Shearing: Wales and NZ to battle in Central Hawke’s Bay after King Country cancellation

Napier shearer junior title favourite Kaivah Cooper will compete at the new Hawke's Bay Autumn Shears in Waipukurau on Wednesday, where a test match will also be shorn between New Zealand and Wales. Photo / Pete Nikolaison

Local Hawke’s Bay shearers and young guns vying for national titles will have the region behind them on Wednesday when a previously cancelled test match between New Zealand and Wales is hosted in Central Hawke’s Bay.

The second of three matches in the 2024 Wools of New Zealand Shearing Series held at the Waitomo Caves Sports was cancelled last week because of rain in King Country but will now be held at the Central Hawke’s Bay A and P Show shearing pavilion as part of the new Hawke’s Bay Autumn Shears.

Shearing Sports New Zealand North Island committee chairman Warren Parker confirmed the rescheduling and commended the Hawke’s Bay Autumn Shears committee for working to accommodate the match.

To host, Autumn Shears needed to have 80 more sheep available and other logistics in addition to those set aside for the five grades of shearing and three of wool handling already programmed for the day.

The day will likely be full of tight rivalries and heats, with multiple events and titles up for grabs.

Well over 100 competitors are expected from both the North and South Islands, including the Welsh team members and others from overseas coming to the end of their summers working in New Zealand.

Masterton shearers and brothers-in-law Paerata Abraham and David Gordon won the first test in Raetihi on March 16 and are out to avenge last July’s 3-0 loss to Wales in the UK, where New Zealand’s last series win over Wales in Wales was posted in 2019.

But visiting guns Gethin Lewis, who shears for Napier contractor Brendan Mahony, and teammate Llyr Jones are out to score Wales’ first win in a test match in New Zealand. If they are unable to break the duck in Waipukurau, they will get one last chance in the third test at the three-day New Zealand Shears starting on Thursday.

The HB Autumn Shears will start at 7.30am, with the Junior, Senior, and Open wool handling all completed during the morning. Shearing events from Novice to Open will start late morning and be completed in the afternoon.

Among the entries are up-and-coming Hawke’s Bay shearers Bruce Grace and Kaivah Cooper, each in the front line for the No. 1 rankings nationally in the Senior and Junior grades, respectively, in awards to be announced in Te Kuiti on Friday and Saturday.