Latest news with #wool
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Wool meets rugby: Norsewear open letter sparks talks with NZ Rugby
A playful jab on social media has led to talks of collaboration between New Zealand Rugby and Norsewear. Photo: Supplied / Norsewear A playful jab on social media has led to a serious yarn between New Zealand Rugby and Norsewear, after the wool clothing company called out the use of offshore-made synthetic beanies in official All Blacks merchandise. Now, the Hawke's Bay-based manufacturer is in discussions with the sporting body on a potential collaboration that could see Kiwi wool proudly adorning Kiwi rugby fans. Owner Tim Deane RNZ's told Checkpoint the open letter posted to Facebook on Thursday was prompted after feedback from rugby fans, annoyed to discover their official headwear was acrylic. "Earlier this week, we were contacted by some die-hard All Blacks fans upset that their All Blacks beanies are synthetic, offshore imports," the post read. "They told us some synthetic beanies are being used as fire starters instead of head warmers. "Doesn't it follow that our sporting legends might wear the very fabric our Kiwi identity is wrapped up in? "Wool and rugby? It's a combo that makes a whole lot of sense. "We want those cauliflower ears protected from the cold." A day later, Deane said he received a call from NZ Rugby. "They were very good-natured about it… and said the post had a number of them smiling in the New Zealand Rugby offices." "They said, look, we'd love to chat in the next couple of weeks just to see if there's anything we could work together on." Deane said the post was meant to highlight a broader issue: New Zealanders talk about supporting local wool but often buy synthetic imports. "In the case of our company, our core business is socks. Eighty percent of the socks in this country are imported, and most of them are not made of wool," he said. Deane argues that New Zealand wool products can be competitively priced. "You can buy a Norsewear Hudson beanie for $29.95," he said, noting it's cheaper than some of the official synthetic alternatives. At the time of the interview, the official All Blacks acrylic beanie retailed at $45. Beyond beanies, Norsewear has already scored a major supply contract with the New Zealand Defence Force. "All of the soldiers, sailors, and aviators will be wearing our socks," Deane said. "We supply a number of other big organisations as well." That's because, said Deane, wool's benefits go beyond national pride. "It's antimicrobial, thermoregulating, durable, and biodegradable. And it doesn't need to be more expensive than synthetics." With talks now on the table, Deane said he's optimistic. "We'll be sitting down with [New Zealand Rugby] in the next couple of weeks to see if we can cook something up." In a written statement, NZ Rugby acknowledged Norsewear's outreach: "We work with a range of amazing Kiwi-based and global businesses… but we're always up for a conversation. In keeping with the theme, NZ Rugby commercial manager Yanie Guthrie tied off the correspondence with a playful pun: "So thank ewe to Norsewear for reaching out." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
NZ wool company puts out open letter to NZ Rugby over beanies
It's the business equivalent of sporting's yellow card - a New Zealand wool company putting out an open letter to New Zealand rugby about the acrylic beanies that are made overseas. Norsewear posted on social media saying die hard fans had contacted them upset once they had realised their beanies were "synthetic, offshore imports". This lead the company to ask why our sporting legends don't wear the fabric our Kiwi identity is wrapped up in. Norsewear owner Tim Deane spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Meet the Tasmanian farmers keeping the English Leicester sheep breed alive after 200 years
They may not have the same star power as their Merino cousins, but for a handful of dedicated breeders, English Leicesters hold a special place on their farm. "Dad always used to say … the perfect English Leicester is just like a dining room table; a big, flat dining room table on four legs," Tasmanian breeder Fiona Hume said. On the banks of the Derwent River at Macquarie Plains, about 50 kilometres north-west of Hobart, you will find one of the country's largest English Leicester flocks. Ms Hume's family have been running sheep here since 1894, and English Leicesters since the 1950s. Because the wool does not fetch much, she admits the flock does not make a great deal of financial sense. "They're kind of this thing that you just love." It has been 200 years since the first documented English Leicesters were imported into Hobart