World’s 2018: Who’s going?

modern approach continues to capture interest.

Los Angeles Scots (USA) – after missing last year’s Glasgow Green contest, the long-time World Championships devotees from California plan to be back on the Green in August, according to Pipe-Major Colin Armstrong.

Manawatu Scottish (New Zealand) – Pipe-Major Stewart McKenzie confirmed the bi-annual return of “The Tu,” and that the band plans to compete at North Berwick and Perth.

New Zealand Police (New Zealand) – the band, under Pipe-Major Emmett Conway, is back again, after missing 2017. New Zealand Police will be staying in Belfast the week before World’s Week, and plans to compete at Portrush in Northern Ireland on August 11th.

Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada) – the most successful non-UK band in history, SFU is back again looking to improve on its return to the World’s prize list in 2017 under Pipe-Major Alan Bevan.

Not attending

Auckland & District (New Zealand) – Pipe-Major Ben McLaughlin said that his band is working to return to the World’s in 2019.

Invergargill Highland (New Zealand) – Invercargill is yet to make an appearance at the contest since its days in Grade 1 in the 1970s.

Ottawa Police (Ontario, Canada) – another band that was on hiatus in 2017 and now under new leadership, Pipe-Major Jacob Dicker confirms that his band needs to keep working and adding before it can make a serious appearance on Glasgow Green.

Toronto Police (Ontario, Canada) – as reported earlier, Toronto Police are on a major building campaign, with bands in its organizations competing at the 2018 World’s in Grade 3A and Novice Juvenile.

Western Australia Police (Australia) – unfortunately for the rest of the world, WAPOL is not permitted to travel outside of Australia to compete.

With two new UK & Ireland-based Grade 1 bands in Glasgow Skye Association and Lomond & Clyde, plus the 14 that competed last year, and assuming that all of them will enter, we can look forward to at least 25 in the Grade 1 contest in August – a 25% increase over last year’s event.

For non-UK bands shelling out between $60,000 and $125,000 for travel and accommodation just to get and stay there, and zero funding from the organizers of the event, that’s a whole lot of commitment. If 36% of Grade 1 bands competing won’t be from Great Britain & Ireland in the Grade 1 contest, will we also see the RSPBA bring in a judging panel that reflects the “world” at the World’s?

A 25-band Grade 1 competition is one of the largest for the World’s in several years, and nine “overseas” bands (in addition of course to Ireland’s St. Laurence O’Toole) would be the biggest entry in many years.