Few Australians would know of seven-time national blade shearing champion John Dalla, but in New Zealand his equivalent is treated "like a rock star".

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 54 seconds 4 m 54 s Rural Reporter: The battle of the blades Download 2.2 MB

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 37 seconds 4 m 37 s Dani Grindlay reports from the Trans Tasman shearing and wool handling test, in western Victoria. ( Danielle Grindlay ) Download 2.1 MB

Australia might be on par with NZ when it comes to shearing and wool handling skill, but without backing from Government interest in national events are vastly lacking compared with over the ditch.

A crowd of about 200 created some electric moments at the Trans-Tasman test in Victoria over the weekend, but it remained an embarrassing display for New Zealand visitors, who often attract upwards of 4,000 spectators to the event on home turf.

Australian competitors say that is because the NZ Government has declared wool handling and shearing official sports, which translates to financial backing, marketing and widespread media coverage.

South Australian blade champion John Dalla said it cost him money to travel and compete, while his Kiwi counterparts were viewed as celebrities.

"In New Zealand, when one shearer was in his prime and winning most of the open competitions, he was making about $35,000 a year," Mr Dalla said.

"[I'm making] a loss."

Mr Dalla is confident Australians will soon recognise his art form, especially now that the Victorian Farmers Federation has backed the ongoing campaign.

"As soon as it's declared a sport [it] will be fantastic because then hopefully we can get it in the Commonwealth Games and even the Olympic Games," Mr Dalla said.

"If we are able to do that then it might get some televised events and really close that gap between the city and country.

"It's a pretty fantastic thing to watch, a World Championships final, shearing 20 sheep in 15 minutes."

Sports Shear Australia will submit a further proposal to the Australian Sports Commission by the end of the year, outlining why shearing and wool handling should be included alongside football and baton twirling in the national list of sports.

New Zealand levels the Trans-Tasman score

New Zealand world wool handling champion Joel Henare edges ahead of Australia's Sarah Moran in the Trans Tasman test. ( Danielle Grindlay )

New Zealand's best shearers and wool handlers brought their A-game to western Victoria over the weekend, successfully levelling the Trans-Tasman score: 29 to 29.

The Aussies and Kiwis face up to each other twice every year, and March 2015 marked the first time Australia's team won both the shearing and wool handling on NZ turf.

The test is divided into blade shearing, wool handling, and machine shearing events; in overall points New Zealand finished close to 30 in front.

Despite edging closer to victory every year, John Dalla and his colleagues have never taken out the blade shearing title.

"We've been trying for about six years now," he said.

"It would be nice to finally topple them for once."

Alas 2015 was not the year, but Mr Dalla had a sound excuse.

"Up in the high country, on the South Island [in NZ], they still shear with the blades for about seven months of the year," he said.

"They've only just finished their blade season so the boys are well and truly practised, whereas I've shorn about 100 sheep in the last six months."

New Zealand world champion wool handlers Sheree Alabaster and Joel Henare also proved too good for Australia's best, Sarah Moran and Tara Smith.

But arguably the most hotly contested title, the machine shearing test, remained with the Aussies.

"It's probably the pinnacle of the shearing industry, the test," Australian national champion Daniel McIntyre said.

"Winning in Australia is good but when you go over to NZ and win on home soil over there, it's a really good feeling."

At the close of the national championships Australia crowned a new wool handling champion - New South Wales' Rachel Hutchinson took the title from Sarah Moran.



John Dalla and Daniel McIntyre both held onto their national champion status and will again represent Australia over the ditch, in 2016.