New Zealand Shearers Triumph in France, Set Sights on Wales

New Zealand shearers Toa Henderson and Jack Fagan celebrated significant victories in the French Open international final on Sunday, a major highlight of the French shearing and wool handling championships held in Boussac. Henderson’s win marked his first Open final victory in the Northern Hemisphere, boosting his confidence as he prepares for upcoming competitions against Welsh shearers.

Henderson, who previously secured wins at the Golden Shears and New Zealand Championships earlier this year, now boasts over 40 wins in Open finals, with 35 of those victories occurring since the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on his experience, he stated, “I can’t wait to take on the Welsh, it will be good experience, but everything is still new for me over here.”

The New Zealand team faced tough competition from their French counterparts, Jeremy Leygonie and Pierre Grancher. In the final, Henderson qualified first from the semi-finals, finishing the initial shear of 20 blackface lambs in a time of 13 minutes and 50 seconds. Fagan followed closely, finishing just 26 seconds later. Henderson’s performance earned him a score of 56.55 points, while Fagan scored 58.1 points, placing him second. Leygonie and Grancher finished third and fourth, respectively.

Henderson’s success in Boussac comes after a challenging start to the tour, where he finished fourth in the Scottish blackface shearing championships at the Lochearnhead Shears on June 28. He also placed third at the Great Yorkshire Show, where he faced Fagan and found himself outperformed by Welsh shearer Lewis.

The competition against Wales is anticipated to be intense. While New Zealand has historically dominated home matches in the annual series, victories in Wales are less common. The Welsh team, particularly Lewis, recently set a two-stand British eight-hour ewe record by shearing 696 sheep alongside fellow Welsh shearer Llyr Evans. With Lewis having spent considerable time competing in New Zealand, the upcoming matches promise to be challenging.

The next test against Wales will take place at the Royal Welsh Show on July 7, 2025, followed by the final event of the tour at the Corwen Shears on July 26, 2025. The New Zealand team aims to maintain their momentum, building on their recent performances and learning from every challenge along the way.

International competition results from Boussac illustrate New Zealand’s overall strength, with the team winning by 11 points against France. As the tour progresses, the anticipation builds for what promises to be a thrilling showcase of shearers’ skills on the international stage.