Shearing Showdown For NZ Rugby 7s Star Sarah Goss

Shearing Showdown For NZ Rugby 7s Star Sarah Goss

INTENSE rugby competition on the world stage in Brazil just days ago hasn't stopped New Zealand women's Sevens vice-captain Sarah Goss from priming her clippers ahead of a showdown of some of the best female shearers in the country tonight at the 54th Golden Shears.

Goss, 21, from Kimbolton,jetted in from the Brazillian Capital of Rio de Janeiro this morning, to cheer on Mum Ronnie and teenage brother Simon in their events, but even a touch of jet lag won't keep the professional rugby player away from competition herself tonight.

The former top lower grades shearer has been brought up on the smell of wool through the family farm and the whole family are seasoned competitors on the shearing and woolhandling cicuit.

Even though Goss, a contracted NZ rugby player with a host of international IRB tournaments ahead of her has hung up her hand piece, she didn't hestitate to compete in tonight's all womens invitational.

“It's massive really. I've always loved shearing as a sport but to compete at Golden Shears has always been a privilege.

“To be invited to compete tonight is a huge honour. Focusing a place in the team for the 2016 Rio de Janiero Olympics is the big goal for me now, but I'll still never turn my back on mine and my families love of shearig and Golden Shears.”

Her mother Ronnie, who was prepared to step into the inviational event to shear if Sarah didn't make her flight back in time, is showing what an experienced and skilled old hand she is in competition, having qualified for tomorrow's final of the world champships New Zealand team selection woolhandling trials.

The womens invitational event is one feature of tonight's programme on the second day of competition.

The Open Wananga – Women's Sheating invitation was added to the programme last year after more than a quarter of a century absence.

It took on a special purpose as a fundraiser for families coping with cancer.

The line up for tonight's invitational includes former world lamb shearing record holder Emily Welch, part time shearer Kirsty Hoff and full time shearers Te Atakura Crawford, Catherine Mullooly and Teresa Aporo.

Other features of the night programme, expected to watched by a capacity crowd in the stadium where the Golden Shears began in 1961, are a transtasman woolhandling test, the Open shearing’s Top 30 quarterfinal shootout, and the men’s and women’s woolpressing finals.

An annual woolhandling series between New Zealand and Australia has been dominated by the Kiwis, who’ve won 23 of the 31 tests.

ENDS

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