A team representing Stettler Rotary Club captured the championship trophy of the 20th Rotary World Curling Championships in Perth, Scotland.
The team of skip Neil Connor, third René Bernard, second Trevor Leinweber and lead Brian Sribney beat the host Perth rink 8 shots to 4 in the final at Dewar’s Rink and hoisted the coveted Jack MacKimmie Silver Bell Trophy and the title as World Rotary Curling Champions on April 2.
Stettler’s curling champions were scheduled to return home Tuesday, past press deadline for the Independent.
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“Winning the A event final would be the icing on the cake, but for our first time in an international competition, we are just honored to represent our Rotary club and our community in such an event,” Connor said before the team departed Stettler for the March 28-April 2 tournament in Perth.
Stettler tripled Midland, United States 9-3 in the semifinals to advance to the championship final.
Through round-robin play, Stettler racked up seven wins, one loss and one tie.
Stettler beat Midland 8-3, Oshawa, Ontario 6-5, Lockerbie, Scotland 10-0, Berwick, England 11-1, Madison, Wisconsin 7-6, Peterborough, Ontario, 8-4 and Perth 5-4.
The local team lost 7-4 to Rice Lake, USA and tied Leith, Scotland 7-7.
Stettler qualified for the world event in Scotland by winning a district competition in Lacombe in February 2009.
The inaugural Rotary world curling championships were held in Lachute, Quebec, Canada on Nov. 3, 1972, when teams representing Canada, Scotland, and the United States of America completed for the Silver Bell Trophy.
Since then, the event has grown into a biennial tournament alternating between North America and the United Kingdom.