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Sheep selection vital for World Champs

The 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will attract the best shearers and woolhandlers from 32 countries around the world and thousands of spectators to ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill in February. But there's another group of around 4500 that are just as important to proceedings. Southland's finest sheep have as big a role in the Championships' success as anyone. Just ask 12-time World Champion Sir David Fagan. "Sheep selection is one of the most important jobs in...

Big Rock Cougars in for busy week

Every major event has unheralded workers, behind the scenes, doing the hard yards in sometimes less than glamourous roles, to ensure the paying public sees a finished product that runs like clockwork. The 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will be no different when the event is hosted in Invercargill at ILT Stadium Southland from 8 to 11 February. There, behind the World Championship stage, away from the bright lights is where the Big Rock Cougars will spend the four days of co...

Will the Prime Minister accept Sir David's challenge?

The challenges for a new Prime Minister are many and varied. Over the last two weeks Bill English has negotiated a successful leadership campaign to succeed former Prime Minister John Key and a cabinet reshuffle, but now he faces a challenge of a unique kind. Speaking with Jamie Mackay on NZME's The Country radio farming show yesterday, Sir David Fagan, the world's most decorated shearer and a member of the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships' Organising Committee, laid an in...

AUDIO - Fagan challenges the new PM

The country's most decorated shearer and member of the World Championship Organising Committee, Sir David Fagan joined Jamie Mackay on The Country radio show and laid down the challenge to New Zealand's new Prime Minister Bill English ahead of February's World Champs. Listen below....

AUDIO - Nathan Stratford on The Muster

New Zealand shearing team member Nathan Stratford joins Andy Thompson on The Muster on Hokonui Radio to discuss his preparations for the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in his hometown of Invercargill in February....

Demystifying the world of woolhandling

To an outside observer, the world of woolhandling is a mysterious one. Fleeces are thrown, oddments are sorted into any number of baskets, brooms are constantly working and there's always a breathless finish. If you think it's curious to watch, try judging at a World Championship, where titles are won and lost by the narrowest of margins. That's the role Te Kuiti's Peter Lange will oversee as Chief Woolhandling Referee at the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at ILT Stadium ...

Catlins day-trip for World Champ visitors

It is known as one of the hidden gems on New Zealand, but if you are travelling to Southland for the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in February you now have an exclusive opportunity to explore the rugged beauty of the Catlins. With magnificent coastal cliffs and beaches, extensive temperate rainforests, waterfalls and rolling farmland, the Catlins, on the rugged south eastern coast of the South Island, is a fascinating part of New Zealand. The World Championships is offe...

Paul Harris - Chief Shearing Referee

Like most sports in this country, shearing is held together by volunteers who are passionate about the industry who generously give a tremendous amount of time each year. Allow me to introduce a classic example, the Chief Shearing Referee for the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill in February, Mr Paul Harris. Harris follows the well-worn path from competitor to official. He's been involved in the industry his entire working life. "I competed reasonably succe...

Fagan - Competitions vital to shearing industry

I can't emphasise enough the importance of shearing competitions to the industry. It's our shop window and it helps keep the quality of our shearing the best in the world. I've always believed that if shearing competitions ended, the quality of workmanship in the shed would go back really quickly. Right from day one, when shearers are taught by instructors, all the way through the ranks to the best-of-the-best, there's always that drive to get better and in the workplace. Even towards the end...

High demand for All Nations entries

Entries are rolling in for the Southland All-Nations shearing and woolhandling events to be held at the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in February. With team selections confirmed for the World Championships, the All Nations has been added to the programme to allow those not selected to be part of this historic event and allow international competitors the chance to put the final touches on their World Champs preparation. Event manager Jude McNab said interest has been hig...

World Champs merchandise launched

The 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will make history when they are held in the South Island for the first time in Invercargill in February. And now, you can own a small slice of history yourself with the initial release of exclusive 2017 World Championship memorabilia. The World Championship Organising Committee has partnered with event sponsor Acto Agriculture to launch a range of event merchandise which is now available for purchase online. Products include hooded swe...

AUDIO - Commentator previews World Champs

Shearing commentator Norm Harraway previews the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships with Andy Thompson on The Muster on Hokonui....

