News
The World Shearing Championships Committee finds another gear as the World Event quickly approaches. Being held in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand from the 9 th to the 11 th February in the ILT Stadium Southland, not only is the committee excited about hosting this event but Southland and New Zealand is getting behind a first in the South Island and only 5th time being held in New Zealand over a 40 year period (1980, 1988, 1996, 2012 –Masterton)
With 31 countries registered, Chairman Tom Wilson is delighted with the country registrations to date. “It is only September and we know of a few more teams that are to be selected around the world including the NZ team who will be picked at the Christchurch A&P Show on November 11 th 2016.
Selection for the New Zealand team will be an event that will feel like a marathon as each competitor will be giving their all to secure a spot in the NZ team. After competing around the circuit of shearing and woolhandling shows to obtain qualifying points, the final 6 machine shearers, 6 blade shearers and 4 woolhandlers will step up to the board with a clean slate and will battle out the final to secure a 1 st or 2 nd placing to secure their place in the 2017 New Zealand Team.
This will be a final not to be missed as any one of the finalists has a chance to represent NZ. “We are expecting a real showdown at the Canterbury A&P show” Chairman of the World Shearing event, Tom Wilson said.
Countries registered to date include:-
Teams to date
1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Canada
4. Chile
5. Cook Islands
6. Czech Republic
7. Denmark
8. England
9. Estonia
10. Falkland Islands
11. Germany
12. Iceland
13. Ireland
14. Isle of Man
15. Italy
16. Japan
17. Mongolia
18. NZ
19. Northern Ireland
20. Norway
21. Scotland
22. Slovakia
23. South Africa
24. Spain
25. Switzerland
26. The Netherlands
27. USA
28. Wales
29. France
30. Argentina
31. Slovenia
31 Teams – home countries of competitors, 4500 – estimated number of sheep About 6000 – estimated visitors/spectators 29.8 million – estimated number of sheep in New Zealand 4.3 million – estimated number of sheep in Southland