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New Angus RCCC president Mike Ferguson fears curling’s future is on thin ice if grassroots fail to grow

Mike Ferguson of Forfar Indoor Sports has been appointed RCCC President. Pic: Tom Brydone.
Mike Ferguson of Forfar Indoor Sports has been appointed RCCC President. Pic: Tom Brydone.

The new president of curling’s governing body says there is no more crucial time than now to feed the sport’s grassroots from the success of its big stars.

Forfar Indoor Sports owner Mike Ferguson took up the presidency of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club at the 184-year-old organisation’s weekend AGM in Edinburgh.

He’s seen the surge in interest from highlights such as the Winter Olympics gold of Eve Muirhead’s team including Forfar’s Hailey Duff.

Come-and-try sessions at Mike’s Suttieside Road rink were booked solid after the Angus 25-year-old shot to sporting fame.

And all ages were at a homecoming gathering at the Forfar centre for the rising star.

Hailey Duff at Forfar Indoor Sports
Olympic gold medallist Hailey Duff at her Forfar Indoor Sports homecoming celebration. Pic: Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media.

Challenges ahead

But Mike says decades of success for Scotland’s elite curlers will be for nothing if the sport can’t continue to thrive at local level.

And he admits the cost of living crisis is an unwelcome hurdle to achieving that ambition.

Some rinks failed to survive the pandemic.

But Forfar was among a string of facilities to receive lifeline Scottish Government funding in 2021.

However, centres across the country now fear the impact of spiralling energy costs on their operations.

Privileged to take up the post

“Becoming RCCC president is most certainly an honour, and one that I fully appreciate,” said the 62-year-old businessman.

“But following the past Covid-ravaged years and the current utility rate crisis, I must admit it feels much more like a challenge than an honour.

“That said, I am up for that challenge.

“I can only ask everyone who has our tremendous sport at heart to pull together and help us get it back to its rightful place.

“Yes, we are winning medals on the world stage and this is without doubt a tremendous achievement.

Great Britain's Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead celebrate with their gold medals.
Great Britain’s Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead celebrate with their Beijing gold medals.

“But curling is much, much more than that.

“If we do not address the depreciating curling population, increase footfall through curling rinks and engage the membership then I genuinely fear for the future of curling as a sport as we know it.

“We need and enjoy medals, but curling is a leisure activity to be enjoyed.

“We have no given right to expect new faces to follow in our feet, there are too many other attractions nowadays.

Forfar Indoor Sports owner Mike Ferguson at the Suttieside Road centre.
MIke Ferguson at the Forfar Indoor Sports rink. Pic: Steve Brown/DCT Media.

“In my book the social aspects, health and fitness and camaraderie are all equally important.

“We have challenges ahead of us.

“So we need every single curler with curling in their heart to step forward at local level and help us re-build, enjoy and promote grassroots curling.”

The RCCC

The Royal Caledonian Curling Club origins date back to July 1838 when the Grand Caledonian Curling Club was formed in Edinburgh’s Waterloo Hotel.

Queen Victoria granted it the Royal title in 1843 following a visit she made with Prince Albert to Scone Palace a year earlier.

The Earl of Mansfield gave a demonstration of curling on the polished floor of the palace ballroom.

It has affiliated clubs across the world in locations including the US, Australia and Japan.

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