Scots curler joins England team to honour grandad

The switch now pitches Callum in national opposition to his brother Kyle, 22, who has no plans to follow his move south, but they are unlikely to face each other in competition at least until they become leading senior players.

An apprentice agricultural engineer with Ancroft Tractors in Kelso, Callum is now having to fit training around work and studies at Scotland’s Rural College in Dumfries.

But the SRUC base is handy for the town’s Ice Bowl and trips down the M6 to Preston, where the England team practise.

“It’s been quite a year to be honest,” he said. “I started with the men’s national team and then was asked to play for the juniors because I still qualify.

“We ended up going six games undefeated in the national championships and earned our place in Finland, where we were just pipped by Japan for the semi-finals.

“It did feel strange knowing all my life I’d been hoping to go there in the blue and white and here I was in the red and white, but it’s still an honour to play in a world event, and show other nations what England can do.”