Falkland Islands to host historic International Shearing Test Match between Wales, Chile and the Falkland Islands on Friday 14th November 2025
Falkland Shears are proud to announce that, in partnership with the Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC), the Falkland Islands will host its first international shearing and wool handling test match on Friday 14th November 2025—a tri-nations event featuring teams from Wales, Chile and the Falkland Islands.
Marking a major milestone in the Falkland Islands’ long-standing shearing heritage and global recognition in the wool industry, this landmark event aims to strengthen international ties, promote Falkland wool and establish the Falkland Islands as a credible contender for future international hosting opportunities, including membership of the Golden Shears World Council.
“We’re incredibly proud to be bringing this international competition to the Falklands for the first time,” said Tara Wilson, Chair of the Falkland Shears Committee. “It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase the quality of our wool alongside our skilled shearers and wool handlers to the world, while strengthening ties with fellow nations in the shearing community.”
Zachary Franklin, Managing Director of FIDC, added: “This event demonstrates the global reputation the Falklands holds in the wool and shearing industries. It’s about celebrating tradition, raising the Islands’ profile and building new opportunities for rural and economic development.”
The original Falkland Shears competition first began in 1991—hosted on a local farm just outside of Stanley—and has since grown into a seasonal circuit and a staple of the rural calendar. Today, with the support of FIDC and the local farming community, the ambition is to professionalise and expand the competition circuit, while honouring the dedication and skill of the shearers and wool handlers who work across the Falkland Islands every season.
This year’s event represents a significant step forward in that vision—bringing international teams to the Islands for the first time and providing a platform to showcase the quality of Falkland wool and the global standard of local shearing and wool handling talent.
Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Test Match
The upcoming Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Test Match competition will take place on Friday 14th November 2025 at the Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) hall in Stanley, Falkland Islands and see three national teams compete—each consisting of two shearers and two wool handlers—with confirmed participants from the Falkland Islands, Wales and Chile.
Representing the Falkland Islands, supported by team manager Lee Molkenbuhr, will beshearers Evan Jones and Adam Dickson, alongside wool handlers Pilar Castro and Holly Turner. This team brings a strong mix of experience and local knowledge, having competed both at home and abroad in recent years.
The Welsh team, accompanied by team manager Rhys Jones, will include world champion shearer Gwion Lloyd Evans and Llyr Jones, supported by wool handlers Sarah Rees and Jessica Morgan, all of whom are well known on the competitive shearing circuit and bring world-class expertise to the event.
Travelling from South America, the Chilean team will feature shearers Kenneth MacLeod and Jorge Carcamo, with wool handlers Camila Quinteros Peñafiel and Archie Sepulveda, showcasing the high level of shearing talent present in the region and highlighting the strong ties between Chile and the Falkland Islands.
Winners of the test match will receive a total prize fund of £8,000, with £4,000 awarded to the winning shearing team and £4,000 to the winning wool handling team, recognising excellence in both disciplines. A total prize fund of £4,000 will be awarded to the runners-up with the same division applied. To mark the significance of the occasion, an official reception will be hosted at Government House, bringing together competitors, sponsors, supporters and dignitaries in celebration of international cooperation and rural excellence.
Alongside the Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Test Match, the event will include Falkland Shears’ annual open competition sponsored by Dedicare, farm visits and a range of associated activities and excursions in celebration of the Falkland Islands. Teams will travel via LATAM from Chile and the RAF Airbridge from the United Kingdom, with the full cost of flights and accommodation for visiting competitors and officials being covered by the Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Test Match has been generously sponsored and supported by Aquila, AtLink, Consolidated Fisheries (CFL), Falkland Islands Company (FIC), Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC), Falklands Landholdings Corporation (FLH), Fortuna, International Tours & Travel (ITT), Sulivan Shipping Services, Sure South Atlantic and Trant Engineering. Falkland Shears and FIDC are now actively seeking additional sponsorship and support to help deliver this historic and landmark event.
Falkland Shears
Falkland Shears is the organising body behind the Falkland Islands’ premier shearing competitions, committed to celebrating and advancing the skill, speed and professionalism of local and visiting shearers and wool handlers.
The Falkland Shears competition was first established in 1991, originally held on a small sheep farm near Stanley during the Christmas period, offering entertainment and friendly competition for shearers when work paused for the seasonal holidays. From those early beginnings, the event steadily grew in reputation and participation, rotating among larger farms including North Arm, Goose Green and Fitzroy. A formal organising committee— Falkland Shears—was later formed to manage and promote the event.
Falkland Shears is committed to expanding the scale and visibility of these events, attract more competitors and showcase to the world the extraordinary work ethic and talent found within the Falklands’ shearing and wool handling community. Today, these events remain the primary fundraising activities for the Falkland Shears organisation, supporting the continued growth of the sport across the Islands.
The Falkland Islands Development Corporation
The Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC) is the national economic development agency for the Falkland Islands—driving sustainable economic growth and assisting with the creation of new jobs, industries and opportunities.
FIDC is one of the principal partners delivering the Economic, Rural and Tourism Development Strategies across the Falkland Islands and the lead for the Innovation Strategy.
FIDC operates as a quasi-autonomous government-funded body with an annual budget of approximately £1m per annum.
For more information about the Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Test Match, interview requests and to learn more about sponsorship and support opportunities, please contact the Falkland Shears Committee and the Falkland Islands Development Corporation.
Tara Wilson Tom Baker
Chair Strategic Projects Manager
Falkland Shears Committee Falkland Islands Development Corporation
falklandshears@fidc.co.fk
www.falklandshears.com
strategic.projects@fidc.co.fk
www.fidc.co.fk
