Shearing Sports New Zealand is hopeful it will be able to resume the annual home and away trans-Tasman test matches this year.
Photo: Unsplash / Te Akatea
The last matches between New Zealand and Australia were held at the Golden Shears in 2020, a fortnight before the first Covid-19 lockdown.
But with the borders now open, New Zealand has been invited to send a team to Bendigo in October to compete in the Australian National Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.
Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan said it was likely a team would travel to Australia but a final decision would be made at the groups national committee meeting in August.
He said it was hoped the Australian team would then reciprocate for return matches at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March next year.
The annual trans-Tasman series has a lot of history - it began in the 1974-1975 season, alternating between a new Golden Shears of Australia and the Golden Shears in Masterton, with two tests each season until 1984, when the competition was suspended because of a boycott by the Australian Workers Union.
It was revived at Perth in 1997, woolhandling tests were added in 1998 and bladeshearing tests. New Zealand-leg matches in Christchurch or Waimate were added in 2010.