Fay Henderson’s defence of the Euro Super Series (ESS) title got off to the ideal start at Stirling’s National Curling Academy as both the teams she will represent this season registered emphatic wins in the opening round of matches.
The 2023 World Junior Championship winning skip heads into 2025-26 with dual roles as skip of her own up-and-coming team, while also having been selected as the fifth player who will join domestic rivals Rebecca Morrison, Jen Dodds, Sophie Sinclair and Sophie Jackson in representing Team GB at the Winter Olympics in Italy early next year. 
However, she knows her principal focus has to be on playing performance and an 11-1 win over Callie Soutar’s youngsters served notice that she and teammates Hailey Duff, Lisa Davie, Katie McMillan and Laura Watt do not intend to give up the title easily.
“To open with a 5 and 0 end was pretty big and it showed that we were here to play today, so it was a really good start and we just controlled the game from there on in,” said Henderson.
“It is going to be a busy and exciting year and this season it is about focusing on my team and their performance and obviously what my role is with Team Morrison.
“However, I am not with them all the time, so we have to look after ourselves as a team and while I am really excited about joining the girls at the Olympics, we will just be ready for any opportunity that there is.”
In the only other match in the opening round, Morrison’s women meanwhile claimed a 6-3 win on the adjoining rink over the USA’s Team Strouse, who won the ESS title two years ago.
In the men’s event, World Champions and world number one ranked Team Mouat had a longer wait to get into action, but were in similarly impressive form in the day’s fourth and final round of matches as they took just four ends to complete a 7-1 defeat of the new-look line-up led by 2022 World Junior Championship winning skip James Craik. 
Earlier in the day world number five ranked Team Whyte had defeated China’s Olympic hopefuls Team Xu 7-5 in their only match of the opening day, while Kyle Waddell, who will join Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan as their fifth player at the Winter Olympics, was leading his men to an 8-7 win over Team Pfister of the Philippines..
Every game from the Euro Super Series (21-24 August) and the Stirling Mixed Doubles Invitational (25-27 August) will be live streamed on the Curling Stadium Europe Platform.
Event passes can be obtained here.
Results on Curling Zone.
British Curling teams:
Team Mouat
Bruce Mouat
Grant Hardie
Bobby Lammie
Hammy McMillan
Team Whyte 
Ross Whyte
Robin Brydone
Craig Waddell
Euan Kyle
Team Waddell
Kyle Waddell
Mark Watt
Angus Bryce
Blair Haswell
Team Carson
Orrin Carson
Logan Carson
Archie Hyslop
Charlie Gibb
Team Craik
James Craik
Jake MacDonald
Fraser Swanston
Rory MacNair
Team Morrison
Sophie Jackson
Rebecca Morrison
Jennifer Dodds
Sophie Sinclair
Team Henderson 
Fay Henderson
Hailey Duff
Lisa Davie
Katie McMillan
Laura Watt
Team Soutar
Callie Soutar
Eva Hare
Holly Clemie
Allison Hamilton
Team Laurie
Tia Laurie
Cara Davidson
Kirsty Gallacher
Holly Burke
Amy Mitchell
