The landscape of professional curling has been fundamentally reshaped with Tuesday's official launch of the Rock League, the sport's first global mixed-gender professional circuit. The groundbreaking league, operated by The Curling Group, announced its full roster of 60 elite athletes—30 men and 30 women—and the six teams that will compete starting this spring.
A Historic Roster and Team Structure
This innovative venture marks the creation of the world's first truly mixed-gender professional sports league. Each of the six teams is composed of a general manager, five male curlers, and five female curlers, ensuring equal representation on the ice. The talent pool is a who's who of international curling, headlined by reigning Canadian champion skips Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs.
"This was a chance to help shape something truly new for curling," said Rock League strategic advisor John Morris. He emphasized the league's potential, noting, "The talent we've got here is energetic and seriously impressive. The dynamics of these new teams are going to lift the sport in a fresh way that fans haven't seen before."
The Six Founding Franchises
The league's global footprint is immediately evident in its team composition and regional focus. Each squad is required to have at least 60% of its roster from its designated home region, with allowances for up to four import players to ensure competitive balance in the inaugural season. The announced teams are:
The Alpine Curling Club (Europe)
GM: Eve Muirhead
Women: Alina Pätz (captain), Selena Gafner, Emma Miskew, Sofia Sharback, Almida De Val
Men: Joël Retornaz (captain), Oskar Eriksson, Sven Michel, Hammy McMillan Jr., Marc Muskatewitz
Typhoon Curling Club (Asia-Pacific)
GM: JD Lind
Women: Chinami Yoshida (captain), Anna Hasselborg, Kim Min-ji, Yeeun Seol, Tori Koana
Men: Niklas Edin (captain), Tsuyoshi Tamaguchi, Bobby Lammie, Dexin Ba, Anton Hood
Maple United (Canada)
GM: Glenn Howard
Women: Rachel Homan (captain), Xenia Schwaller, Maria Larsson, Karlee Burgess, Jocelyn Peterman
Men: Matt Dunstone (captain), Ross Whyte, Colton Flasch, Tanner Horgan, Brett Gallant
Frontier Curling Club (USA)
GM: Chris Plys
Women: Stefania Constantini (captain), Tabitha Peterson, Taylor Anderson, Sarah Wilkes, Cory Thiesse
Men: Korey Dropkin, Grant Hardie, EJ Harnden, Daniel Casper, John Shuster
The Shield Curling Club (Canada) and Northern United (Europe) round out the six-team circuit, with their full rosters also confirmed in the announcement made on December 16, 2025.
A New Chapter for the Sport
The launch of the Rock League represents a significant evolution for curling, moving beyond traditional single-gender competitions to a fully integrated professional model. By bringing together the best male and female curlers on combined teams, the league promises to create unprecedented strategic depth and showcase a new, dynamic version of the sport to a global audience.
With its spring debut on the horizon, the Rock League is poised to capture the attention of sports fans worldwide, offering a novel and inclusive format that could redefine professional curling's future. The involvement of iconic figures like Morris and the assembly of such a deep field of talent signals a serious commitment to making this mixed-gender experiment a cornerstone of the sport's growth.
