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The international curling spotlight turns to Japan on Saturday 14 March when the ZEN-NOH World Women's Curling Championship 2015, presented by Ford of Canada, gets underway at the Tsukisamu Gymnasium in Sapporo, Hokkaido.


The twelve teams that have qualified are: Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan (as hosts), Norway, Russia, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.



The favourites will probably be Canada who are represented by the Sochi 2014 Olympic champions, skipped by Jennifer Jones, and they will be looking to win Canada’s first World Women’s Curling Championship title for seven years. Defending world and reigning European champions Switzerland will be represented by a team skipped by Alina Paetz.  2014 Olympic bronze medallist skip Eve Muirhead won gold at her last World Women’s Championship appearance and she returns to skip the Scotland team. 2014 European silver medallists and World bronze medallists Russia are skipped by Anna Sidorova. Sweden will once again be skipped by Sochi 2014 Olympic silver medallist Margaretha Sigfridsson.



SCOTLAND

Eve Muirhead (Fourth, Skip), Anna Sloan (Third, Vice-Skip), Vicki Adams (Second), Sarah Reid (Lead), Lauren Gray (Alternate).

The Scots start their tournament against Denmark in the second session on Saturday and continue on Sunday against Canada and Japan. As usual the twelve teams will play each other and the top four teams will qualify for the Play-off games on 20 and 21 March, with the Medal games taking place on Sunday 22 March.