Sheep shearing should be Olympic sport, says All Blacks legend

Sir Brian’s comments came as Scottish competitor Gavin Mutch was ranked among the 12 semi finalists at the prestigious Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing Competition in Masterton, New Zealand.

Mr Mutch, from Huntly, who qualified in fifth place, will battle to become the first overseas competitor to win the Golden Shears Open Championship crown.

Speaking at the official championship dinner on Thursday, farmer Sir Brian, who captained the All Blacks 46 times in his career – and also took part in the first Golden Shears in Masterton in 1961 – described the competitors as having “champion quality” and compared the skill required to that of the famed New Zealand rugby team.

“I absolutely support that shearing is no longer just a job,” he said. “I do think that one day you will get it in the Olympics.”

He added: “Let’s compare it to rugby. When New Zealand hosted the World Cup of rugby, we had the best players – the best prepared.

“Here in Masterton right now we have those same best players and the best prepared.”

Earlier this year, New Zealand lobbying group Federated Farmers mooted the idea that shearing should become an Olympic sport at London 2012 – claiming the world’s top shearers are “athletes who take it to another level”.

But as the Olympic programme is decided seven years in advance – with sports that are not deemed to have enough of a global reach axed from the list – it seems unlikely that it will make the cut.

Shearing is already recognised as a sport by the New Zealand funding body SPARC.

“People here say the Golden Shears is the Wimbledon of sheep shearing,” said Doug Laing, spokesman for Shearing Sports New Zealand.

The biennial contest – which includes shearers from Wales, Japan, New Zealand and Australia as well as Scotland – will see 4,600 sheep sheared over the course of the contest, where top clippers from around the globe will fight it out for the top NZ$3,000 (£1,570) prize.

The shearers, who will compete this afternoon to decide who will take part in tonight’s final, will be judged on speed and accuracy in machine and hand-blade cutting categories, as well as on their ability to avoid double cutting the wool fibre or causing injury to the animal.

Penalty points are given according to how long each shearing takes, as well as for “imperfections” that include nicks and cuts to the sheep.

Scottish shearer Mr Mutch will face stiff competition from New Zealand rival John Kirkpatrick, a three-time Golden Shears champion, who is tipped to take the top machine-shearing prize.

Also in the running is 16-times champion David Fagan, who at 50, is the oldest finalist in the competition.

The next Golden Shears Championship is due to be held in Ireland in 2014.