FROM SA’ S BLADE KINGS
South Africa’ s sheep shearers have done it again!
In a sport that plenty of people don’ t even realise is a sport, Team SA have once again conquered the Golden Shears World Championships.
Held in Masterton, New Zealand, the spiritual home of sheep shearing, this is as big as it gets with packed stands, sold-out roaring crowds and serious national pride on the line.
“ I’ m very proud of the guys,” said the president of the SA Sheep Shearing Federation, Herman Archer.“ The two blade shearers started off slowly in the heats … then we changed a bit of strategy and we moved up the pace and after the semi-final we were seeded first and second for the final. We were then very excited and to come out on top, number one and number two with Bonile retaining his world title,” added Archer.
Best of all, the win prevented the hosts from completing a clean sweep of the titles.
“ Bonile retained the world title, so I think for him it’ s also a very proud moment to go over there and come back again with a world championship.”
From rural sheds to the world stage, South Africa’ s shearers are certainly proving that hard work, serious skill and a sharp set of blades can take you far.
Even to the top of the world.
Leading the charge again was the Northern Cape’ s Bonile Rabela, who came in with a target on his back as the defending world champ in the blade shearing category.
“ I was very happy to be part of the competition. There were a lot of things that I have learned that side,” said the man from Victoria West, who shears sheep for a living.“ I was a bit nervous in the beginning, but I found my strength to go on,” he added.“ I was very happy to win the title at the Golden Shears World Championships again because I was there to defend my title of Golden Shears world champion 2023.”
It wasn’ t all smooth sailing. The South Africans started a little slowly, adjusting to unfamiliar sheep and conditions. But once they found their rhythm, there was no stopping them, with Rabela clinching the gold and Teboho Nyatsa from Rouxville in the Free State, taking silver.
“ Being in New Zealand, I think the New Zealanders were under a lot of pressure, and at the end of the day, the New Zealand team won all the events that they participated in, except for the blade shearing that the South African team won,” explained Archer.
Rabela’ s win marks the sixth consecutive world championship title for South Africa in this particular category.
Sheep shearing is all about speed, quality and the handling of the sheep, and the South African duo certainly impressed.
“ They just did an exceptional job in the final. Some of the judges, I think it was from Europe, came to us the day after the competition and said they’ ve never seen such good quality shearing in their lives. It was just that good. So from a sporting point of view, we’ re very, very happy and very proud to be part of this South African team,” said Archer.
40 www. modernathlete. co. za