Shearing: French Connection as siblings pair up for speedshear champs

Thimoleon and Jalle Resneau. Photo / Supplied

An international shearing competition with a difference will take place as 2019 World Championships hosts France make another move on the international stage in Te Kuiti tomorrow night.

Competing in special male and female teams at the second North Island Speedshear Championship at the Waitete Rugby Club will be brother-and-sister Thimoleon and Jalle Resneau.

The pair have been shearing in King Country and will be matched with prominent senior-class New Zealand shearer Catherine Mullooly and the top qualifier from the night's Open-class speedshear heats.

It is part of a special French connection on the night with the first presentation of a trophy commemorating New Zealand shearer Beau St George, who was killed in a road crash in France last April.

Most of the North Island's top Open and Senior shearers are expected in Te Kuiti for the Speedshear, which kicks-off the post-Christmas season across the mid-upper North island, followed by another Speedshear in Bay of Plenty township Te Puna on Saturday night, and the Tauranga A and P Lifestyle Show shearing championships on Sunday.

The Te Kuiti event offers prizes worth more than $6500, including a $2000 Open final first prize. It was won last year by 2014 World Champion Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith, with a time of 19.4 seconds for his single sheep, while there was a further international influence in the Senior final won by Chris Rowberry, from England.