Scots curler joins England team to honour grandad

A young Borders curler has just returned from a world junior event after honouring his grandfather by representing England.

Callum McLain, a 19-year-old from Hume near Kelso, was a promising Team Scotland curler, alongside his older brother Kyle. But when England got wind of his dual connections - his father Neil is English and mother Scottish – they swooped.

Callum was initially reluctant, but a question posed by his English grandfather - who was from Northumberland - shortly before he died prompted a change of heart.

Just before Christmas he reached the World Junior B Championships quarter-finals in Finland, sporting the red and white.

"I originally said 'No, if I can't play for Scotland at international level then I didn't want to play'," Callum said.

"It was actually my grandad George who, in the last few days he was alive, asked why I wouldn't play for England, as he was English.

"And I started to think. While I'm born and bred in Scotland I realised that it was part of my family heritage, so there was nothing wrong with it.

"I jumped ship, went across the border and started curling with England teams, and I've never looked back. It's been such an experience and a great opportunity."

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."

The Borderer has a busy few months coming up with a British Super League competition featuring Ireland, Wales and Ukraine alongside England, the English Men's Championships in February and Junior Championships in Preston in April, where he hopes again to qualify for world championships.

As for beyond 2025, curling rules would permit Callum to return to Scotland colours after a stand-down period, but he admits he is currently happy to progress his career in the England programme in his grandfather's honour.

"They've given me an opportunity and we have a big season with a lot of opportunities coming up," he added.

"I have a lot to be grateful for. Grandad was my best friend and he was the reason I was in Finland really and with every stone out there I was thinking about him.

"Every win I got I could feel him cheering me on. It was emotional to think that he was the reason I was there and he was with me the whole time.

"It feels good to know that I've done him proud, and now we'll just see where this year takes me."