Royal Caledonia Curling Club comes to Lennoxville for the Strathcona Cup

(Lennoxville) - The Scottish are coming, the Scottish are coming!

Next Sunday, January 27, the Royal Caledonia Curling Club will fulfill over a century's tradition and arrive in Lennoxville to compete for the Strathcona Cup.

The Strathcona Cup competition is the oldest international curling event in the world. It takes place every decade. The Royal Canadian Curling Club and the Lennoxville Curling Club have been swapping players back and forth since 1903, when the Scottish finally decided to accept North American invitations. The Canadians have 11 victories over the Scottish 9, but in 2013, the Royal Caledonia Curling Club have made it their goal to take back the cup.

The Strathcona Cup had "an odd beginning", according to a brochure put out by the Canadian Curling Association prior to the 2003 competition. Lord Strathcona was a Scot who created a name for himself in Canada with the Hudson's Bay Company and was appointed to the House of Lords. Later, he was elected the President of the Royal Curling Club. He felt that the loser of the competition should have a tangible memento as well, and so he provided another cup, which the Scots brought home.

The Scottish club divides into three contingencies every time they tour to include all parts of Canada. They will visit, among other locations, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Prince Edward Island, as well as our very own Lennoxville.

Although the competition is always fierce, and the Scots have vowed that this year, the cup will be theirs, "the Strathcona Cup is more than about winning and losing," says the competition's UK-based website. It's about keeping tradition alive and keeping friendly relations between the two countries.

Come out to Lennoxville and meet some Scotsmen on Sunday, January 27! The first game starts at 10 a.m. All games are free and open to the public.

There's a lot more going on at the Curling Club than the Strathcona Cup, too. This week, you can drop by and watch curlers from clubs around the province compete for cash prizes in the annual Mixed Bonspiel. In addition, you can support the Lennoxville Juniors by coming to the brunch on Saturday, January 26 at the Curling Club. Adults pay $10 and admission for children under six is $5. Everyone is welcome.