23/02/2026
WELCOME TEAM WALES! Shearing Sports Wales 🏴
The Golden Shears World Championships Committee is deeply honoured to welcome Team Wales to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Your history, your pride, and your extraordinary contribution to global shearing are woven into the fabric of this sport. It is a privilege to host you once again on the world stage - a place where Welsh grit, precision, and quiet determination have long been admired.
With heartfelt respect, we welcome each of you to Masterton for the 2026 Championships.
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RHYS JONES — TEAM MANAGER
Rhys stands as one of the enduring pillars of Welsh shearing — a farmer and retired shearer whose decades of involvement have shaped both the industry and the generations who follow. A British Record holder with a long list of achievements, he brings more than 30 years of competition and contract shearing experience to his role. His expertise is recognised across the UK: he serves as a BISCA judge, an Elite UK director, and a highly respected Shearing Instructor. Beyond the board, Rhys enjoys football and still carries a deep passion for the craft that has defined so much of his life. A true servant of Welsh shearing, he represents Team Wales with humility, unwavering dedication, and heartfelt pride.
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GWION LLOYD EVANS — MACHINE SHEARER
Gwion enters the 2026 World Championships carrying the honour of Wales on his shoulders as the reigning World Champion — returning to the world stage with the calm authority, precision, and competitive steel that earned him the sport’s highest title. This marks his third World Championship appearance for Wales, a testament to his consistency and excellence at the elite level. A cornerstone of the Welsh side that secured the World Machine Shearing Team title in Scotland in 2023, he has already helped carve Welsh history into the global shearing story. Now 36, with more than two decades of experience and a remarkable personal best tally of 650, Gwion stands as one of the most respected and accomplished shearers of his generation — a true standard bearer for Team Wales.
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LLYR JONES — MACHINE SHEARER
Llyr steps onto the World Championship stage for the very first time in 2026, bringing huge excitement and pride to Team Wales. He earned his place by winning the 2025 Champion Shearer of Wales title at the Royal Welsh Show — a breakthrough moment in his career. Llyr has spent several seasons shearing in New Zealand, sharpening his skill and stamina, and in August 2024, he helped set a Two Stand 9 Hour British Lamb Shearing record. At just 27, with eight years of shearing experience, he already averages 350 a day and has an impressive best tally of 836. Away from the board, Llyr enjoys playing rugby and hunting.
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ELFED JACKSON — BLADE SHEARER
This will be Elfed’s 12th World Championship representing Wales — a remarkable testament to his longevity, skill, and dedication. He has reached multiple World Finals, placing 6th in the Individual World Blades and 3rd in the World Blades Team event at the 2023 World Championship in Scotland. Throughout his career, he has claimed countless titles and remains one of the sport’s most respected figures. A Master Blade Shearer, Elite Instructor, and BISCA judge, Elfed also holds the British Two Stand 9 Hour Strong Wool Ewe Blade Shearing record, along with an individual record. Outside the shearing world, he enjoys travelling, rugby, and hunting.
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RHYDIAN EVANS — BLADE SHEARER
Rhydian earned his place on the Welsh World Team by winning the 2025 Champion Shearer of Wales title - a milestone moment in his career and a proud achievement for Welsh shearing. This year marks his debut on the World Championship stage. At 42, he brings maturity, determination, and a deep connection to the industry. Away from the board, he enjoys shooting and training Welsh sheepdogs. A grounded and dedicated competitor, he represents Team Wales with steady determination and a deep respect for the craft.
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SARAH JANE REES — WOOLHANDLER
Sarah Jane comes to us from Brecon, Powys, bringing pride and experience as she makes her second appearance on the World Championship stage. A key member of the Welsh team that claimed the World Woolhandling title in Scotland in 2023 - a moment of immense national pride - she returns in 2026 with the same calm authority and precision that helped secure that victory. With more than 20 years of experience, Sarah Jane brings depth, skill, and a steady, assured presence to the board. Away from competition, she enjoys playing hockey in her spare time.
