A two-year-old Masterton child is fighting for his life after receiving life-threatening injuries during an alleged assault by an adult.

A Wairarapa supermarket worker was fatally bashed by a group in a "vigilante attack'' in retaliation for an alleged rape, a court has been told.

World record holding shearing mum Emily Welch returned to the stage of her most important competition moment to win last night's invitation women's shearing event.