Wairarapa shearer David Buick has been recalled to the New Zealand shearing team for a four-test series against Wales on their tour of the UK.
A member of the 2017 team in the UK, Buick replaces Hawke's Bay shearer Cam Ferguson, who shore the first two tests of the tour either side of his third placing in the World Championships final in France.
Ferguson, who spent three nights in hospital with back injuries after a road crash in Southern Hawke's Bay in late April, decided on his withdrawal from the rest of the tour after some indifferent form at the Great Yorkshire Show in England.
Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan and team manager Ken Payne said Pongaroa farmer Buick accepted the invitation without hesitation.
Ferguson and teammate and fellow Hawke's Bay gun Rowland Smith were beaten by eventual World champion Scotland team of Gavin Mutch and Calum Shaw at the Lochearnhead Shears on June 29, in the one test before the World championships, and bounced-back last week to beat England World championships combination Adam Berry and Stuart Connor at Harrowgate's Great Yorkshire Show.
Smith and Buick will now shear the series against Wales at Cothi on Friday, Lampeter on Saturday, the Royal Welsh Show on July 22 and Corwen three days later.
New Zealand has not won any of the annual series' in Wales since 2011.
Newshub.
