OTTAWA — Team Jacobs will be sticking around for another four years.
The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., crew of skip Brad Jacobs, third Ryan Fry, and the front-end brother duo of second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden announced they are staying together regardless of the outcome at this week’s Roar of the Rings, where the reigning Olympic gold medallists look to represent Canada once again at the Winter Games.
Fry confirmed the news Saturday and said it’s reassuring to have that vote of confidence.
“We’re family, the four of us, we’ve started something here and we intend to try and finish it together,” Fry said. “It’s definitely comforting when a lot of teams are wondering what’s going to happen after next year. We know what’s going to happen.
“We have not only a great team but we have a great support group in our sponsorship. For us to be able to secure another four years together, we owe it to the people who have supported us to keep going.”
Jacobs has played with his cousins E.J. and Ryan Harnden since they were kids but it was Fry who proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle. Fry bounced around from playing with Jeff Stoughton in his hometown of Winnipeg to linking up with Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., before joining Jacobs in 2012.
The team caught fire almost immediately winning the Brier and world championship silver medal in 2013. Although they needed to take a detour through the pre-trials to qualify for the 2013 Roar of the Rings, they went on another roll running through the Olympic Trials undefeated.
Team Jacobs has also captured three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles since Fry came on board.