61st Golden Shears in jeopardy

The 2019 Golden Shears in Masterton's War Memorial Stadium, where event's been held every year since 1961. Photo / SSNZ

The Golden Shears international shearing championships society executive will meet at 10.30am today to discuss the likely cancellation of the Shears for the first time in its 61 years.

The 2021 championships are scheduled to start on Thursday and end next Saturday, in Masterton's War Memorial Stadium, where the Golden Shears have been held every year since 1961.

President Sam Saunders said this morning that his committee has discussed the Covid-19 situation over many months and the view has been that the championships could not go-ahead under Level 2.

More than 300 shearers, woolhandlers and wool pressers have entered, some of them having already travelled from Northland and Southland for weekend competitions preceding the Golden Shears.

Events at Taumarunui and northern Manawatu locality Apiti were held on Friday and Saturday respectively, but the Pahiatua Shears which were due to be held today have been cancelled.

The Golden Shears has an annual budget of around $250,000 and like all organisations staging events, has had to minimise financial risk - for example competitor singlets and t-shirts have been printed without the date to enable them to be used when the Golden Shears are next held.