Wool Industry Showcase at World Champs

The best shearers and woolhandlers will headline the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill in February, but the event is about more than the battle for world titles on-stage. A large variety of exhibitors will also make ILT Stadium Southland their home throughout the Championships in the Trade, Craft and Wool Expo to be held on the venue's Community Courts from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 February. Organising Committee Chairman Tom Wilson said the Expo was an importa...

Five thousand reasons to visit Gore

If you are coming to Southland for the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, there are five thousand reasons to make sure Gore is on your itinerary. That's the total prize pool that is on offer for the GO SHEAR weekend in Gore, scheduled for Sunday 5 February. The Gore District Council, Mataura Licensing Trust and Gore A&P Association have developed GO SHEAR to coincide with the final build up to the World Championships which are being staged at ILT Stadium Southland from ...

Sophie Huf - A year of firsts

It's been a year of firsts for Australian woolhandling representative Sophie Huf. The 25-year-old Victorian won her first Australian national title in early October, gained her debut selection in the Australian team and will be making her maiden trip to the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill in February. It's also worth adding the arrival of her first child at the start of the year to that list. Baby Axel is a calming influence for the proud new mother at competi...

Arthur Rundle – A Lifetime of Service

World Shearing recently lost one of its great servants with the passing of Arthur Rundle. Arthur was part of the shearing competitions at the Royal Bath and West Show for forty-three years and served on the World Council of shearing since 2003 as secretary and treasurer. He first became involved with shearing at the Bath and West through some friends at Devon YFC. "I used to dabble with shearing on my own farm, but I didn't shear all the flock because I was more concerned with the meat indus...

AUDIO - Tom Wilson on The Muster

2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling chairman and former World Individual and Team Shearing Champion Tom Wilson discusses preparations for the event in Invercargill in February with Andy Thompson on The Muster on Hokonui....

Norm Harraway - Commentator hopeful for local win

Norm Harraway. Even if you don't know his name, by the end of the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill in February, you will definitely know his voice. Harraway will be one of the commentary team whose tones will bring ILT Stadium Southland to life when the world's best shearers and woolhandlers descend on New Zealand's deep south in the new year and he couldn't be happier with the decision to host the event in the South Island for the first time in its history. "I'm...

Fagan - Career full of World Champs Highlights

By Sir David Fagan I was lucky enough to represent New Zealand at nine different World Championships during my career. Over that time, remarkably, I had nine different team mates. I've always said, the hardest part about the World Championships is making the New Zealand team. Once you're in there, you've got a fair crack at it. This year is a great example of the depth in shearing in this country and it's been that way for the last 30 years. It was the biggest buzz ever when I made the team...

Best friends ready to take on the World for Wales

Like most sporting communities, the world of competition woolhandling is a small one where everyone knows everyone else. Want proof? Let's take a look at the Welsh team selected to contest the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill, New Zealand in February. For starters, the woolhandling duo are best friends. Robyn Charlton and Ffion Jones (nee Davies) met each other when the pair took up competition woolhandling around ten years ago. Their families have been close ...

John Dalla - Keeping the art alive

He's won eight national titles in nine years and is gearing up to attend his fourth World Championships, but South Australian John Dalla is just as focussed on keeping the art of blade shearing alive in Australia. Dalla has dominated the sport in the lucky country for the last decade and when he's not on the end of a set of hand shears himself, he divides his time between his Orrie Cowie Merino Stud on the York Penninsula, west of Adelaide and his role as a trainer for Australian Wool Innovat...

VIDEO - World Champs Preview

Here's a taste of what you are in for in February 2017, when the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships are held in ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill, New Zealand. Make sure you are there and click here to buy your ticket today....

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No shortage of events for visitors in 2017

There are many events for competitors in both the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships and the Southland All Nations events to enjoy as part of their trek south in the New Year. Last minute preparations for competition can be fine-tuned for those travelling to Southland early at the annual Northern Southland Full Wool Shearing Championships in Lumsden on Friday 20 January, followed by the Southland Shearing and Woolhandling event and New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Champs in Winton on Sat...

Gavin Mutch - World Champs wide open

The 2017 World Shearing title is a wide-open contest according to former champion Gavin Mutch. The transplanted Scotsman, who farms in Taranaki, comes up with a long list of contenders when asked who will provide the biggest challenge in his attempt for a second individual title at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill, New Zealand in February. At the top of the list is his good kiwi mate. "John Kirkpatrick and I travel to a lot of shows together. I know he's got ...