From left, the NZ blades team of Scott McKay, manager Chris Jones and Allan Oldfield, and the Australian team of Daniel Rogers and Johnathon Dalla, and sponsor’s representative Lachie Nixon.

TWO blade shearers have saved the day for Australia with an historic win in a trans-Tasman test match at the New Zealand Spring Shears in the South Canterbury town of Waimate.

While being frequently reminded of progress in the Wallabies demise against the All Blacks in Auckland, South Australian Johnathon Dalla and Victorian Daniel Rogers celebrated Australia’s first win in a blade shearing test match in New Zealand.

It was second blade win only in the 21 trans-Tasman tests in annual home-and-away series’ that started in 2010.

Dalla has shorn 19 of the tests, including the previous win in Jamestown, South Australia, in 2023, but it was a particularly triumphant series debut for Rogers, who first represented Australia at the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling  Championships in Masterton in March.

On Saturday, they beat the New Zealand team of former world individual champion Allan Oldfield, from Geraldine, but recently moved to Melbourne, and Scott McKay, of Clarence, by 2.813 points.

Rogers had the best points in quality judging in the pens – a telling 2.75 points better than next-best Oldfield, who was first off.

Shearing the four sheep in 10m 43.25s but just 24 seconds clear of Dalla, it gave Oldfield an inkling that history was in the making.

As he prepared to fly back to Australia, on Sunday, as co-passenger with the victors, he said: “Daniel and John are both shearing really well, and have definitely put the work in for this win.”

“It has to happen sometime,” he said. “And this is the best team Aussie have ever had.”

Despite the history, the bladesmen from the western side of the ditch gave themselves a chance, and Rogers said: “We didn’t wanna push too hard for pace to keep up with Allan, we knew that if we did the job out the back it was going to give us a really good chance to win.”

“We both were really happy with our shear.”

As for the rugby, Rogers said they didn’t watch, but were reminded of the score “quite a few times last night”, and as for a hero’s welcome he commented: “Yeah, that would be nice, I don’t think people in Australia care enough about blade shearing though.”

Another who wasn’t surprised, was Fairlie blade shearing legend Tony Dobbs, who bowed out by winning the shears’ open blades final, and watching the test from the sidelines, after 16 consecutive trans-Tasman tests dating back to Waimate in 2014.

Dobbs helped coach Rogers on similar New Zealand sheep before the world championships, and said: “I could tell then, this guy’s a very good blade shearer.”

Dobbs confirmed that, three months out from “the pension” and retiring to Central Otago, he was retiring from competition, having successfully targeted winning the open final at the show as a swansong, where it all started 47 years ago, at the age of 18.

He’s won about 150 titles globally, having shorn “wherever I could find sheep” in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and South Africa. More than 100 of the wins have been in New Zealand, which he’s also represented in about 37 tests and World championship events.

The two teams are now headed for a rematch at the Australian National Shearing and Wool Handling Championships on October 29-31 in Warrnambool, Victoria, where the will also be machines shearing and wool handling test matches.

Samuels wins machine shearing final

Meanwhile, in the machine shearing, Leon Samuels, of Roxburgh, won the Shears’ New Zealand Longwool Open title for a fourth time, beating runner-up Justin Meikle, of Oamaru by more than three points.

In an 18-sheep final, the pair were separated by five seconds at the end of a contest of 18 sheep each, Samuels claiming the time honours in 16m 24s, as both finished more than a minute before third man off, Scots international and Hawke’s Bay farmer Gavin Mutch.

Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford successfully defended the New Zealand Winter Comb title, beating runner-up Samuels by more than seven points. Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham was third, having shorn the 10 merino wethers in 17m 50.13s, almost a minute clear of Samuels, who was second to finish, while Duncan Leslie was fourth, a week after winning the New Zealand Merino title in hometown Alexandra.

Gore shearer Cody Waihape remained unbeaten in new-season senior finals, by winning both titles in Waimate, on top of his New Zealand Merino Championships win in Alexandra a week earlier.

Jodiesha Kirkpatrick, of Gisborne, won the long wool intermediate final, and the junior final was won by Deakan Mullins-Henry, of Dannevirke.

Wool handler Kelly scores biggest career win

Kelly Macdonald

The woolhandling provided the second surprise in two big open finals in the new season, with the biggest career win for long-time Canterbury competitor Kelly Macdonald, now based in Waimate, kicking back into a life a competitive career on which she had all-but turned her back.

