Manawatu in form in New Zealand with a vintage Sinclair win at Square Day

Palmerston North, New Zealand – December 14, 2024 – Playing nearly 20-year-old refurbished blackwood Sinclair chanters from the band’s storage cupboard, Manawatu Scottish came out strong at the annual Jenny Mair Square Day competition, the second contest of the New Zealand season and the largest event next to the New Zealand Championships.

The band enjoyed first-place rankings from all eight judges in hot and windy conditions against Auckland & District and Invercargill. Seventeen bands competed across the four grades.

Grade 1
Overall
1st Manawatu Scottish
2nd Auckland & District
3rd Invercargill

Grade 2
Overall
1st Celtic
2nd Tauranga

Grade 3
Overall
1st Auckland & District (Gr3)
2nd Hawkes Bay Caledonian
3rd Manawatu Scottish (No2)
4th Red Hackle
5th Auckland Police

Grade 4
Overall
1st Metro Scottish
2nd City of Rotorua
3rd Papakura
4th Red Hackle (Gr4B)
5th City of Wellington
6th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle
7th Red Hackle (Gr4B)

Medley
Grade 1
1st Manawatu Scottish (1,1,1,1)
2nd Auckland & District (2,2,2,3)
3rd Invercargill (3,3,3,2)
Judges: Ben McLaughlin, Stuart Easton (piping); Scott Mitchell (ensemble); Paul Turner (drumming)

Grade 2
1st Celtic (1,1,2,1)
2nd Tauranga (2,2,1,2)
Judges: Ben McLaughlin, Stuart Easton (piping); Scott Mitchell (ensemble); Paul Turner (drumming)

Grade 3
1st Auckland & District (Gr3) (3,1,1,1)
2nd Hawkes Bay Caledonian (1,2,3,3)
3rd Red Hackle (Gr3) (4,5,2,2)
4th Manawatu Scottish (No.2) (2,3,5,4)
5th Auckland Police (5,4,4,5)
Judges: Ben McLaughlin, Stuart Easton (piping); Scott Mitchell (ensemble); Paul Turner (drumming)

Grade 4
1st Metro Scottish (1,2,1,1)
2nd City of Rotorua (2,1,2,3)
3rd Papakura (5,4,3,2)
4th City of Wellington (3,3,5,6)
5th Red Hackle (G4A) (4,5,4,7)
6th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle (6,6,6,4)
7th Red Hackle (G4B) (7,7,7,5)
Judges: Ben McLaughlin, Stuart Easton (piping); Scott Mitchell (ensemble); Paul Turner (drumming)

MSR
Grade 1
1st Manawatu Scottish (1,1,1,1)
2nd Invercargill (2,2,3,2)
3rd Auckland & District (3,3,2,3)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Geoff Hallberg (piping); Liam Kernaghan (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

Grade 2
1st Celtic (1,1,1,1)
2nd Tauranga (2,2,2,2)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Geoff Hallberg (piping); Liam Kernaghan (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

Grade 3
1st Auckland & District (Gr3) (2,3,1,1)
2nd Hawkes Bay Caledonian (1,1,2,4)
3rd Manawatu Scottish No.2 (3,2,3,3)
4th Red Hackle (G3) (5,5,4,2)
5th Auckland Police (4,4,5,5)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Geoff Hallberg (piping); Liam Kernaghan (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

Grade 4
1st City of Rotorua (1,2,1,3)
2nd Metro Scottish (2,1,3,1)
3rd Papakura (5,4,2,2)
4th Red Hackle (G4A) (4,3,4,4)
5th City of Wellington (3,5,5,5)
6th Wairarapa Fern & Thistle (7,7,6,6)
7th Red Hackle (G4B) (6,6,7,7)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Geoff Hallberg (piping); Liam Kernaghan (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)