Curling: Grant Hardie expects ‘great battle’ with former team-mate Bruce Mouat

Grant Hardie is predicting “a great battle” between his current and former teams after leading his new rink to European curling glory.

Following nine successful years with Bruce Mouat’s rink, Hardie decided to leave and skip his own team earlier this summer and faces the prospect of coming up against Team Mouat at this week’s Grand Slam of Curling in Canada.

Hardie, 34, with team-mates Ross Whyte, Euan Kyle and Craig Waddell, were crowned European champions on Sunday, edging out Italy 6-5 in the final in the Czech Republic.

And Hardie told BBC Scotland: “As much as I have been to the Europeans six times before, there were still new things I was learning during the week.

“[Being the skip is a] very different position, Bruce having done it for most of his life was very used to it – it is something I am just trying to learn.

“We had lots of good conversations during the week of just trying to help me progress, trying to pick up little things. Even in the final and the semi-final we played really well in, I found myself thinking about little tactical mistakes I made or things you could change.

“It was a great time for us to have those Europeans and to get the win was great.”