Editorial: Share the limelight?

OPINION: Shearing – Olympic sport or not? Tricky. Unless you're a shearer.

Shearing Sports New Zealand is pushing for it to become a demonstration sport at the Commonwealth Games. Sports Shear Australia has tried, unsuccessfully, to have it made an Olympic demonstration sport. On this page today Federated Farmers argues that shearing should appear in both.

And as golf and rugby sevens would advise, making the case has to start somewhere and the more voices the better. Both become official Olympic sports in 2016, but it took a lot of legwork.

So, does shearing have a case?

There is no doubt shearers are athletes. Their stamina and strength would be hard to match.

It doesn't matter either that shearing is an occupation. So is tennis, triathlon and athletics. And golf come to think of it.

Shearing might struggle a little on the "widely practised" requirement. While shearing itself is widely practised, international competitions are few and there are but 12 member countries on the Golden Shears World Council.

No problem though that animals are involved, and while machines are used they don't breach the Olympic rule around mechanical propulsion.

And ... shearing makes for a great spectator sport.

Only one problem then.

The International Olympic Committee has capped the number of sports at 28. There'll be 26 in London this year but with sevens and golf being added in 2016, that's it.

So you'd have to drop something. But what?

Synchronized swimming, equestrian dressage, fencing, trampolining, beach volleyball?

All of the above?

And if you could settle on dropping one, shearing wouldn't be alone in wanting the vacant spot. Does it have any greater claim than, say, rock climbing, fly fishing or (gulp) ballroom dancing?

Not such an easy question then, and one, ultimately, that comes down to where your personal interests lie.

Demonstration sports, which incidentally have also come to an end thanks to packed programmes, have included pigeon racing, American football, bowling and roller hockey.

So while we might love to see shearing included, especially as we're rather good at it, don't hold your breath.

Hang on, is holding your breath a sport?

- © Fairfax NZ News