Rebecca Morrison Finds Enhanced Enjoyment After Relinquishing Skip Duties

The European Curling Championships, taking place in Lohja, Finland, from November 16-23, will feature selected Scotland games broadcast live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Scottish curler Rebecca Morrison has expressed that she finds competing “a bit more fun” since Sophie Jackson assumed the role of skip. The team, which continues to be known by Morrison’s name, is set to commence their European Championship campaign in Finland this Saturday with matches against Sweden and Denmark. Morrison, 28, previously led the rink at the event held in Aberdeen last year, where they secured a fifth-place finish. However, Jackson will undertake the skip responsibilities for the current competition, following a decision to implement this change earlier in the year. Morrison stated, “I am no longer skipping but I will still be playing the last stones, so it just means that Sophie Jackson who plays the lead stones is now skipping.” She further elaborated, “It is quite nice for me. I get to have more time with everyone else to reset once a new end begins. I find it a bit more fun and Sophie leads the team really well.” Morrison also noted, “I have noticed that coming into this competition, I feel a lot more settled a lot quicker than I have done in previous years so that is a great feeling.” Reflecting on her previous role, she added, “I think as the last stone thrower there is a lot of pressure but we have been to the Euros twice before now and you definitely settle in to it as time goes on.” Morrison, who guided Scotland to a European bronze medal in Sweden two years prior, believes the team is beginning to experience the advantages of their decision to alter the skip position. She explained the rationale behind the change: “We made that change in the summer. There are multiple reasons why – Sophie is really great tactically, she calls the game brilliantly. I think it is also just a personality fit, maybe I am better being around everyone more often and not left to my own, whereas Sophie maybe handles being alone quite well.” Morrison concluded regarding the transition, “It obviously takes a little bit of time to settle into new roles, but we have been doing it for a few months now so we are starting to really see its benefits.” Beyond the pursuit of European success in Finland, achieving a top-eight position in both the men’s and women’s competitions is crucial for securing Scotland’s qualification for next year’s World Championships. Morrison emphasized the importance of each match, stating, “Every game counts,” and added, “We definitely are improving, this season on paper sometimes our results haven’t necessarily been what we hoped for but we are playing better all the time. It will be really good to test it out at the Euros this week.”