Battle of the Sexes primer: What to know about Mouat vs. Homan

There can be only one! World champions Team Homan and Team Mouat will face off for charity at the Rio Mare Battle of the Sexes presented by The Curling Group.

The skins game dream match gets underway Monday at 7 p.m. ET in front of a sold-out crowd at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre on the eve of the AMJ Players’ Championship, the fifth and final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season.

Team Homan is playing to support the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, while Team Mouat has chosen Charlie Boy’s Cancer Fundraiser.

Here’s a primer for this must-see match.

Rules of the match

The Rio Mare Battle of the Sexes will be played to eight ends under a skins game format. It’s been a while since the skins format has been used in a high-profile curling event, so here are the main rules to know.

Instead of total points, teams compete to win ends with each one worth $1,000 towards their charity of choice.

Teams can win an end by scoring two or more (with the hammer) or stealing one (without the hammer).

If neither requirement is met, the amount is carried over to the next end and the hammer switches.

If the game is tied after eight ends, a draw to the button will determine the winner.

In addition to their winnings from the skins game, a portion of ticket sales will go to each charity. 

The sweep swap

Since sweeping differs in the men’s and women’s games, Team Mouat has agreed to use “soft foams” for their brooms — but that’s not all.

Twice in the game on non-skip stones (once during ends one through four and again during ends five through eight), Team Homan can call for a “sweep swap” where Team Mouat’s brushes are substituted with old school Brownie Brooms. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.

Just to spice things up even more, an additional twist will be announced before the start of the game.

Tale of the tape: Team Homan vs. Team Mouat

Team Homan has had another season for the ages, reaching all four Grand Slam of Curling women’s finals played, running undefeated through the Scotties Tournament of Hearts once more and successfully defending the gold medal at the World Women’s Curling Championship.

The Ottawa-based squad became the first Canadian women’s club to capture consecutive world titles since Sandra Schmirler’s team in 1993-94.

Skip Rachel Homan, who won back-to-back Grand Slams at the Co-op Canadian Open and KIOTI National, now holds a record 17 women’s titles in the series. The AMJ Players’ Championship is the only title missing from the list, and Homan will aim to become just the second women’s skip to capture all five different titles in the series.

Team Mouat is also in the midst of an incredible year, winning three straight Grand Slam men’s titles at the HearingLife Tour Challenge, Co-op Canadian Open and KIOTI National. Bruce Mouat became just the second men’s skip to earn all five different titles in the series with his victory at the HearingLife Tour Challenge. Who was the first? The man Mouat beat in that final, Brad Gushue.

Although Team Mouat’s chase for a record fourth consecutive Grand Slam title came to a halt with a loss to Brad Jacobs's team in the WFG Masters semifinals, the Scottish squad can still aim for the history books at the AMJ Players’ Championship as they look to become the first to win four Grand Slams in a single season.

Mouat arrives straight from the World Men's Curling Championship after securing his second gold medal in three years. Team Mouat defeated Yannick Schwaller's Swiss squad 5-4 during Sunday's final in Moose Jaw, Sask.