‘A safe place to come try the game:’ First annual Rainbow Cup pride bonspiel takes place at the Capital Winter Club

Eight teams from across the country participated in the Rainbow Cup in Fredericton. (Submitted: Stephen Muzzerall)

From Jan. 23 to Jan. 25, the Capital Winter Club (CWC) hosted their inaugural Rainbow Cup in Fredericton.

The pride bonspiel aimed to create a welcoming environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy curling.

“Everybody should have a safe place to play and it's also to show that curling is for everyone,” said CWC past President and Marketing Committee Chair Stephen Muzzerall. 

“This was for me, during my closet years, which were still not many moons ago, this was my safe haven away from bad thoughts and bad speaking.”

Eight teams registered, which included local players and some coming from as far as Ontario to participate. 

Fredericton team JPP and the Flaccids won the trophy.

Muzzerall said that the tournament was fairly competitive.

“I will say that we had probably four teams that were of competitive nature, meaning that they're more than just a recreational group — they go out for a competitive spiel and compete,” he said. “We had four teams that were recreational, they're out there for fun and the free drinks afterwards.”

The tournament came about gradually. The CWC had already started hosting a pride league on Sunday afternoons that sees about ten regular players. 

One of Muzzerall’s friends from PEI pushed him to organize an event to join “the network” of pride spiels that happen across the country.

By August, they decided they would put the event together. Registration began in November and seven teams signed up by the end of the first week.

JPP and the Flaccids took home the tournament trophy. (Submitted: Steven Muzzerall)

Curler Steve Christie was a member of the winning team. He is the father of a transmasculine child and believes that the tournament was a success since it promotes inclusivity. 

“I think it was a great initiative on the club’s part to try to maybe identify curling or open curling up to the LGBTQ+ community [and] hopefully remove any systemic barriers that folks may feel,” said Christie. “Honestly, the club is a safe place to come to try the game.”

Apart from the gameplay, the tournament hosted a drag show on the evening of Jan. 24. Club members also brought food and participated in singing. 

Muzerall said there was a lot of enthusiasm from regular club members once the event was announced.

“I was in here Friday morning before the start of it and heard the day ladies and the day men … they wanted to know all about it and so that was kind of encouraging to hear.”

Due to the success of the first Rainbow Cup, plans are already underway for next year’s tournament. 

“Everybody enjoyed their time here and the important thing is, everybody's like, ‘oh, we'll be back for next year.’”