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JESSICA MORGAN — WOOLHANDLER
Jessica comes to us from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, carrying immense pride as she steps onto the World Championship stage for the first time. She earned her place on the Welsh Team by winning the Welsh Open Woolhandling Circuit - a victory that reflects her skill, composure, and long-standing dedication to the craft. With twenty years of competition experience behind her, Jessica brings depth, determination, and unwavering consistency to the board, strengthening Team Wales with every fleece she handles. Beyond woolhandling, she treasures time with her family and enjoys horse riding and kayaking. A proud Welsh competitor, Jessica brings both experience and heart into the 2026 World Championships.
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ANITA JONES — WOOLHANDLING JUDGE
Anita comes to us from Presteigne and brings more than 25 years of experience competing and judging across the UK. A defining moment in her career was representing Wales at the World Championships when they were last held in Masterton in 2012 - a memory that makes her return this year especially meaningful. Her long service, deep knowledge, and unwavering commitment to the craft continue to be a source of pride for Team Wales.
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NICKY BEYNON — SHEARING JUDGE (Machine & Blade)
Nicky comes to us from Llangennith and stands as one of Wales’ most accomplished and enduring shearers, with a career that spans more than three decades and reaches across the world. For over 30 years, he travelled internationally, shearing in multiple countries and earning a reputation for exceptional skill, stamina, and professionalism.
A dominant force at home, Nicky was crowned Champion Shearer of Wales eight times and claimed the Corwen Welsh Championship an extraordinary thirteen times - achievements that place him among the most decorated Welsh shearers of his generation.
His commitment to representing his country is equally remarkable. Nicky wore the Welsh colours for 32 consecutive years, a level of service few in the sport have matched. During that time, he represented Wales at six World Championships, competing against the very best on the global stage.
Nicky also made his mark in the record books. He previously held a British two-stand ewe shearing record, and in 2003, he and Rhys Jones set a combined tally of 1317 ewes, a benchmark that stood for many years.
Beyond the titles and records, Nicky is remembered for his consistency, his work ethic, and his contribution to Welsh shearing heritage — a career defined by excellence, loyalty, and pride in representing Wales.
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RAY DAVIES — SHEARING JUDGE (Golden Shears World Council Member)
Ray stands among the most respected figures in Welsh shearing, marking an extraordinary 50 years within the industry. He has represented Wales on the Golden Shears World Council for 26 years, and his judging career spans four decades, including six World Championships and an exceptional 36 years at the Royal Welsh Show - service that reflects both mastery and the deep trust placed in him by generations of competitors.
Beyond the board, he enjoys rugby and shooting - simple pastimes for a man who has given so much to his sport and his country.
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HISTORY
Shearing in Wales has deep roots, shaped by hill farming, family tradition, and generations of shearers who learned their craft on some of the toughest country in Britain. Over the decades, Wales has built a reputation for producing shearers and woolhandlers known for grit, precision, and quiet determination.
The Royal Welsh Show stands at the centre of this history. Since the mid 20th century, it has grown into one of the most respected shearing stages in the world. Many of Wales’s greatest competitors — machine, blade, and woolhandling — have earned their breakthrough moments on its board. Winning at the Royal Welsh Show is widely seen as a defining achievement and often the gateway to representing Wales on the world stage.
Welsh competitors have gone on to succeed across the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, with highlights including the World Woolhandling title in 2023, a moment of immense national pride. Today, Welsh shearing remains a living tradition — passed down through families, strengthened by local shows, and carried forward by competitors who honour both heritage and innovation.
From the shearing sheds of rural Wales to the global arena, the Royal Welsh Show continues to be the beating heart of Welsh shearing, shaping champions and celebrating a craft woven into the identity of the nation.
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A FINAL WELCOME AND OUR WARMEST WISHES
To Team Wales — competitors, judges, leaders, and supporters — we extend our deepest respect and warmest welcome. May your time in Aotearoa be filled with camaraderie, pride, and unforgettable moments on the board.
Your heritage, your skill, and your spirit enrich the Golden Shears World Championships, and we are honoured to share this stage with you.
We wish each of you strength, clarity, and success as you represent your nation with distinction.
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Golden Shears World Championships
4–7 March 2026
Masterton War Memorial Hall
2 Dixon Street, Masterton, North Island, New Zealand.
