Mr Purcell teamed up with New South Wales’ Gilgandra contractor, Racheal Hutchison, to represent Australia in a team of three engine shearers, two blade shearers and two wool handlers at the competition on the North Island.

In the lead up to the premier event, Mr Purcell became Australian champion having beaten Ms Hutchison, the reigning champion, at the Australian Open Wool Handling Title in Bendigo in November 2022.

Mr Purcell has 34 years behind him working in sheds as a wool classer and is also employed part time as a wool handling trainer at the Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST) at Hamilton.

He had been competing at the national and state level for 23 years and has placed third in the nationals twice, fourth once, and won the State Championships several times, but had never been Australian champion.

Mr Purcell said it was amazing to beat the New Zealanders on their own turf.

“We didn’t expect to beat them over there,” he said.

“The wool is very different.

“There is a few more oddment boxes - and the eye clips, they’ve gotta be caught before they hit the board.

“We also had to skirt the colour out - they’ve had a lot of rain over there so there was a lot more colour in the fleeces - I struggled with the eye clips and skirting the colour.”

Mr Purcell said he would now prepare to travel to Edinburgh in Scotland to compete in the Golden Shears World Championship competition individually and for team Australia.

“Again, the wool is very different,” he said.

“The fleeces are rolled up differently.

“They call it a tuck and roll.

“I’ve never done that before, so I’m going over a month before to learn how to do that.”

Sport Shear Australia secretary and RIST program coordinator of wool classing, Raelene Laidlaw, said it was a major feat for Australia to win the Trans Tasman wool handling titles.

“This is the first time since 2015 that our wool handlers have won this test in New Zealand,” she said.

“Every year we get invited to go to Masterton - about two hours from Wellington - but we have had couple of years’ hiatus with COVID.

“In return, we invite a Kiwi team back to our national shearing and wool handling titles.

“In the Trans Tasman wool handling test, Mark and Racheal had four merino and four cross bred fleeces to work with - that is what we call a two-breed event.

“Mark is a wool classer and wool handling trainer and he’s very, very passionate about what he does and also teaching others his skills.”

Reportedly, the New Zealanders were the favourite to win paying $1.50 against the Aussies at $2.50, but Friday night belonged to the Australian handlers, with the pair putting an end to the Kiwi’s winning streak of four consecutive wins on their home turf.

The Australian pair finished the eight-fleece task first at Masterton and eventually scoring victory with a 27-point margin.

RIST chief executive, Bill Hamill, said of Mr Purcell’s success, “it’s a great achievement”.

“The team at RIST is very proud of Mark’s achievement winning the Wool Handling Championship.

“It is a fitting reward for his lifetime of dedication to the wool industry and his skills and professionalism in the art of wool handling.

“Mark has been a wool handling trainer at RIST for more than 12 years, and our students benefit greatly from Mark’s skills in wool handling.” Mr Purcell reached the Golden Shears Open wool handling quarter finals at Masterton.