England’s women’s team in the European Championships had a couple of objectives when they arrived in Ovik in December - win enough games to maintain their place in the A Division and qualify for the World Championships. Well the first one was achieved and the second only failed at the last possible moment.

The team - Kirsty Balfour, Caroline Reed, Claire Grimwood, Sarah McVey and Suzie Law won 2 and lost 7 of their round robin games - including a stunning defeat of Andrew Schopp of Germany. This meant that they finished in a tie for 8th position with Netherlands and led to a tie breaker to decide whch team would stay up and have a chance for going to the World Championships and which team would be relegated to Division B - so it was a BIG game and the team came through to win at the last end by 7-6.

Their opposition in the World Championship Challenge was Norway and the first game was held on the ice where Norway had played all week in the B Division. And this experience showed as on the tricky ice the England team lost in just 6 ends by 10-1. it was back to the main arena for the second game (in this best of three challenge) and things began by looking pretty bad for England’s hopes as they were quickly 0-4 down, but in a great comeback they scored 7 shots without reply to set up a third deciding game.

This game was also held in the main arena and it saw England get off to a great start to be leading 5-2 after 5 ends thanks to a stolen 3. However the Norwegians levelled it in the 6th before England restored a two shot lead at the 7th. Norway then stole their own 3 after taking a single so that it was 9-7 for them going into the last end. England picked up a two and then set about trying to steal a shot in the extra end, but it was not to be and the Norwegian skip with a hit and stick qualified her country for the World Championships in Korea in March.

It was a great effort by the English women who in January then went to the Glynhill International in Scotland and qualified for the quarter finals where they took an early lead against the World Champion Jennifer Jones, but lost in the end.

For the men’s team the European Championships was less successful. A finishing record of 4 wins and 4 defeats left them 5th in their group and 19th overall.