KEY POINTS:
Legendary shearer David Fagan will continue his remarkable run in the national team this year but reckons it could be his last.
Fagan heads to Britain at the end of this month to compete in six tests and will do so with a second New Zealand honour spurring him on.
Fagan, 45, has been made an officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday honours. He was made a member of the order in 1999.
"It's special," said Fagan from his Te Kuiti farm where he lives with wife Wendy and their children Jack, 15, and Jenna, 13. "I still don't know who nominated me this time. They've done a good job of keeping it quiet. I guess this is for my longevity in the sport."
His career is supposedly winding down, yet it keeps on keeping on. And what a career it has been.
Fagan has won 582 open titles, hundreds more than the next challenger. His career has brought him five world, 16 national and 15 Golden Shears titles. He held two nine-hour speed records, for 810 lambs and 702 ewes.
Fagan, with Paul Avery and manager Neil Sidwell, heads off in a few weeks' time to take on England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in a total of six tests.
He has been a constant in the New Zealand side since 1990, and retained his position at this year's national championships where he was second to Avery and won the circuit title.
Fagan stopped shearing regularly about four years ago but believes his promotion and development work for the Supershear equipment company has helped keep him in contact with the sport and prolong his career.
"I think this could be my last trip for New Zealand - it's getting harder and harder to win the big competitions," he said. "I've never really contemplated retirement. Once you've retired - that's it forever. I'm surviving on my experience but I can still give the young fellas a good wind-up."
It is fair to say that several sports commentators believe Fagan has not won the public acclaim he deserves. A second NZ honour might redress that somewhat.
Fagan is among a clutch of sports people named in the honours list.
They include the 82-year-old cycling identity, Bert McConnell, who has done just about everything in the sport from being a volunteer at the 1948 Olympics in London to managing NZ teams at world championships. He was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit.
The high-profile honours recipients include the world rugby league test record holder, Ruben Wiki, who retired as Kiwi captain at the end of last season after the defeat against Australia in the final of the Tri-Nations. Like Fagan, Wiki has been made an officer of the NZ Order of Merit.
Wiki, 34, who still plays for the Warriors, was the cornerstone of the the Kiwi side which finally challenged Australia's superiority and won the Tri-Nations title in 2005. His contribution to international league will long be remembered.
And recently retired Black Cap Nathan Astle has been made a member of the Order of Merit. Astle's career ended in some disappointment, as he quit after poor form in the lead-up to the World Cup. At his best though, Astle's eye and hand co-ordination allowed him to tear attacks apart. He holds the record for the fastest double century in tests, smashing it from 153 balls against England at Christchurch in 2002, beating Australian Adam Gilchrist's mark by 59 balls.
Others honoured are
CNZM
Dave Gerrard OBE (Dunedin) for services to sports medicine.
ONZM
Sports promoter Graeme Avery (Hastings).
MNZM
World champion jetboater Rod Pohio (Kaiapoi); rugby superstar Jonah Lomu; world champion lawn bowler Sharon Sims (Awapuni); Tiger Woods' caddie Steve Williams; boxing identity and former Commonwealth Games representative Ali Afakasi (Manukau); woodchopping's William Evans (Greymouth); former Auckland rugby wing turned commentator Rocky Patterson; women's rugby league administrator Cherie Shanks (Orewa).
QSM
Lois Bush (Auckland) netball; John Jones (Gisborne) sports/journalism; Malcolm Taylor (Tauranga) athletics.
