The primary consideration had become the best interests of Tiroa E and Te Hape B Trusts, which have supplied most of the sheep each year for more than three decades.
With rams on the properties going to the ewes early in April, there was a growing risk of lowering the stations’ lambing rates.
“By moving it three weeks earlier, it’s certainly going to alleviate any fears of any potential problems of trucking those sheep while the rams are running with the sheep,” Fagan said.
“We’re only too keen to help with that by bringing it forward.”
The season opens with the New Zealand Merino Shearing and Woolhandling Championships this Friday and Saturday in Alexandra.
At stake for open-class shearers and woolhandlers are places in the New Zealand team for the transtasman series test at the Australian Championships at Warrnambool, Victoria, on October 29-31, and the Golden Shears in Masterton in March.
The Merino championships, where titles will be decided in open and senior shearing grades and open, senior and junior woolhandling, also comprise the first round of the 2026-2027 PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit.
The season will comprise 59 competitions, including 42 at A&P shows.
Shearing Sports New Zealand Calendar 2026-2027
October 2-3 (Fri-Sat): New Zealand Merino Shears (shearing, woolhandling; PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit Rd 1), at Alexandra.
October 9-10 (Fri-Sat): New Zealand Spring Shears (NZ Long Wool shearing and Woolhandling Championships; PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit Rd 2; South Island Woolhandling Circuit finals), at Waimate.
October 17 (Saturday): Poverty Bay A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling), at Gisborne; Ellesmere A&P Show, at Leeston.
October 23 (Friday): Great Raihania Shears Hawke’s Bay A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling), at Hastings.
October 24 (Saturday): Northern A&P Show (shearing), at Rangiora.
October 29-31 (Thurs-Sat): Australian Shearing and Woolhandling Championships (transtasman test matches), at Warrnambool, Victoria.
October 31 (Saturday): Ashburton A&P Show (shearing, blades).
November 1 (Sunday): Wairarapa A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling), at Clareville (Carterton).
November 7 (Saturday): Manawatū A&P Show, at Manfeild, Feilding; Marlborough A&P Show (shearing), at Blenheim; Get to the Point Gymkhana Shears (shearing), at Pleasant Point.
November 12-13 (Thurs-Fri): New Zealand Corriedale Championships (shearing, blades; woolhandling; PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit Rd 3; Canterbury Shearing Circuit final) at Canterbury Show, Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch.
November 14 (Saturday): Central Hawke’s Bay A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling) at Waipukurau.
November 21 (Saturday): Nelson A&P Show (shearing), at Richmond Park (Nelson); West Otago A&P Show (shearing), at Tapanui.
November 28 (Saturday): Taranaki Shears (shearing), at Stratford A&P Show.
December 5 (Saturday): Whangārei A&P Show, at Whangārei; Geyserland Agrodome Shears (shearing, woolhandling), Rotorua A&P Show, at Ngongotahā.
January 9 (Saturday): Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears (shearing), at Duvauchelle A&P Show.
January 15 (Friday): Northern Southland Community Shears (New Zealand Full wool shearing and woolhandling championships), at Lumsden.
January 16 (Saturday): Kaikohe A, P&H Show (shearing), at Kaikohe; Wairoa A&P Show (shearing), at Wairoa; Golden Bay A&P Show (shearing), at Tākaka; Southland Shears (New Zealand Crossbred Lambs shearing and woolhandling Championships), at Winton A&P Show.
January 23 (Saturday): Tapawera Shears (shearing), at Tapawera.
January 24 (Sunday): Horowhenua Shearing Championships (shearing), Horowhenua A, P&I Show, at Levin.
January 29 (Friday): Dannevirke A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling), at Dannevirke.
January 30 (Saturday): Taihape Shears (shearing, woolhandling), at Taihape.
February 6 (Saturday): North Kaipara A&P Show (shearing), at Paparoa; Aria Waitangi Day Sports (shearing, woolhandling), at Aria; Reefton Shears (shearing, blades), Inangahua A&P Show, at Reefton.
February 7 (Sunday): Rangitīkei Shearing Sports (shearing, woolhandling; PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit Rd 4), at Marton.
February 12-13 (Fri-Sat): Otago Shears (shearing, woolhandling; NZ Woolhandler of the Year), at Balclutha.
February 13 (Saturday): Northern Wairoa A&P Show (shearing) at Arapohue (Dargaville); Te Puke A&P Show (shearing).
February 19-20 (Fri-Sat): Southern Shears (shearing, woolhandling; South Island Shearer of the Year final), at Gore.
February 20 (Saturday): North Hokianga A&P Show (shearing), at Broadwood; Ohura A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling); Murchison A&P Show (shearing).
February 21 (Sunday): Counties Shears (shearing; Wools of New Zealand NZ v Wales Test 1), at Franklin A&P Show, Pukekohe.
February 26 (Friday): Taumarunui Shears (shearing, woolhandling), at Hikurangi Station, Taumarunui.
February 27 (Saturday): Apiti Sports Shears (shearing, woolhandling), at Apiti; Kaikōura A&P Show (shearing, blades).
February 28 (Sunday): Pahiatua Shears (shearing; PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit Rd 5; Wools of New Zealand NZ v Wales Test 2), at Mangaone Valley, Pahiatua.
March 2 (Tuesday): Hawke’s Bay Autumn Shears (shearing, woolhandling), Waipukurau.
March 3 (Wednesday): Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling (NI Woolhandling Circuit Junior and Senior finals), at Riverside Farm, Mikimiki, Masterton.
March 4-6 (Thurs-Sat): Golden Shears (shearing, woolhandling, woolpressing; Transtasman shearing and woolhandling tests, PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit final, NI Woolhandling Circuits Open final), at Masterton.
March 6 (Saturday): Amuri A&P Show (shearing), at Rotherham.
March 13 (Saturday): Kumeu Shears, Kumeu A and H Show (shearing; Wools of New Zealand NZ v Wales Test 3); Cheviot A&P Show (shearing, woolhandling); Mayfield A&P Show (shearing, blades).
March 17-19 (Wed-Fri): New Zealand Shears (shearing, woolhandling; Wools of New Zealand NZ v Wales Test 4; NZ Shears Shearing Circuit final, North Island Shearer of the Year final), at Te Kūiti.
March 20 (Saturday): Warkworth A&P Show (shearing); Waimarino Shears (shearing), at Raetihi; Methven Lamb Shears (shearing), at Methven A&P Show.
March 21 (Sunday): Flaxbourne A&P Show (shearing), at Ward.
March 27 (Easter Saturday): Waitomo Caves Sports Shears 60th anniversary (shearing).
March 29 (Easter Monday): Mackenzie A&P Show New Zealand Lamb Shears Championships (shearing, blades), at Fairlie.
April 3 (Saturday): Oxford A&P Show (shearing).