SPECIAL REPORT
Aerial views of part of Mahoney’s operation.
Team effort rearing 3000 lambs Becs Mahoney, former Black Fern, now international rugby referee, rears up to 3000 lambs each year for Spring Sheep Milk Co as part of her farming duties. Sheryl Haitana reports. Photos by Brad Hanson.
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earing young stock is a key part of any successful farming business and a task that requires dedication and skill, says Becs Mahoney. “I think rearing young stock is a specialty, it’s very time consuming and you have to maintain strong attention to detail.” Rearing up to 3000 lambs/year for Spring Sheep Milk Co sees Becs and husband Luke working from 5am to 10pm most nights for a significant part of spring. In a normal rugby season she spends
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30 hours a week fitness training as well as reviewing/pre-viewing games, and development - which is often done at all hours of the night. Becs typically will start the morning in the lamb sheds, drive or fly to referee a game, and be back in the sheds later that night. However, the hard work and long hours are palatable when it’s something you enjoy, she says. “I absolutely love rearing lambs and the rugby is just fun. For me rugby is good head medicine, a chance to get off farm
and out of the business for a few hours, to be able to mix with different people and be challenged at a different level.” The former Black Fern, who refereed a Ranfurly Shield match last year, was the first woman to referee in the Mitre 10 Cup, the first female assistant referee in Super Rugby early this year and was going to referee two Women’s Six Nations’ test matches this year. However, with Covid-19 she has currently lost her contract with NZ Rugby and will wait to see if there are
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | June 2020