from England. Today, the heritage breed — with its big frame and lustrous long locks — is classified as vulnerable in Australia. That is because there are just 20 English Leicester breeders in Australia and roughly 500 registered sheep. Brenton Heazlewood's family has been contributing to those bloodlines for generations. The president of the English Leicester Association of Australia is so passionate about the breed, he has released a book about their history. "What surprised me when I started the research was that the Merino people that brought them in," Mr Heazlewood said. "They wanted to improve the carcass of the merino, but still retain the merino wool." The English Leicester was developed in England by agricultural pioneer Robert Bakewell in the late 1700s, coinciding with the industrial revolution. He wanted an animal that grew a lot faster and with more meat than other breeds. Alongside Merino sheep, English Leicesters hit their peak in Australia between the 1830s and the 1930s. But numbers started to dwindle when their direct descendent, the faster-maturing Border Leicester, was introduced. And that is what Ms Hume has done, integrating them with her Suffolk sheep and crossing some with merinos to produce a small flock of good mothers. The breed is known for its long, high-lustre wool, sought after by spinners and weavers. It is this craft market that is maintaining English Leicester numbers in countries such as Sweden and the United States. But here in Australia, demand for the curly wool is limited. Ms Hume said there was certainly potential to grow the market. "I think their sheepskins and wool are really great products and I think there is enormous scope to expand in that area," she said. "If I had more time, I could be selling a lot more English Leicester sheepskins." So who is stepping up to continue the legacy of the breed? George Willows was just eight years old when he took on his grandfather's English Leicester flock with the help of his dad, Paul. Now 17, the young sheep farmer near Triabunna on Tasmania's east coast is keen to see sheep numbers grow. "They're very gentle, nurturing sheep," he said. "I've been trying to improve the growth rates, but still keep true to the breed. Mr Heazlewood is optimistic the breed's future is in safe hands. "It's all very well, old people like me having it," he said. "But you need young people to keep it going and and we have got that young base. "We're very lucky here in Australia, there's four or five young breeders interested in the breed. "So I'm confident that this future is secure, there's no doubt about that."
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Earth Summit highlights regenerative wool's climate potential
The discussion titled 'Circular by Nature – Rethinking Innovation in Natural Fibres' was held at the London Climate Action Week. It centred on the tangible benefits of wool, supported by evidence-based land management practices, innovative product development, and circular design principles. The panel, moderated by Amy Nguyen, featured participants including Clare Cannon, a Merino woolgrower from 'Woomargama Station' in Australia; Chris Gaffney, CEO of Johnsons of Elgin; Amy Powney, creative director and founder at AKYN; and Elisabeth van Delden, sustainability manager for Europe at Woolmark. The panellists emphasised the need for increased cooperation across the sector and promoted regenerative wool as a beneficial solution for the environment. Central to this conversation was the Woolmark+ roadmap, which outlines a strategy for incorporating wool into sustainable fashion models. This framework focuses on enhancing nature-positive production, establishing wool as a preferred circular fibre, and fostering prosperous rural communities. Australian woolgrower Clare Cannon provided insights into the positive ecological effects of regenerative grazing on her farm, including the resurgence of endangered bird species and native vegetation. 'Our expertise isn't theoretical; it's grounded in day-to-day realities. We have implemented practical strategies for preserving biodiversity, improving soil health, and reducing emissions as we journey towards nature positive. These are not buzzwords for us but part of our innate identity as stewards of the land,' Cannon stated. Gaffney discussed how continuous innovation is essential for maintaining the longevity of brands. 'You don't become a heritage brand without constantly innovating,' he said. van Delden highlighted current global carbon accounting methods prioritise carbon emissions and neglect factors such as water management, biodiversity and soil health. 'Woolmark+ helps bridge the gap between real on-farm outcomes and the growing demand from brands and investors for measurable impact. Whether it's decarbonisation, biodiversity uplift, or material circularity - the roadmap offers a science-led, scalable way to integrate wool into strategies focused on risk reduction, resilience, and long-term value creation,' she said. In November 2024, the Australian Government allocated A$4m ($2.6m) to support Woolmark's new Australian Wool Industry Insetting Programme, which is designed to lower emissions within the textile supply chain. "Blue Earth Summit highlights regenerative wool's climate potential" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
