Shearing Tri-Nations

Shearing Sports New Zealand

Media Release

September 28, 2011

Shearing Tri-Nations

The Central Otago town of Alexandra is making-up for sitting out much of the Rugby World Cup in the shadow of star-struck neighbour Queenstown by staging its own Tri-Nations this week – at sheep shearing.

Teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will contest internationals in both machine shearing and blades shearing on Friday, the second of three days at the 50th New Zealand Merino Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.

Among those flying in, evading the paparazzi at Queenstown Airport on Sunday, was African blades shearing icon Zweliwile Hans, who has won World titles in Ireland, South Africa and Norway, and who hopes in March to add Masterton, the home of the Golden Shears international competition shearing movement.

About 180 shearers and woolhandlers will be in Alexandra for the championships, the first show of more than 60 in the Shearing Sports New Zealand season which ends next April, and includes the 15th World Championships from February 29 to March 3.

In the heart of New Zealand’s merino farming, the Alexandra championships are also the only finewool events in the season, the features apart from the internationals being the open shearing and woolhandling finals.

Among the 48 in the open shearing heats on Friday will be seven former winners, including reigning champion Damian Boyle, from West Australia.

Also competing will be veteran specialist crossbred shearer and multiple World Champion and record holder David Fagan, of Te Kuiti, who turns 50 next month and has won more than 610 open-class finals around the World, but never the finewool championships.

For further shearing information see www.shearingsports.co.nz

ENDS

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