There’s always something special about wearing the maple leaf.
For skip Kerri Einarson and Team Canada, that opportunity comes again this week as the World Women’s Curling Championship gets underway Saturday in Calgary.
Einarson, along with third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Karlee Burgess, alternate Krysten Karwacki, and coach Reid Carruthers will represent Canada at the championship, which runs March 14–22.
For the 38-year-old Einarson, it’s a familiar stage.
The five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion will be wearing red and white at Worlds for the fifth time in her career, but she’s still chasing that elusive first gold medal.
“It would definitely mean the world to us,” Einarson told the SportsCage. “I love this team. We’ve done so much over the years and been through so much together. That’s definitely what we want to do.”
Canada enters the championship as the defending nation after Rachel Homan skipped the team that captured gold at the 2025 championship in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Overall, Canada has won the world women’s title a record 19 times.
Despite the long history of success, Einarson says the pressure that comes with the maple leaf is very real.
“That maple leaf can be heavy,” she said. “We always thought the buffalo (Manitoba champions jacket) was heavy, but the maple leaf is even heavier. You try not to think about it too much, but every athlete wants to perform well for their country.”
This year’s preparation looked a little different for Team Canada.
Normally, the world championship follows the Scotties by only a couple of weeks. This time, the team had 41 days between their Scotties victory and the start of the World's.
Einarson says the extended break allowed the team to recharge and sharpen their game.
“We’re not used to having to wait this long,” she said. “Usually, it’s two weeks after the Scotties, and you’re heading to worlds. But we’ve had some really good practice time and a lot of preparation, so we’re feeling ready and excited.”
While many familiar contenders will be in the field, this year’s championship also features several teams making their debut on the world stage.
Einarson believes Canada’s experience could be an advantage.
“There are definitely some new teams that we haven’t played in a long time, or even on the world stage. I think our experience over the years will help us.”
Still, the approach remains simple.
“We’re just going to worry about ourselves and what works for us,” Einarson said. “We had a really great Scotties, and if we bring that same version of our team into worlds, I think we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”
Canada’s tournament begins with a busy opening day.
Einarson will face Sweden in the afternoon draw before taking on the United States later Saturday evening.
For Einarson, a Métis curler from Manitoba who started the sport at age eight, the opportunity to represent Canada again is something she still doesn’t take for granted.
“At the end of the day, I’m just going out there playing a game I love. We’re going to take it one game at a time, give it our all and just enjoy the moment.”
