Who is Colleen Jones' son at the Brier? Meet Luke Saunders, who is making his men’s curling championship debut

For years, you could not talk about the Scotties Tournament of Hearts without mentioning Colleen Jones. Now, we have Jones crossing over into the conversation about the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier. 

The two-time women's world champion and six-time Scotties winner has been in attendance at the Budweiser Gardens in London for the Canadian men's curling championship.

No, she's neither competing nor working as a broadcaster. Instead, Jones is up in the fan section, supporting her son as he makes his Brier debut. 

MORE: Tim Hortons Brier 2023 scores, schedule

So who is Jones' son? The Sporting News has all the details on the legendary curler's descendant. 

Who is Colleen Jones' son?

Jones' son is Luke Saunders, who is currently competing in his first-ever Brier for Nova Scotia. 

The 29-year-old has been curling for years but has finally gotten a crack on the most prominent Canadian curling stage. 

"This has been in his blood for a long time," Jones said to The Canadian Press. "So to see him — I mean look at this arena, these lights, this feeling — I'm just so proud."

In his youth, Saunders spent plenty of time at curling rinks supporting his mother. Now, his mother is returning the favor, acting as one of Nova Scotia's biggest fans at the Brier. 

"Luke was always running around the arenas in either a Canadian flag or a Nova Scotia flag," Jones said. "He was a really good cheerer … he was leading the Canadian cheers (at worlds) or the Nova Scotia cheers at the Scotties.

"So you want to give some of that back because you know that sometimes it can lift a player. 'We're with you and we've got you.' So I'm fully decked out."

What team is Luke Saunders on?

Saunders is competing as the third on Matthew Manuel's team from Nova Scotia. 

Manuel's rink also consists of lead Nick Zachernuk and second Jeffrey Meagher. Ryan Abraham is its alternate and the team is coached by Kevin Patterson. 

The crew is based out of Halifax, where it calls the Halifax Curling Club its home. In comparison to the rest of the field at the 2023 Brier, the Nova Scotia crew is fairly young. 

"This is the biggest event they've ever played in," Jones said. "They've played in arenas before but not like this where there's television cameras shooting up your nose and you've got your mother wearing a Nova Scotia flag. The stakes are high."

When is the 2023 Briers?

This tournament starts on Friday, March 3, and runs until Sunday, March 12. 

Pool play is from the 3rd to the 9th. The playoff and page playoffs take place on the 10th and 11th before the semifinals and final wrap up the action on the 12th.

What channel is the 2023 Briers on?

The Briers will air on TSN, with live streaming available on TSN.ca and in the TSN app.

Longtime curling announcer Vic Rauter is set to be in the booth, splitting play-by-play duties with Bryan Mudryk. Cathy Gauthier and Russ Howard join the team as analysts. 

Where is the 2023 Brier taking place?

The 42nd edition of the tournament is being played at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont. The arena is the home of the OHL's London Knights. 

This was the third time London has hosted the Brier, previously holding the event in 1874 and 2011.