ABC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Country Hour veteran reflects on $450,000 ram and decline of wool industry
Times were tough in 1989: mortgage interest rates were hovering around 17 per cent, and even Sydney's real estate market was feeling the pinch. But someone still found $450,000 to spend on a single ram. As the Country Hour gets ready to mark 80 years on air, the ABC picked the brains of former rural reporters about the stories they will never forget. For Leigh Radford, the former head of ABC Rural, it was that day at the Royal Adelaide Show when a merino ram sold for a world-record price. "It's just extraordinary that that amount of money was paid for a single ram," he said. Wool was once Australia's biggest export. In 1950, the fibre was selling for $37 per kilogram, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but by 1970–71 the price had fallen to just $0.60 per kilogram. The industry was propped up with a Wool Deficiency Payments Scheme in 1971, and then a Reserve Price Scheme for wool, which operated between 1974 and 1991 and kept profits artificially high. In 1985, West Australian Neil Garnett paid $10.5 million for South Australia's Collinsville stud. The world record sale price for a merino was broken six times under his ownership, with the run culminating in the ram called JC&S Lustre 53. Tony Wetherall was the auctioneer for the record sale. "The whole ram shed was absolutely packed, media everywhere; you could hear a pin drop," he recalled. Mr Wetherall said overseas interest in Australian genetics helped to drive ram prices to record levels. "Back in the day, Collinsville was selling a lot of semen, and that ram may have had a thousand orders at $50 a dose," he said. A 1995 ABC 7.30 story on Collinsville reported that a third of the Australian wool clip had direct genetic links to the stud, making it the most influential in the country. But just a couple of years after the auction, Leigh Radford was reporting on another turning point for the industry. The Australian Wool Commission (AWC) was running the reserve price scheme, setting a minimum price for wool to smooth out fluctuations in prices for growers. It would buy the wool that did not sell, store it, and sell it later when the market recovered. But demand was softening and sometimes 90 per cent of the offering was being bought by the commission. Mr Radford was soon reporting on the collapse of that scheme. "Supply ran ahead of demand, prices got to 1,200c per kilogram on an average basis and the floor price was running at about 870c." The Collinsville Stud went into receivership in 1991, owing $43 million. By the end of the 1990s, it was reported Australian greasy wool production had fallen by 35 per cent. Paddy Handbury, a nephew of Rupert Murdoch, bought Collinsville in 1995 and Tim Della came on board as stud manager in 2008. Mr Dalla was at the Adelaide Show that day as well, but he was just seven years old. He is now Collinsville Stud's general manager and he said Lustre, the record-breaking ram, was put to work producing semen to sell for artificial insemination. "A lot of people used him through AI and he threw a lot of progeny," Mr Dalla said. Lustre would sire three Adelaide Show supreme champions. But the days of rams being worth more than houses appear to be over. Mr Dalla said the top-priced ram since 1989 sold for $115,000 in 2022, a long way off the record price. Seasonal conditions are affecting wool growers now, with Collinsville recording its lowest rainfall figures since it was established in 1889. While the industry ponders how to deal with drought and increase demand for wool in the face of ongoing competition from artificial fibres, the Country Hour continues telling the stories of rural Australia. Mr Radford is still broadcasting on the ABC and active in leadership roles in agricultural organisations around the world. But he regards his career with the Country Hour as his finest work. The 80th anniversary of the first Country Hour broadcast is on December 3, a milestone that makes it the longest-running radio program in the Southern Hemisphere.
