New Zealand Shears Circuit

Host-town shearer Jack Fagan is well-placed for a successful defence of the New Zealand Shears Circuit title after qualifying for this week’s showdown at the three-day New Zealand Shearing Championships which start in Te Kuiti on Thursday.

The semi-finals and final will take place on Saturday, with Fagan (pictured after last year's win) ranked in third place among the 12 to make it through on points gathered from placings around 14 partner competitions during the 2024-2025 season, comprising seven in the South Island seven in the North..

Those points disappears as the shearers battle on Saturday morning for places in Saturday night’s six-man final over five merinos, and the strongwool sheep of five ewes and five lambs each, the winner claiming one of two places in the 2025 New Zealand UK tour team.

But it’s a big challenge with the qualifiers headed by three-times winner Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, and including Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham, the winner two years ago and who four weeks ago in his home town won his second PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit title in a final over five wool types, also including long wool, merino and corriedales.

The only other former winner to qualify is Hawke’s Bay shearer John Kirkpatrick, and the trio’s biggest challenge is expected to come from Southern Hawke’s Bay-based Scotsman Gavin Mutch, the second to top qualifier.

Welsh shearer Llyr Jones is also in the race to become the first from overseas to win the event, which dates back to 1989, when Fagan’s father, now Sir David Fagan, won the first of his eight titles in the circuit over a period of 26 years.

The circuit offers one of three titles available for Open-class shearers in Te Kuiti on the penultimate weekend of a 58-shows Shearing Sports New Zealand season. Also on the line are the North Island Shearer of the Year title on Friday night and, ending the championships 24 hours later, the New Zealand Open Shearing Championship.

The Oxford A and P Show Shears will be held on Saturday in North Canterbury and the national lambshearing championships will be held at the Mackenzie A and P Show in Fairlie on Easter Monday (April 21).

The semi-finalists in order of qualifying are: Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 60pts, 1; Gavin Mutch (Scotland /Dannevirke) 55pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 54pts, 3; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 52pts, 4; Justin Meikle (Oamaru) 49pts, 5; Llyr Jones (Wales) 44pts, 6; Brook Hamerton (Hastings) 44pts, 7; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 44pts, 8; Mark Grainger (Te Kuiti) 42pts, 9; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 42pts, 10; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 39pts, 11; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 38pts, 12.

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