Starting in a field of 23, she scraped into the final as fourth qualifier from the semi-finals, which saw the elimination of Monica Potae, who won the New Zealand Merino title in Alexandra starting the season a week earlier, World and Golden Shears champion Joel Henare, and defending champion Taiwha Nelson, to whom Macdonald was runner-up last year.

It was a comfortable win on Saturday by almost 35 points from 2019 and 2020 winner Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra. First-year open wool handler Tre Ratana Sciascia, of Feilding, was third, and Charlotte Stuart, of Omarama, was fourth.

“I wasn’t going to enter the competition in the first place, as I’d been having thoughts about giving competing away,” Macdonald said. “When I eventually decided to enter, my intention was for it to be my last show and to leave competitive wool handling behind.”

“After the win, I was talking with Joel Henare about the irony of that decision and the possibility of ending my competitive career on a high,” she said.

“Joel offered another perspective, suggesting it could instead be a sign to keep going.

“He pointed out how many finals I’d made over the years competing in the open grade and encouraged me to jump on the winners’ train and see where it takes me.”

She said she’s now got “a big decision to make” before the next wool handling competition in the South Island, the Canterbury show’s New Zealand Corriedale Championships in Christchurch on November 12.

Marama Timmins, from Tolaga Bay, won the senior final, having been runner-up a week earlier in her first event since self-promoting from the Junior grade, and Saturday’s Junior final was won by Myia Pairama.

North Island competitors claimed two of the three South Island Woolhandling Circuit titles, with Open honours to Cushla Abraham, of Masterton, and Senior to Tia Manson, of Piopio. The Junior circuit final was won by Talia Nelson, of Alexandra.

Results from the 59th New Zealand Spring Shears shearing and woolhandling championships at Waimate on October 9-10, 2026:

International

Trans-Tasman Blade Shearing test (4 sheep each): Australia (Daniel Rogers 11m 58.44s, 46.422pts; John Dalla 11m 7.7s, 47.135pts) 93.557pts, New Zealand (Allan Oldfield 10m 43.25pts, 44.663pts; Scott McKay 12m 9.13s, 51.707pts) 96.37pts. Australia won by 2.813 points. The second test is at the Australian National Shearing and Wool Handling Championships at Warrnambool, Vic., on October 29-31.

Shearing

Open final (18 sheep): Leon Samuels (Roxburgh) 16m 24s, 54.089pts, 1; Justin Meikle (Oamaru) 16m 29.22s, 57.461pts, 2; Gavin Mucth (Scotland/Dannevirke) 17m 38.53s, 59.316pts, 3; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17m 50.89s, 60.619pts, 4; Ant Frew (Pleasant Point) 18m 25.8s, 61.012pts, 5; Corey Palmer (Dipton) 18m 49.66s, 62.205pts, 6.

Open Plate (10 sheep): Brook Hamerton (Hastings) 10m 5.59s, 33.88pts, 1; Josef Winders (-) 10m 35.55s, 39.178pts, 2; Cody Smith (Hunterville/Gore) 9m 47.64s, 39.282pts, 3; Toko Hapuku (Ashburton) 10m 35.14s, 39.457pts, 4; Dre Roberts (Mataura) 11m 11.48s, 39.874pts, 5; Taare Edwards ( Rakaia) 11m 30.97s, 42.649pts, 6.

Senior final (8 sheep): Cody Waihape (Gore) 9m 11s, 34.05pts, 1; Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 9m 3.78s, 34.939pts, 2; Duncan Adams (Scotland) 10mn 46.38s, 36.569pts, 3; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 10m 39.08s, 36.704pts, 4; Caleb Brooking (Rakaia) 10m 23.19s, 38.66pts, 5; Caleb Makuch (Temuka) 11m 21.84s, 41.842pts, 6.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 8m 8.2s, 30.01pts, 1; Tamati Dennison (Kurow) 7m 53.7s, 31.085pts, 2; Kingston Pue (Raetihi) 8m 20.25s, 31.213pts, 3; Reuben Wilkinson (Wyndham) 9m 1.31s, 33.866pts, 4; Jacob Booth (Waimate) 9m 36.11s, 40.406pts, 5; Tyran Smith (Christchurch) 9m 48.81s, 43.041pts, 6.

