Rural Catch popular part of Fielddays

2018 Fieldays Rural Catch winner Mairi Whittle. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography

If you're a single, rural-based Kiwi, keen for a week off the farm to experience Fieldays, have some fun and compete for an awesome prize pool, get your entry in for Fieldays Rural Catch.

Partnered by Farmland's Co-operative, Fieldays Rural Catch brings contestants together from around the country to represent the rural community and compete in various rural-themed tasks over two days of competition and social events.

2018 Rural Catch of the Year Mairi Whittle encourages people to give it a go to test your rural knowledge and skills and meet some great like-minded people.

"It was such an amazing experience to be a part of last year, I got to meet an awesome bunch of people and we made some great memories over the week," she says.

"We got the chance to have a week off the farm, connect with the sponsors and a few other organisations and experience Fieldays is a very unique way — why not give it a shot?"

A version of Fieldays Rural Catch has been a popular fixture on the Fieldays calendar for 14 years, each year testing the skills and knowledge of eight talented rural competitors and giving them the chance to make connections and compete for the Golden Gumboot.

The winner of the Golden Gumboot and the title of Fieldays Rural Catch will also walk away with an impressive prize pool worth over $25,000 thanks to our generous sponsors.

Fieldays event manager Nicky Garland speaks of the slight change to the competition format this year.

"We have condensed the competition element of Rural Catch on site at Fieldays and introduced a new social event titled 'Meet a Mate' which is currently being finalised.

"Contestants' skills and knowledge will be tested during the first two days of the event with a prizegiving taking place on the Friday morning, giving the finalists a chance to unwind and enjoy the event afterwards," she says.

■Check out the entry criteria and apply for Fieldays Rural Catch online at fieldays.co.nz/whats-on/ruralcatch/