A Co. Wicklow man who has the title of New Zealand's top junior sheep shearer said he takes "every competition as it comes".

Seán Dunne from Laragh is the top ranked junior shearer for the 2025/2026 season in New Zealand, and is the first non-national to take the title.

The 20-year-old hails from a strong shearing background with his father Tom very involved in it.

"I'm competing the last three years, I got the interest from a young age," he told Agriland.

"My father always brought me around to all the competitions."

Competing across the world

Competing has brought Seán not only around Ireland and the UK, but also the likes of France, Norway and of course, New Zealand, where he recently just returned from.

He has completed two seasons in New Zealand and said he is due to go back in November until around March, where he works shearing for a contractor.

"I was fortunate over there I was working for a world shearing champion, he taught me a lot," Seán said.

Seán has been up against competitors from across the world, and is now the top ranked junior shearer in the New Zealand championships.

Rankings are earned through points collected across the season in a number of competitions.

"You get points from winning each show and when the season's over, all the points are added together to find the top ranks," he explained.

Seán said he "wasn't expecting" to gain the top title, "but I tried my best to see could I do it".

Along with those who have taught him what he knows in Ireland, he said he has been "lucky with the people I worked for" in New Zealand.

"They have done a lot to help me out," he added.

Popularity

Shearing is "one of the top sports" in New Zealand, Seán said, which emphasises his level of commitment and talent to have claimed his title.

He said in Ireland there are a big numbers of young shearers and it is gaining popularity even.

Seán said he will continue to compete for the rest of the season in Ireland and the UK, and "take every competition as it comes really".

His success didn't stop in New Zealand as just last week he took first place in the intermediate at the Shearfest national sheep shearing championships in Mountbellew, Co. Galway.