Junior final (3 sheep): Deakan Mullins Henry (Dannevirke) 6m 35.09s, 28.088pts, 1; Caden Hofman (Kurow) 6m 57.28s, 31.864pts, 2; Tracey Paton (Timaru) 6m 53.41s, 40.004pts, 3; Sam Edh (Waimate) 7m 52.58s, 41.296pts, 4; Jess Toa (Ashburton) 9m 26.44s, 56.989pts, 5; Josh Youngman (Timaru) 8m 43.45s, 58.507pts, 6.

Novice (1 sheep): Holly Scott (Waimate) 3m 17.2s, 43.86pts, 1; Tegan Caves (Christchurch) 3m 51.2s, 62.56pts, 2; Harry Simpson (Waimate) 4m 35.08s, 66.754pts, 3.

Open blades final (5 sheep): Tony Dobbs (Fairlie) 14m 38.02s, 53.301pts, 1; John Dalla (South Australia) 14m 21.97s, 54.299pts, 2; Allan Oldfield (Geraldine) 13m 37.78s, 54.889pts, 3; Daniel Rogers Telangatuk East, West Victoria) 14m 11.53s, 55.177pts, 4; Mike McConnell (Albury) 13m 56.75s, 58.038pts, 5; Tim Hogg (Timaru) 15m 11.3s, 60.965pts, 6.

Intermediate blades final (2 sheep): Maureen Cadet (France) 13m 44.77s, 49.239pts, 1; Matt Weaver (Christchurch) 12m 24.53s, 52.227pts, 2; Kathleen Markiewicz (USA) 13m 1.8s, 53.09pts, 3; Evalyn McGregor (Otautau) 14m 21.39s, 54.07pts, 4; Simon Rouanet (France) 15m 28.19s, 57.41pts, 5; Jana Sinova (Czech Republic) 13m 54.48s, 73.724pts, 6.

NZ Winter Comb Open final (10 merino wethers): Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19m 47.86s, 74.393pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Roxburgh) 18m 47.64s, 81.882pts, 2; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 17m 50.134s, 85.207pts, 3; Duncan Leslie (Alexandra) 21m 12.27s, 91.314pts, 4; Murray Johnston (Greta Valley) 21m 54.42s, 91.421pts, 5; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 20m 40.34s, 92.917pts, 6.

NZ Winter Comb Senior final (4 merino wethers): Cody Waihape (Gore) 13m 1.69s, 60.835pts, 1; John Kuepfer (St Marys, Ontario, US) 12m 36.33s, 62.317pts, 2; Tamati Dennison (Kurow) 13m 21.05s, 63.803pts, 3; Stacey Te Whitu (Gore) 13m 14.73s, 67.987pts, 4; Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 14m 36.28s, 74.814pts, 5; Caleb Brooking (Wyndham) 14m 13.28s, 79.664pts, 6.

Wool handling

Open final (5 fleeces): Kelly McDonald (Waimate) 236.65pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 271.238pts, 2; Tre Ratana Sciascia (Feilding) 310.6pts, 3; Charlotte Stuart (Omarama) 333.09pts, 4.

Senior final (3 fleeces): Marama Timmins (Tolaga Bay) 185.12pts, 1; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 203.1pts, 2; Tia Manson (Piopio) 217.582pts, 3; Chiquita Tamepo (Hastings) 234.5pts, 4.

Junior final: Myia Pairama (Kurow) 127.544pts, 1; Jade Ratima (Esperance W.A./Alexandra) 185.794pts, 2; Nikora Joseph (Oamaru) 246.526pts, 3; Jayda White (Milton) 343.5pts, 4.

South Island circuits

Open final (4 fleeces):  Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 105.536pts, 1; Amy Ferguson (Invercargill) 122.562pts, 2; Candy Hiri (Mataura) 143.138pts, 3; Saskia Tuahakaraina (Gore) 151.044pts, 4.

Senior final (3 fleeces): Tia Manson (Pioipio) 99.726pts, 1; Ashley Clarke (Gore) 108.12pts, 2; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 113.32pts, 3.

Junior final (2 fleeces): Talia Nelson (Alexandra) 104.732pts, 1; Zoe Meikle (Oamaru) 114.386pts, 2; Nanise Katonibau (Navua, Fiji/Waimate) 141.16pts, 3; Lucy Black (Waimate) 143.41pts, 4.