Australia has pulled off a historic victory over New Zealand in blade shearing, claiming just its second win in 21 transtasman tests at the New Zealand Spring Shears in Waimate, while Māori competitors were among those celebrating impressive results across the weekend’s shearing and woolhandling championships.
Australian blade shearers Johnathon Dalla, from South Australia, and Daniel Rogers, from Victoria, stunned the New Zealand pairing of former world champion Allan Oldfield and Scott McKay, winning by 2.813 points.
The result marked Australia’s first blade shearing test victory on New Zealand soil since the annual home-and-away series began in 2010.
It was a remarkable achievement for the Australian team, which had previously tasted victory just once, in Jamestown, South Australia, in 2023.
Australia Turns the Tables on New Zealand
The contest was fiercely competitive, with New Zealand’s Allan Oldfield completing his four sheep in 10 minutes and 43.25 seconds.
However, it was the quality of the Australian shearing that ultimately made the difference.
Rogers produced the strongest performance in the judging pens, finishing 2.75 points ahead of Oldfield on quality.
Australia recorded a combined 93.557 points against New Zealand’s 96.370, with the lowest score determining the winner.
For Dalla, the victory was particularly significant, having represented Australia in 19 of the 21 transtasman blade shearing tests.
For Rogers, it was a dream debut in the series after representing Australia at the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton earlier this year.
The two nations will meet again at the Australian National Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Warrnambool, Victoria, from October 29 to 31.
Shearing Legend Tony Dobbs Signs Off in Style
While Australia celebrated its international breakthrough, one of New Zealand’s most accomplished blade shearers delivered a fitting farewell.
Fairlie veteran Tony Dobbs claimed the Open Blades title in Waimate, bringing down the curtain on a remarkable competitive career spanning 47 years.
Dobbs first competed at the Waimate event as an 18-year-old and returned to claim victory in what he had planned as his final competition.
The veteran shearer has accumulated approximately 150 titles worldwide, including more than 100 victories in New Zealand.
His career has taken him across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and South Africa, while also representing New Zealand in approximately 37 international tests and world championship events.
Dobbs finished ahead of Australia’s Johnathon Dalla, with Allan Oldfield third.
His retirement marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in New Zealand’s competitive shearing history.
Leon Samuels Claims Fourth Longwool Crown
In machine shearing, Roxburgh’s Leon Samuels continued his dominance of the New Zealand Longwool Open Championship, securing the title for the fourth time.
Samuels completed his 18 sheep in 16 minutes and 24 seconds, finishing just five seconds ahead of Oamaru’s Justin Meikle.
However, Samuels’ superior overall points score gave him victory by more than three points.
Scottish international and Hawke’s Bay farmer Gavin Mutch finished third.
Meanwhile, Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford successfully defended his New Zealand Winter Comb Open title, defeating Samuels by more than seven points.
Masterton’s Paerata Abraham finished third after completing his 10 merino wethers in 17 minutes and 50.13 seconds.
Cody Waihape Continues Unbeaten Run
Gore shearer Cody Waihape was another standout performer, maintaining his unbeaten start to the new season in Senior competition.
Waihape claimed both the Senior Longwool and New Zealand Winter Comb Senior titles in Waimate.
His victories followed success at the New Zealand Merino Championships in Alexandra the previous weekend.
The results establish Waihape as an early-season competitor to watch as the national shearing calendar gathers momentum.
In the Intermediate Longwool final, Gisborne’s Jodiesha Kirkpatrick claimed victory ahead of Kurow’s Tamati Dennison and Raetihi’s Kingston Pue.
Dannevirke’s Deakan Mullins-Henry won the Junior final, while Waimate’s Holly Scott claimed the Novice title.
Kelly McDonald Stuns Woolhandling Field
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend came in the Open Woolhandling final, where Waimate’s Kelly McDonald produced a remarkable victory.
McDonald had been considering retirement from competitive woolhandling and initially had doubts about entering the championship.
After qualifying fourth for the final, she delivered an outstanding performance to defeat Alexandra’s Pagan Rimene by almost 35 points.
First-year Open competitor Tre Ratana Sciascia, from Feilding, finished third, with Omarama’s Charlotte Stuart fourth.
The victory was particularly significant given the strength of the field, which included world and Golden Shears champion Joel Henare, defending champion Taiwha Nelson and New Zealand Merino champion Monica Potae.
All three were eliminated before the final.
McDonald’s victory has now prompted her to reconsider whether to continue competing, with the New Zealand Corriedale Championships in Christchurch on November 12 looming as her next possible appearance.
Māori Competitors Feature Among Weekend Winners
There were also strong performances from competitors across the motu in the woolhandling events.
Tolaga Bay’s Marama Timmins won the Senior Woolhandling final, continuing an impressive start to the season after finishing runner-up at the previous weekend’s competition.
Kurow’s Myia Pairama claimed the Junior Woolhandling title, ahead of Jade Ratima, Nikora Joseph and Jayda White.
North Island competitors also enjoyed success in the South Island Woolhandling Circuit.
Masterton’s Cushla Abraham won the Open Circuit title, while Piopio’s Tia Manson claimed the Senior honours.
Alexandra’s Talia Nelson secured the Junior Circuit championship.
The results highlighted the depth of talent emerging across New Zealand’s shearing and woolhandling competitions.
Waimate Delivers a Weekend to Remember
The 59th New Zealand Spring Shears championships delivered a weekend of historic achievements, emotional farewells and outstanding individual performances.
Australia’s breakthrough transtasman victory demonstrated the increasingly competitive nature of international blade shearing, while Tony Dobbs’ retirement marked the end of one of the sport’s great careers.
For New Zealand competitors, the weekend also provided an early indication of the talent likely to feature throughout the 2026–27 shearing season.
With the transtasman rematch approaching later this month, attention now turns to whether New Zealand can respond to Australia’s historic victory on the other side of the Tasman.
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