The team returns from the World Championship with new historic milestones

The Euskal Herria team of shearers and wool handlers has set new historic milestones at the Golden Shears and Woolhandling World Championship held in Masterton, New Zealand. On the one hand, the Euskal Herria team competed for the first time in the biggest championship in the world and, on the other, it will from now on be a new member of the World Council.

“Beyond sport, we have begun to harvest the fruit sown by the work and the passion of the whole value chain of the shearing sector. Every one of these historic milestones we are setting is the showcase of all that. But this has only just begun. We are ready and eager to keep writing the shearers’ history,” said the shearers and wool handlers of the team, members of the Sheep Shearers’ Association of Euskal Herria.

The Euskal Herria team competed alongside the best shearers and wool handlers in the world. Taking part in the biggest international competition has been “something enormous”, an “unforgettable” experience. “The standard, the demands, the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the competition and the training were all remarkable. The conversations, the exchanges and the moments shared with shearers and wool handlers from other countries. We have shown that Euskal Herria deserves to be on the biggest international stage. We feel fulfilled, even if we are already eager to take on new goals,” said the members of the team.

From their stay in the country regarded as the birthplace of the modern shearer, the team will bring home a rucksack full of lessons and experiences. New types of sheep and new rhythms, different techniques and cultures. Every day was a physical and mental challenge, but also a continuous lesson. They talked about the sector with international benchmarks, compared styles, corrected details and opened new paths for the future.

“Beyond the results, the World Championship has left a deep mark on us. It has strengthened our confidence in the work we do at home. It has confirmed that Basque shearers and wool handlers are ready to compete internationally. It has helped us build new links, strengthen relationships, open doors and put the world of the Euskal Herria shearers on the map,” they said.

Euskal Herria, officially a member of the World Council

One of the most significant moments of the World Championship was Euskal Herria being named an official member of the World Council. This institutional recognition confirms the road travelled and, at the same time, guarantees that the first participation was not an isolated event, opening a new era. It is confirmation that the collective effort made quietly has borne fruit.

“This achievement does not belong only to those of us in New Zealand. It belongs to everyone who walks with us and believes in this project. To every shearer and wool handler in Euskal Herria, to the institutions, companies and people who support us one way or another, to the whole primary sector that keeps the tradition alive and goes on working quietly but with great professionalism. This is yours, all of you, and we want to keep drawing the path together with you,” said the members of the team.

A documentary to tell the story

The experience of the championship will also be captured in a documentary to be broadcast on ETB at the end of March. It will follow from the inside the journey of the Euskal Herria team at the World Championship. As well as the competition, the film will show the training, the process of adapting to New Zealand and the most human moments of an adventure that is already part of the history of the shearers of Euskal Herria.

The road to New Zealand has been as long as it was short; as hard as it was beautiful. It took determination, commitment and a great deal of work to get there. Now, after this historic experience, the team returns with the feeling of having taken a great step. Full of excitement, and quite certain that, looking ahead, the best is still to come.