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WELL DONE REBEKAH!
Gwernyfed RFC’s Players and Members breaking British records!
GWERNYFED RFC
SHEAR BRILLIANCE!
On Friday 9th August 2019, ex-GRFC players and farmers’ sons, Lloyd Rees and George Gilbert were part of the four man team that set a new British shearing record of 2654 lambs shorn in a nine hour working day.
The record attempt held under British Isles Shearing Competitions Association rules, was hosted by Mrs and Mrs Rob Powell at Blaenbwch Farm, Builth Wells, and was attended by over 1000 people made up of families, friends, sponsors and general supporters – many of whom would be Gwernyfed RFC members!
Lloyd, aged 25, played mini, junior and first team rugby for Gwernyfed, before setting his sights more firmly on his shearing career. You could say it’s a family trait, as Lloyd’s grandfather was a shearing instructor for the British Wool Board and was able to give Lloyd some pointers early on. At the age of 16 Lloyd gained his Blue Seal (first shearing qualification) at a British Wool Board training course. Since then he has attended many more courses, now having his Gold seal, and has won many shearing competitions, the highlight of which would be winning the Intermediate and Senior Championships at the Royal Welsh Show. This resulted in him becoming a member of the Welsh Development team, and representing Wales in full test matches against New Zealand and France.
He first travelled to NZ at the age of 18 and on his first day of work managed to shear only 96 sheep – back home he was comfortably shearing 250 sheep a day. He’s come on a bit since then! For his part in the record, Lloyd’s shore 725 lambs.
George, also 25, played youth rugby for Gwernyfed, as well as games for the 1st and 2nd XV, in between overseas visits to New Zealand shearing in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018.
He started shearing at the age of 16 doing bits and bobs at home before starting work with local shearer Kelly Atkinson. Attending numerous training courses since then, George has worked his way up through the qualifications to gain his British Wool Gold seal. As well as shearing locally, George also shears for a contractor in Somerset and does a few weeks later on in the season up in Radnorshire.
In 2014, George won the English Junior Circuit of shearing shows and in 2015 shore over 500 lambs in 9 hours during his time in NZ. In 2017 he won the Welsh International Speed Shear Senior section.
George’s final tally for the record was 650 lambs.
Other Gwernyfed players and friends closely supporting the shearers either in back pens were Gethin Jones, Harry Gilbert, Jonny Rees, Kieran Jones, Rhys Mills and Rory Owen. Among the four girls clearing wool were Emily Sheppard and Sarah-Jane Rees.
Rebekah O'Loughlin has only been playing rugby for 12 months. She started playing last summer when she joined Gwernyfed touch after deciding to give up playing tennis due to a recurring injury.
She played tennis from a very young age, even represented Wales at the youth commonwealth games in Samoa and won the gold medal for girls doubles. Since starting at Gwernyfed, she got selected for Blues but got injured during the season so missed the beginning of Gwernyfed’s season. Once fit, she played for the ladies, and soon got a call up to be part of the Wales 7s squad. She’s been training with them and got selected as part of the squad to travel to Marcoussis, France to compete in the Rugby Europe competition. She’s yet to have a cap but with Autumn internationals and the Six Nations around the corner her sights are set on making it in to those squads and gaining her first Welsh Cap!
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