Guelph’s Rumfeldt advances to Ontario Tankard 

January 19, 2010
By Brian Belfry
Guelph Record

Winning can impact you in different ways.

For Guelph Curling Club’s Rob Rumfeldt it meant for one busy Monday.

“My (email) inbox looks like a bomb went off ,” said the TD-Canada Trust manager for commercial banking on the morning after earning a spot in the men’s curling provincial championships by winning the West challenge round this past weekend.

“Amazing how fast this thrust upon you. Got a lot of plans, family wants to go, the spouse is trying to arrange some time off, when do we take the kids out of school? What do their schedules look like? It’s a lot of little things to do and you think you’ll have time but its just two weeks.”

The 2010 men’s Tankard is hosted by Napanee year from Feb. 1-7.

Joining Rumfeldt in arranging their schedules are teammates Scott Hodgson, Jeff Robinson, Greg Robinson and Nolan Sims.

Rumfeldt’s rink was knocked out of regionals by Corey Heggestad. His rink managed to beat Heggestad twice in the challenge round, their first game and the crucial last game. In between it was top seeds Dale Matchett and Jake Higgs. Matchett had an off day. Against Higgs, the Rumfeldt rink caught a break.

“They had a shot to win the game, just hit and rolled out by two or three inches,” Rumfeldt said. “That was a test on the nerves.”

Now he is in the provincial field against Glenn Howard, Chris Ciasnocha, Bryan Cochrane, Rob Lobel, Joe Frans, Peter Corner, Mark Bice, Kirk Ziola, Jay Young and East challenge round winner Chris Gardner.

You have to be at your best. Rumfeldt’s confidence is there. Getting knocked out regions didn’t faze him. Some encouragement from his father helped.

“My dad said : “I know you guys didn’t get through the regions but you played really, really well.”

Rumfeldt was in agreement. He thinks some teams go into challenge round with a dim outlook.

“We went in with a positive attitude,” he said. “Not only do you have to play well but you have to catch the odd break. Our break was against Higgs.”

Rumfeldt was previously at the Tankard in 2004 playing second for Phil Daniel losing the semi to eventual winner Mike Harris. In 2000 he skipped the same team he has now, with the exception of Hodgson. He went to the Brier as second for Bob Ingram in 1996.

He’s 1-2 against Corner this year.

He hasn’t played Howard.

They are the teams to beat.

“You’ve really got to be on your A-game.”

Rumfeldt has to get back on the phones. There are no hotel rooms left in Napanee.