Entries for New Zealand Championships increase to 52, up by 13%

The 2024 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, March 15-16, will enjoy a 13% increase in entries, with a total of 52 bands across all grades entered for the country’s annual marquee competition.
Five bands have entered the Grade 1 contest, including Hawthorne of Melbourne, Australia, who will travel more than 1,600 miles to attend the event in the band’s first year in the top grade. Hawthorne won Grade 2 at the 2023 New

The 2024 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, March 15-16, will enjoy a 13% increase in entries, with a total of 52 bands across all grades entered for the country’s annual marquee competition.

Five bands have entered the Grade 1 contest, including Hawthorne of Melbourne, Australia, who will travel more than 1,600 miles to attend the event in the band’s first year in the top grade. Hawthorne won Grade 2 at the 2023 New Zealand & South Pacific Championships.

Canterbury Caledonian Society will defend their Grade 1 title. Missing from the contest is the New Zealand Police, one of the country’s most famous pipe bands. The group dismissed most of it drum section in July 2023.

“Having so many bands attend the ‘Nationals’ is a testament to the hard work of teaching organizations and bands throughout the southern hemisphere, something we are looking forward to celebrating during the championships in March,” Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association President Iain Blakeley said in a statement. “With top bands from Australia coming across, the quintessential trans-Tasman rivalry will be on full display. There can be no doubt that the pipe band community ‘Down Under’ is continuing to go from strength to strength.”

The RNZPBA predicts that the New Zealand Nationals will be “the largest pipe band competition event outside of Europe.” Entries for the All-Ireland Championships in Donabate, Ireland; the Chicago Highland Games; and the North American Championships at Maxville, Ontario, are still to be announced.

New Zealand’s vibrant pipe band teaching community has resulted in the Juvenile grade at the New Zealand Nationals swelling to 11 entries, and the RNZPBA can lay claim to holding “the biggest juvenile contest in the world.”

“While we haven’t committed to taking this trial further, it is an exciting opportunity to try something new and continue to innovate for the betterment of the pipe band community.” – RNZPBA President Iain Blakeley.

The organization is ensuring that the events will be assessed by some of the pipe band world’s most respected judges, including Stuart Easton, Martin Frewen, Liam Kernaghan, Ross Levy, Scott Mitchell, Gordon Parkes, Richard Parkes, and Brian Switalla.

Most grades will compete in two events, and the RNZPBA plans to have the one-event Juvenile competition critiqued by all eight judges.

“For the first time in New Zealand, because of the value we place on the juvenile contest, both music panels will adjudicate the event,” Blakeley said. “That means our up-and-coming players will get the benefit of feedback from four piping adjudicators, two ensemble adjudicators and two drumming adjudicators. While we haven’t committed to taking this trial further, it is an exciting opportunity to try something new and continue to innovate for the betterment of the pipe band community.

Entries (alphabetical)

Grade 1

• Auckland & District
• Canterbury Caledonian Society
• Hawthorn (Melbourne)
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland
• Manawatu Scottish

Grade 2

• Celtic (Nelson)
• City of Tauranga
• St. Andrew’s (Brisbane)
• St. Andrews College
• Wellington Red Hackle

Grade 3

• Auckland & District
• Auckland Police
• Canterbury Caledonian Society
• City of Ipswich No. 1
• City of Melbourne No. 1
• Hawkes Bay Caledonian
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland
• Manawatu Scottish
• Northland Caledonian

Grade 4A

• Canterbury Caledonian Society
• Celtic (Nelson)
• City of Rotorua Highland
• City of Wellington
• Hamilton Caledonian Society
• Hokonui Celtic
• Metro Scottish
• Papakura
• St. Andrew’s College (B)
• Wellington Red Hackle

Grade 4B

• Ashburton County Scottish Society
• City of Dunedin
• City of Ipswich No 2
• City of Melbourne Highland
• City of Sails
• Feilding & Districts
• Hokonui Celtic Social
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland
• RSA Franklin
• South Canterbury Highland
• St. Kentigern College
• Wellington Red Hackle

Juvenile

• Auckland Grammar School
• Canterbury Caledonian Society
• City of Dunedin
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland B
• Lewis Turrell Memorial Trust
• South Canterbury Highland & Celtic
• St. Andrew’s College
• St. Andrew’s College (B)
• St. Kentigern College
• Wellington Red Hackle

The orders-of-play, judging assignments, and schedule of events for the 2024 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships are available here.