Counting down to our AGM & Industry Day 2026

• Date: Friday 15th May 2026
• Venue: Peter Lyon Shearing cookshop, Hillview Rd, Alexandra
• Cost: Members: Free. Non-Members: $25. Students: $20. Shearing gang groups of 5 or more: $20pp.
• Pre-register: by Sunday 10th May 2026

Smokos and Lunch are provided.

For more information contact Marg Forde (NZWCA Registrar):
reg@woolclassers.org.nz
Ph. 0274 743 104

8:15am

Registration/sign-in.

8:30am

Karakia and H&S briefing.

8:35am

Wool exercises.

9:50am

Tracy Paterson chair NZWCA: Welcome, NZWCA update, announcement of the next recipients of the WRONZ/NZWCA scholarships for NZ Certificate in Wool Technology and Classing students + presentation of NZWCA Perpetual Cup to Ngahuia Wilson (if attending) the top 2025 completion wool student.

10:05am

Morning Smoko (Wool exercise papers to be handed in by end of smoko.)

10:25am

Wool exercise answers and questions including Ultrafine merino classing session with Kevin Waldron of PGG Wrightson based on the wool exercise samples from The Bend.

10:55am

Jane Avery: Champion of wool fashion, supreme winner of Wool On 2023, furrier, designer, and now producer of the big annual Wool On event tells her story and offers a hands-on experience with her creations. Lapin.nz

11:25am

Why and how NZWCA began, and why support for the organisation is vital for the NZ wool industry, with Martin Paterson, former chairman

11:45am

Lunch (provided).

12:30pm

AGM, including Patron’s address and Wool Classer 2025/26 Season Awards.

1:15pm

Brokers key messages for 2026/27 season wool prep and classing, and chance for discussion and questions with wool reps from PGG Wrightson Wool, Zentera Wool, Wools of NZ, WoolWorks Grower Direct and Hickey & Son.

1:45pm

Working with pressers: Master presser Vorne Wheki explains and takes questions on what classers can do to help or hinder pressers.

2:05pm

Wool Alliance, the first six months: Ross McIsaac on the new collaboration between Wool Impact, Campaign for Wool New Zealand, Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, and Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

2:20pm

Afternoon Smoko (provided).

2:40pm

Animal Welfare and Calm Sheep Handling courses explainer by Noel Handley of Elite Wool Industry Training, including time for discussion.

3:05pm

Working with shearing contractors: Peter and Elsie Lyon offer insights into their business and history + things that classers do that help and things classers do that don’t help shearing contractors.

3:30pm

Bremworth rug prize draw, acknowledgements, questions, suggestions, time to fill out feedback forms.

3:55pm

Set up for Rural Athlete®.

4:00pm

Rural Athlete® – a workshop with movement educator and rural wellbeing specialist Laura Hancock, designed for people in the food and fibre sector working in physically demanding roles. It will focus on practical, easy-to-apply techniques to help participants manage stiffness, improve movement, and support their bodies through the demands of daily work.

Provision of a spiky massage ball for each participant to take home, and the workshop itself, is sponsored by Segard Masurel New Zealand.