Victoria floods: Transtasman shearing and woolhandling test matches postponed

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The first transtasman shearing and woolhandling test matches in more than two years have been postponed because of severe flooding in Victoria.

The machine shearing, blades shearing and woolhandling tests were to be held during the Australian National Championships this weekend in Bendigo, Victoria but the venue, the Prince of Wales Showgrounds, has been declared an emergency evacuation centre for people displaced by floodwaters.

Sports Shear Australia has been told the grounds could be used as an evacuation centre for some time.

As a result, organisers have decided to postpone the Championships and the transtasman events until November 24-26.

This week’s transtasman event would have been the first since 2020 when the pandemic put a halt to international competitions.

The annual home-and-away tests date back to a shearing match in Euroa, Victoria in 1974.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan conceded there would be difficulties and possible extra costs in rebooking a team of nine, including seven competitors, but said:

“It’s not the end of the world. For a lot of people over there it is the end of the world.

“They’ve got a lot more to worry about. Naturally, it’s those people that we are thinking of and are concerned for.”

Listen to Jamie Mackay interview Sir David Fagan on The Country below:

Sports Shear Australia chairman Dave Lawrence told teams across the six states and the New Zealand contingent of the change of plans.

“We understand, this is much more important than shearing,” he said.

Among those changes were his own, as he now expected to crutch the 2000 merino wethers being held for the championships and likely to be still available for the event in six weeks’ time.