NZFC World Doubles Fencing Championship and overseas exchange programme

NZFC has been working on the development of a World Doubles Fencing Championship, bringing together fencers from different countries to compete at the National Fieldays at Mystery Creek, to help highlight the New Zealand fencing industry’s strong standing in fencing competitions, and connect fencers from across the globe.

Coupled with this initiative is an overseas competition exchange program, whereby representative competition winners from different countries come down and compete in the Fieldays Silver Spades® Doubles Championship. In exchange, the New Zealand winners, or highest placed New Zealand team, travel overseas to one of their competitions to represent New Zealand and our NZFC sponsors.

Work undertaken on behalf of NZFC by Nick Liefting with the U.K, and Debbie White with the USA can be attributed to the early development of the World Championship concept and connections.

At this years’ Fieldays, two overseas teams will be competing in the Fieldays Silver Spades® Doubles Championship. Representing the 2024 Tornado Fencing competition in the UK is Si Gibbs, from HVB Fencing, and John Morgan, from Morgan Fencing. Comments Si, “We are both looking forward to meeting the best of the best and giving it a good go. Best to get practising!”

The winners of the U.S Platinum Strainers Doubles Championship, which is run at the East Coast Fencing Rivalry in Galex Virginia, were Dylan Herndon (Georgia) and Deuce Brown (South Carolina). With Dylan unfortunately unable to make it for family reasons, Ed Struna from Hickory Nut Fencing Ohio is coming over as Deuce’s doubles partner.

Says Deuce, “I’m looking forward to competing in NZ. I’m excited to meet the other competitors and learn all I can to hopefully bring knowledge back to the States. Being able to compete at Fieldays is a real honour, and something I don’t take lightly.

I think one of the most understated aspects of competitions is the camaraderie that comes with it. After I competed at the East Coast Fencing Rivalry, I feel that I’m a better fencer for doing it. The biggest value is paying more attention to details that I’ve overlooked in the past, being more appreciative of the value of techniques, and its helped me bring an overall higher quality of fence to my everyday customers.”

2025 Exchange

The winners of the Fieldays Silver Spades® Doubles Championship are travelling to the USA to compete in the US Platinum Strainers Doubles Championship, held at the East Coast Fencing Rivalry in Galax Virginia, on 15-16 August 2025.

Along with competing, they will be demonstrating New Zealand techniques to the other attendees during organised demonstration times, and promoting travelling to New Zealand to attend the Fieldays and to meet New Zealand fencing contractors.

Any New Zealand Fencing contractors and their partners who would like to attend either the Tornado Fencing Competition, held at the Malvern Sheep Show in England, or the East Coast Fencing Rivalry in Galex, Virginia, USA and then meet up with fellow fencing contractors and do factory tours, can email office@nzfencingcompetitons. co.nz for further information.

Written by Debbie White