World Curling embraces professional Rock League

Moves to create a professional curling league have been welcomed by the secretary general of the sport's governing body, World Curling, saying "if we don't choose change, change will choose us" .

It was announced earlier this year that the inaugural Rock League will get under way in April.

The six-week event, which is the brainchild of The Curling Group, will feature six mixed-gender teams of 10 players, with each being organised by region.

Scotland's Bruce Mouat, the current world champion, will captain one of the two European sides taking part.

World Curling's Colin Grahamslaw told BBC Scotland: "I don't think we should fear change. I think we have got to embrace change and, if we don't choose change, change will choose us.

"So we need to be ready for it. We need to be able to shape it and we need to be able to work it so that it is a positive benefit for the whole sport, not just the few players that are going to play in the Rock League."

The Curling Group, a sports business venture "dedicated to revolutionising the sport of curling", acquired the prestigious Grand Slam of Curling series last year.

"They are disrupters - in a positive way," Grahamslaw said. "They are looking to do things in a different way and we welcome that.

"It is people that have come in with new ideas, new ways of doing things, bringing ideas from different industries, different sports – there are big connections to American Football.

"A lot of the investors into The Curling Group come from that professional sports background."

Next year's Rock League is a further sign of the wind of change blowing through the sport, including "trialling new rules to improve the playing experience, to improve the spectating experience".

"I think taking some of those ideas on board and giving us a chance to look at how we can implement them in a very traditional sport is interesting," Grahamslaw said.

"The idea that we can bring new money in to the sport, money that can help the athletes maintain a full-time athletic lifestyle, is positive."

World Curling and The Curling Group "talk on a regular basis" to co-ordinate calendars for the next four years.

Curling's global appeal is clear with Grahamslaw saying that, since 2010, the number of countries playing it has "almost doubled".

He also points to the fact it draws a huge worldwide audience every four years when it takes centre stage at the Winter Olympics.

Maintaining that level of international appeal outwith the Olympic window remains the big challenge.

"I think we are clear that there are things we maybe need to do to improve the pace of play, to keep spectators engaged, both in the venue and when they are watching on television at home," Grahamslaw added.