Nominations are open and soon a trial will take place for the 2013 Wedderburn Sharp Blacks. The trial will see the current team put through their paces against a team of challengers, all vying for one of the coveted five spots in the team.

For the past two years, the Wedderburn Sharp Blacks have taken on Australia in a test match, taking a side of beef and a lamb in a two-hour timeframe and turning it into a butchery display. In 2013, the test match will become a tri-nations, with Britain sending a team to compete.

Kim Doran from Retail Meat New Zealand, the competition organiser, says the contest is becoming a real highlight on the industry calendar.

“The rivalry developing in these test matches is intense. It’s all good-natured and there’s a great camaraderie developing between us and the Australians outside the match which can only be good for the industry.

“Adding the British team to the mix is an exciting prospect and is only going to add to the experience,” says Doran.

The 2013 Tri-Nations will take place on 9 March in Wanaka. Nominations for the 2013 Wedderburn Sharp Blacks close on 31 August.