Kiwi team and supporters in charge in Ireland

MEDIA RELEASE

From Doug Laing, media officer, Shearing Sports New Zealand

May 23, 2014

Kiwi team and supporters in charge in Ireland

Six New Zealand shearers, including World Championships representatives Rowland Smith and John Kirkpatrick, have made it to the semi-finals of the Irish All-Nations Open championships semi-final in Gorey, Ireland.

Smith headed the 18 qualifiers after 70 shearers took part in the open-entry heats on the first day of the 16th Golden Shears World Championships, while Kirkpatrick qualified in third place.

They were separated by Scottish World championships contender Hamish Mitchell, whose teammate and defending World champion Gavin Mutch was a surprise elimination.

The All-Nations has no bearing on the World Championship, for which the first round will be held tonight (Friday NZT).

The other New Zealanders still in All-Nations contention are five-times World champion David Fagan and son Jack, and Smith’s brothers, Matt and Doug.

Woolhandlers Joel Henare and Ronnie Goss made a more modest start, in their All-Nations event. Henare, winner of an All Nations title in his first Northern Hemisphere outing at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland last Friday, qualified in fifth place for Gorey’s All Nations semi-finals on Saturday, but Goss failed to make the cut of nine.

Henare was headed by World title challengers Kirsty Donald (Scotland), Aled Jones (Wales), Samantha Hirtle (Falkland Islands), and Hilary Bond (England).

ENDS

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