Golden Shears: Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith withdraws due to injury

Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith, seen here winning the Golden Shears open title for the eighth time. Photo / Pete Nikolaison / Golden Shears Media Group

Reigning Golden Shears open shearing champion Rowland Smith has withdrawn from this year’s event because of injury.

The nearly 2m-tall 37-year-old Hawke’s Bay shearer announced the decision yesterday, just hours after he had received the latest news on an injury he has been trying to work through.

Smith is an eight-time Golden Shears open winner, and 2014 World Champion.

His injury was worse than expected and he realised immediately it was best not to risk further damage with farming, rural contracting and family interests at play.

Another factor in his decision was his desire to bounce back next season, bidding for a place in the New Zealand team in the 2026 World Championships in Masterton.

Smith said he had been working towards defending the title, so it was a disappointment to have to withdraw at almost the last minute, with the three-day shears starting this morning and the open championship heats being held on Friday afternoon.

Smith had competed just three times this season, for a win at Dannevirke on February 2, and third and second placings at Gore and Pukekohe on February 17 and 18 respectively,

The announcement sent the TAB into a spin, being the only betting agency in the world taking wagers on shearing competition in the only country where shearing competition is recognised by a Government or a government agency as a sport.

Smith had been the TAB favourite, starting at $1.70 when the book opened on Monday, with second favourite, Northland shearer Toa Henderson at $2.60, after a string of dominant recent wins.

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As punter interest swung towards Henderson he came in to $2.25 and Smith drifted to $1.80, but with Smith’s scratching Henderson became the warm favourite at $1.45.

The price on Southland gun and 2023 New Zealand Shears open winner and World Championships Team member Leon Samuels was chopped to $2.90.

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Smith was runner-up for the first time into the Golden Shears final in 2011 and third 12 months later but hasn’t since been beaten in the six-man showdown.

He didn’t compete in 2015 when it was won by New Zealand-based Scotland international Gavin Mutch, now the third favourite to win the final on Saturday night.