Golden Shears 2026: All six NZ team members qualify for world semi-finals

Allan Oldfield competes in the opening rounds of the world blade shearing at the Golden Shears. He qualified No 1 for the semi-finals, and hopes to regain the title he won in France in 2019. Photo / Golden Shears

New Zealand’s hopes for the major titles at the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships have soared, with all six team members now qualified for their semi-finals on Saturday.

It includes a sharpening of blade-shearing’s version of an All Blacks–Springboks test.

Allan Oldfield, of Geraldine, and Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, qualified first and second for their semi-final, ahead of South Africa’s Teboho Nyatsa, of Rouxville in the Free State, and defending champion Bonile Rabela, of Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape.

New international Nyatsa was third among the 12 qualifiers, and Rabela fifth, the pair being separated by English shearer Andrew Mudge.

Woolhandlers Joel Henare, of Motueka, and Marika Braddick, of Eketāhuna, qualified in first and fourth places respectively.

In machine shearing, qualifying was headed by New Zealand‑based Scotsman and 2012 world champion Gavin Mutch, ahead of Toa Henderson, of Kaiwaka, and Rowland Smith, of Maraekakaho.

New Zealand did not win any of the six titles at the last world championships, held in Scotland in 2023.

All three defending champions made the semi-finals – Rabela, machine shearer Gwion Evans, from Wales, and woolhandler Rosie Kennan, of Scotland.

Qualifiers for Saturday’s Golden Shears semi-finals (in order of qualifying):

The top six from each semi-final will advance to the finals.

Machine shearing: Gavin Mutch (Scotland) 46.365pts, 1; Toa Henderson (New Zealand) 47.897pts, 2; Rowland Smith (New Zealand) 47.955pts, 3; Llyr Jones (Wales) 50.745pts, 4; Adam Dickson(Falkland Islands) 51.038pts, 5; Hamish Mitchell (Scotland) 53.34pts, 6; Matt Smith (England) 53.898pts, 7; Gwion Evans (Wales) 54.149pts, 8; Denis O’Sullivan (Ireland) 55.265pts, 9; Daniel McIntyre (Australia) 55.808pts, 10; Jeremy Leygonie (France) 56.264pts, 11; Noel Gardiner (Cook Islands) 56.603pts, 12.

Blade shearing: Allan Oldfield (New Zealand) 76.012pts, 1; Tony Dobbs (New Zealand) 84.26pts, 2; Teboho Nyatsa (South Africa) 86.557pts, 3; Andrew Mudge (England) 89.034pts, 4; Bonile Rabela (South Africa) 89.279pts, 5; Johnathon Dalla (Australia) 94.928pts, 6; Daniel Rogers (Australia) 97.751pts, 7; Martin Hopkins (Ireland) 101.152pts, 8; Rhydian Evans (Wales) 106.597pts, 9; George Mudge (England) 106.804pts, 10; James Hopkins (Ireland) 108.099pts, 11; Elfed Jackson (Wales) 108.732pts, 12.

Woolhandling: Joel Henare (New Zealand) 120.615pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Cook Islands) 121.387pts, 2; Racheal Hutchinson (Australia) 123.776pts, 3; Marika Braddick (New Zealand) 134.493pts, 4; Charis Morrell (Switzerland) 152.362pts, 5; Jonathon Haakull (Norway) 153.819pts, 6; Tina Elers (Cook Islands) 157.757pts, 7; Hilary Bond-Harding (England) 158.644pts, 8; Pilar Castro (Falkland Islands) 171.207pts, 9; Lucie Grancher (France) 180.164pts, 10; Jess Parkhouse (England) 180.409pts, 11; Rosie Keenan (Scotland) 181.479pts, 12.