World Shearing Champs: Team SA wins blade shearing world title

JOHANNESBURG – Team South Africa won the Blade Shearing Team World title on Sunday evening at the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Scotland.

SA Blade Shearers Bonile Rabela and Zwelamakhosi Mbuweni won gold in the Blade Shearing Team Division.

The two also won in the Blade Shearing individual division with Rabela winning gold and Mbuweni silver.

Rabela was first awarded his first Protea colours in 2019. He took third place and brought home a bronze medal at the previous World Championships in France.

Mbuweni and Rabela work full time as shearers for Love Wool Shearing Service.

“They both are part of one of my Blade Shearing teams. I am an independent Shearing Contractor. Our business is called Love Wool Shearing Services, and we operate in Victoria West, Beaufort West and Loxton to Laingsburg” said farmer Nelmarie Caldo.

South Africa held the World Blade Shearing title from 1996 onwards and lost it during the last World Championships in 2019 when Team SA’s blade shearers were placed in the second and third places.

Caldo lauded the men who have worked for her for the past seven years.
“I am so proud of them. It was a tough competition. Other countries like New Zealand, Australia, England and Wales, take competitive shearing very seriously and these guys were amazing.”

The popular sheep-shearing competition with entrants from around the world showcases the art, skill and techniques it takes to be a world champion.

Shearing teams from 31 nations around the world flocked to Edinburgh to compete at the event, which is held in a different location around the globe every three years.

“We give our shearers the chance to participate in local competitions held by the SASSF [South African Sheep Shearing Federation] and every three years a South African team is chosen at the National Shearing Championships at the Bloemfontein Show to represent SA on the world stage. Qualifying competitions are held throughout SA in preparation for the nationals every year,” said Caldo.

BACKGROUND ON SOUTH AFRICAN SHEEP SHEARING FEDERATION

South Africa has previously sent six team members to the World Championships in Scotland with two in each of the following divisions: machine shearing, blade shearing and wool handling.

The South African Sheep Shearing Federation (SASSF) is a SASCOC-affiliated national sporting federation.

The SASSF is also affiliated with the Golden Shears World Council, the governing body for international shearing sports.

SA participated in the World Champs for the first time in 1992.

Team South Africa will get a chance to defend their title at the next Golden Shears World Championship in 2026 in New Zealand.