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Rock League launches as first professional curling circuit with $250,000 prize

SportsSports
Key Points
  • Rock League is the first professional curling league, premiering Monday in Toronto with a $250,000 prize pot.
  • The league has six mixed-nationality franchises with teams of five men and five women competing in three simultaneous disciplines.
  • Entertainment elements include live music and WWE-style walk-outs, with notable participants like Eve Muirhead and Bruce Mouat.

The league features six mixed-nationality franchises based in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Asia-Pacific, multiple reports indicate. Each team has five men and five women on the roster, and they compete across three disciplines—men's four, women's four, and mixed doubles—all happening simultaneously, according to major media. The franchise that wins at least two of the three disciplines wins the overall contest, and the competition runs for five days with each franchise facing off, followed by a mixed fours day, then semi-finals on April 12, and the championship match later that day, major media reports.

Rock League includes live music, dramatic walk-outs, innovative formats, fans in fancy dress, and an on-ice spectator bar, according to major media, with founders drawing influence from darts, golf, and WWE. Seven Scots are playing, including five from the Winter Olympics in Cortina and two from the recent World Championship, major media reports. Eve Muirhead, a 2022 Olympic gold medallist, takes on a general manager role, while Bruce Mouat skips Northern Shield; Mouat won Olympic silver in Italy, according to major media.

Athletes receive a participation fee, and early investors include NFL players George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, and Jared Allen, according to major media. The semi-finals and finals will be shown live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app next Sunday, major media reports. Curling received considerable attention at the Milan-Cortina Olympics due to 'Boopgate', a clash between Canadian and Swedish teams over alleged cheating, according to major media.

The exact date of the Rock League premiere in Toronto and the participation fee for athletes have not been disclosed. Long-term financial projections for the league's profitability remain unclear.

Location
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BBC SportThe Independent - Sport
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