NEW ZEALAND’S hopes for the major titles at the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships have soared with all six members all qualifying in the top four for their semi-finals early on the last day on Saturday.

The Australian team has managed four qualifiers in the semi-finals, with Daniel McIntyre in the machine shearing, Johnathan Dalla and Daniel Rogers in the blade shearing, and Racheal Hutchison in the wool handling.

It was also announced today that the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will be held at the Geelong Showgrounds on 31 October-3 November in 2029.

The Golden Shears blade shearing is shaping up to look a version of an All Blacks-Springboks test, with Allan Oldfield, from Geraldine, and Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, being the top two qualifiers for their semi-final, ahead of the vaunted South African pair of new international Teboho Nyatsa, of Rouxvill, Free State, and defending champion Bonile Rabela, of Eastern Cape town Sterkspruit.

Nyatsa was third among the 12 qualifiers, and Rabela fifth, the pair being separated by English shearer Andrew Mudge.

New Zealand wool handlers Joel Henare, of Motueka, and Marika Braddick of Eketahuna, qualified in first and fourth places respectfully, and Toa Henderson, of Kaiwaka, and Rowland Smith, of Maraekakaho, were headed in qualifying for the machine shearing semi-finals only by New Zealand-based Scotsman and 2012 World champion Gavin Mutch.

New Zealand did not win any of the six titles at the last world championships, in Scotland in 2023.

All three defending champions made semi-finals, comprising Rabela, machine shearer Gwion Evans, from Wales, andwoolhandler Rosie Kennan, of Scotland.

Qualifiers for the semi-finals of the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships semi-finals to be contested on Saturday, in order of qualifying, and with the top six from the semi-finals contesting the finals on Saturday night, are:

Machine shearing: Gavin Mutch (Scotland) 46.365pts, 1; Toa Henderson (New Zealand) 47.897pts, 2; Rowland Smith (New Zealand) 47.955pts, 3; Llyr Jones (Wales) 50.745pts, 4; Adam Dickson(Falkland Islands) 51.038pts, 5; Hamish Mitchell (Scotland) 53.34pts, 6; Matt Smith (England) 53.898pts, 7; Gwion Evans (Wales) 54.149pts, 8; Denis O’Sullivan (Ireland) 55.265pts, 9; Daniel McIntyre (Australia) 55.808pts, 10; Jeremy Leygonie (France) 56.264pts, 11; Noel Gardiner (Cook Islands) 56.603pts, 12.

Blades shearing: Allan Oldfield (New Zealand) 76.012pts, 1; Tony Dobbs (New Zealand) 84.26pts, 2; Teboho Nyatsa (South Africa) 86.557pts, 3; Andrew Mudge (England) 89.034pts, 4; Bonile Rabela (South Africa) 89.279pts, 5; Johnathon Dalla (Australia) 94.928pts, 6; Daniel Rogers (Australia) 97.751pts, 7; Martin Hopkins (Ireland) 101.152pts, 8; Rhydian Evans (Wales) 106.597pts, 9; George Mudge (England) 106.804pts, 10; James Hopkins (Ireland) 108.099pts, 11;  Elfed Jackson (Wales) 108.732pts, 12.

Wool handling: Joel Henare (New Zealand) 120.615pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Cook Islands) 121.387pts, 2; Racheal Hutchinson (Australia) 123.776pts, 3; Marika Braddick (New Zealand) 134.493pts, 4; Charis Morrell (Switzerland) 152.362pts, 5; Jonathon Haakull (Norway) 153.819pts, 6; Tina Elers (Cook Islands) 157.757pts, 7; Hilary Bond-Harding (England) 158.644pts, 8; Pilar Castro (Falkland Islands) 171.207pts, 9; Lucie Grancher (France) 180.164pts, 10; Jess Parkhouse (England) 180.409pts, 11; Rosie Keenan (Scotland) 181.479pts, 12.