Shearing legend David Fagan’s last test for NZ

MEDIA RELEASE (with photo)

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

February 27, 2015

Shearing legend David Fagan’s last test for New Zealand on Saturday

Shearing legend David Fagan is heading for the remote northern Manawatu outpost of Apiti for has been expected to be his last appearance in a New Zealand singlet tomorrow.

But the 53-year-old who first represented New Zealand at shearing in 1985 is not ruling out the possibility he may finish his international career later in the year in Wales, where he is “like God,” according to Welsh team manager Bill Jones.

Mr Jones told spectators last weekend in Gore, where Fagan had one of his busiest and most suiccessful days in competition shearing, he hoped Fagan would return to Wales this year.

To represent New Zealand in a test series in Wales in July, Fagan would have to win either of two major events during his competitions his swansong at the New Zealand Championships in hometown Te Kuiti on April 9-11, a 17th New Zealand Open title or the NZ Shears Circuit final.

On the road today to this afternoon’s Taumarunui Jamboree Shears, ahead of tomorrow’sthree-and-a-half hours drive to Apiti for the Elders Primary Wool test against Wales, Fagan said: “You can’t ask to represent New Zealand.”

It’s possible promotional work for shearing machinery manufacturers Lister could still take him to Wales. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he said.

Fagan and South Island shearer Tony Coster beat Welsh shearers Gwion Evans and Rhys Jones in the first match in the two-test Elders Primary Wool series in Gore last Saturday. The final test tomorrow was originally scheduled to take place at the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday.

Pressure of work means the two Welsh shearers will leave for the Northern Hemisphere almost immediately afterwards, missing the Golden Shears in Masterton next week.

ENDS

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