SHEARING
A small loch-side village became not only a test-match venue but also a Wairarapa of the north as the New Zealand shearing team and supporters invaded the Lochearnhead Shears in Scotland on Saturday.
However, it didn’t bring the most desired result of a test-match win for team members and Masterton brothers-in-law Paerata Abraham and David Gordon, who were competing as internationals together for the first time.
The pair lost to world championships third-placegetters Calum Shaw and Hamish Mitchell of Scotland, but the shears did bring a win for another of the family.
NZ’s number one-ranked senior shearer Adam Gordon won the Lochearnhead Shears’ Scottish Blackface Senior championship final, emulating David Gordon’s win in 2019.
There was further Wairarapa success, with Marika Braddick of Eketahuna, a sister of NZ world championships team member Ngaio Hanson, finishing fourth in the Open woolhandling final, which was won by new world champion and Lochearnhead local Rosie Keenan.
New Zealand team manager Ronny King of Pahiatua was impressed by the tour start for Abraham, who shore two trans-Tasman test matches for New Zealand in 2019 and 2020, and David Gordon, who was representing New Zealand for the first time.
The one-off Joe Te Kapa Memorial match against Scotland was the first of five tests for the Masterton pair.
The tour continues with a test against England at the Great Yorkshire Show on July 12 and finishes with three tests against Wales.
