâs best.
There was also Swiss success in the womenâs event where Team Paetz beat compatriots Team Xenia Schwaller in the final.
The leading Scottish team in the womenâs rankings, Team Henderson meanwhile also reached the semi-finals only to similarly miss out on the Grand Slam invitation to Italian rivals, with the other beaten semi-finalists Team Lacedelli also earning their spot due to a superior overall record.
