Residency rules. Pregnancy exception. Confusion, questions and anger.

A Curling Canada news release purporting to confirm the draw for the women’s national championship instead sparked debate about inclusivity, equity and options for teams with pregnant players.

Leading curlers from around the country asked national sports organizations for the week’s assignment to draft wording and make an exception allowing only the top five ranked teams to apply.

When the fourth-placed team was able to bring in free agents from out of province as replacements for players approaching their due dates, questions about the rules – along with some sharp criticism – started to swirl.

“I’m a little discouraged to see that the rule seems to favor only the elite in Canada,” said sixth-ranked Casey Scheidegger, one of three free card entries in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

‘Not the same’

Scheidegger and his sister Jessie Haughian are both pregnant and due in June.

However, because the Alberta-based team was outside the top five, it was not eligible to apply for the same exemption granted to teams passed by fourth-placed Kaitlyn Lawes, per federation rules.

“We were No. 6 as well and knew nothing about it and found out yesterday, I think, it was interesting to see the announcement,” Scheidegger told The Canadian Press on Wednesday. “Obviously I think the most striking thing about this rule is that it just seems so out of balance.”

His sister also chimed in via Twitter.

The team, which already had an import in Manitoba’s Kate Hogan, made plans to add Kristie Moore as a replacement. Moore, a 2010 Olympian based in Grande Prairie, Alta., has played with the team several times in recent seasons.

With Haughian experiencing occasional discomfort and pain, Scheidegger said he was glad Moore was available and hoped he saw plenty of game time.

“Are we going to apply for an exemption? Potentially,” said Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta. “I don’t think for us it was made an option. So we complied with the resident rule because that’s what we thought was available to us.”

‘Elitism’ and ‘favoritism’

Under these residency rules, at least three out of four players must reside or have birthright status in their respective provinces or territories. Only one free agent is allowed per team unless an exception is granted.

Lawes, deputy Selena Njegovan and lead Kristin MacCuish are based in Winnipeg while Calgary resident Jocelyn Peterman is an import. Curling Canada gave Njegovan maternity leave and allowed Edmonton-based free agent Laura Walker to take his place.

Due to their ranking being in the cut, the team was eligible to apply for a “pregnancy exemption which would allow them to add a free agent player for Scotland national who did not participate in their provincial/territorial playdown,” Curling Canada said in its report. release.

Despite those words, Curling Canada CEO Kathy Henderson says it’s not really a maternity exemption, but “residence waiver” and that parental leave is available to anyone who requests it.

He added that the decision to limit eligibility for exclusion to just five teams was not arbitrary.

“It’s not that we’re trying to ignore anyone,” Henderson told The Canadian Press from Toronto. “What we are looking at is a pattern of time, which teams have traditionally received funding from our national team program.

“That’s where we really nailed it.”

As a result, 13 of the 18 teams that qualified for the February 17-26 event in Kamloops, BC, could not apply for a similar line-up change if needed because they were outside the top five.

Several high-profile curlers – including Olympians Dawn McEwen, Mike McEwen, Felix Asselin and Beth Peterson – criticized the eligibility rules on social media.

“Timing pregnancy can be stressful and difficult for many female athletes,” Dawn McEwen said on Twitter. “Rules that discriminate against several women competing in the same national field are deeply troubling.

“Please give everyone the same chance Curling Canada.”

Walker has focused on mixed doubles this season but has occasionally replaced Tim Lawes. But his addition in Scotland would be unlikely if Lawes were sixth or lower.

Asselin, who will miss the Quebec entry in next month’s Tim Hortons Brier, called the rule an example of “elitism” and “favoritism”.

“All women’s curlers should be allowed to be changed in case of pregnancy by someone following all residence rules[s],” Asselin tweeted. “That can’t be a reason to add imports. This is very sad.”

The standings provide a solid picture of a team’s performance but it’s not necessarily the best gauge of ability or potential. Many teams miss larger points-earning events due to limited travel schedules or a desire to play only certain bonspiel games.

For example, the 2022 Scotties were won by top-ranked Kerri Einarson of Manitoba, who defeated Krista McCarville of Northern Ontario—currently ranked 61st—in the final.

Einarson progressed with a semifinal win over Andrea Kelly of New Brunswick, who is currently ranked 16th.

In the current rankings, Einarson (284,750 points) leads Rachel Homan from Ontario (270,750), Jennifer Jones from Manitoba (206,000), Lawes (183,250) and Clancy Grandy from British Columbia (166,625).

Peterson, who is making his Scotland debut in 2021, also weighed in on the rule via Twitter.

“Sorry, but isn’t this disrespectful to other pregnant women?” he tweeted. “I can’t miss giving exceptions to some teams and not others.”

Some curlers compete while pregnant—Homan was eight months pregnant when she reached the 2021 Scotland final—but sometimes a substitute is needed.

Scheidegger called the exclusion sections of news releases “a very strange thing for me to read”.

“We have so many teams who are in a very similar situation and are looking for players,” he said. “Obviously you want to get players who will make your team strong, especially when you are competing in the national arena.”

The Scottish champion will represent Canada at the women’s world curling championships March 18-26 in Sandviken, Sweden.

Also Wednesday, Curling Canada announced the PointsBet Invitational 2023 will be played September 26-October. 1 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont.