Revenge for black shirts in transtasman woolhandling
The New Zealand woolhandling team has regathered some claim to trannstasman supremacy with a narrow win over Australia at the Golden Shears in Masterton.
Beaten by Australa during the Australian national shearing and woolhandling championships in West Australian shearing town Katanning in October, Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra, and Ngaio Hanson, of Eketahuna, were determined to make amends on Friday night and beat Australian pair Alexander Schoff, of Queensland, and Tasmanian national side newcomer Tiffany Collins by 4.48pts in the unique penalties-based system in which the lower score wins.
New Zealand has now won 37 of the 49 tests between the two nations since transtasman woolhandling matches began in 1998.
It was a good day for Rimene, who led the eight qualifiers for Saturday afternoon’s Golden Shears Open woolhandling semifinals, still on track for a crack at winning the most-coveted title for the first time, in the evening.
But warm TAB favourite Joel Henare, from Gisborne, remained also on track, qualifying in second place in pursuit of an 11th consecutive win in the event.
Meanwhile, Leon Samuels, who last year became the first South Island shearer to win the Golden Shears Open shearing title since 1989, is out of the race to defend the crown after being eliminated in Friday night’s Top 30 Quarterfinal Shootout.
Samuels was vying for TAB favouritism with eight-times winner and Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith, who missed last year’s even because of injury.
Smith reasserted his authority to head the 12 qualifying for the Saturday-afternoon semi-finals, but Samuels had a shear to forget in the last of the five six-man quarterfinal heats, missing the cut by more than two points and finishing in 20th place.
Four-times winner John Kirkpatrick was another to miss the cut, by just 0.117pts behind 12th qualifier Mark Grainger, of Te Kuiti.
Northland shearer Toa Henderson, striving to reach the final for the first time, qualified in second place while 2024 New Zealand Shears Te Kuiti Open champion David Buick, of Pongaroa, qualified in third place among a 12 including five from the South Island.
In other features of the second day, Laura Bradley won the women’s invitation shearing event and was also top qualifier for Saturday’s Senior final, and successful shearer and woolhandler Ricci Stevens,of Napier, ended 20 years of Goodger whanau domination of the men’s woolpressing title by beating 14-times winner Jeremy Goodger, of Masterton, in this year’s final
The New Zealand team of Ngaio Hanson and Pagan Rimere at work on the table in their trannstasman woolhandling test wi over Australia at the Golden Shears in Masterto on Friday night.
Photo / Pete Nikolaison
Former Golden Shears Junior woolhandling champion Ricci Stevens, of Napier, breaks the Goodger whanau domination of Golden Shears men's woolhandling by beating 14-times winner Jeremy Goodger, of Masterton, in 2025 final.
Photo / Pete Nikolaison
Angela Stevens in the Open Woolhandling Top 20 quarterfinals, qualifying in the eight for the semifinnals.
Photo / Pete Nikolaison.
Laura Bradley retaining the Golde Shears Invitation women;s shearing title, onn what she reckoned was her best-ever day at the Golde Shears. She was also top qualifier for Saturday's Senior shearig title. Photo / Pete Nikolaison.