News
The Hokonui Under-18 marching team has won the New Zealand Championships for the third consecutive year in a row.
The club’s younger team Hokonui Under-13’s also won a national title making it the second time undefeated, and were also awarded 1st technical and 1st display.
Invercargill hosted the national event for the first time since 2017 at the weekend, with 37 teams entered from all over the country.
Southern Stars u13 were awarded 3rd technical drill plate grate.
Marching Southland publicity and promotions officer Sheree Hall said the region had six teams competing in grades from u13 through to seniors. There was also a masters grade in the national champs.
She said having a team win three national titles back to back was a feat never achieved in Southland as far back as the life members can remember.
“It was amazing to host the NZ Marching Championships 2025. It was an absolute privilege.
“It ran so smoothly because we have established a beautiful community of volunteers who have been working together all season to ensure this event was a success.”
The Southland teams involved were Blue Jay u13 & u18, Southern Stars u13 and seniors as well as Hokonui u13 & u18.
Both Hokonui teams also won South Island titles this year (3 in a row u18 and second time for u13).
The u18s were coached by Tracy McDonald and Renee Morgan who were both retiring from their positions as the season comes to an end.
Renee said she’d been involved for 40 years and to win at home was the absolute dream outcome.
“And just knowing that they got out of it what they wanted too.”
The previous wins were in Hamilton and Christchurch and as coaches she said you look back and ask yourself, “how did we get this far”?
When asked what made them a cut above the rest, Renee said the girls just knew what they could do with the tools they were given, and just did the basics extremely well.
Judges were looking closely at hand grips, stepping with feet together “and having all the arm swings at the same height and at the same time.”
Renee had two daughters involved in the winning teams - Lily (15) and Phoebe (11), while Tracy also had Rya (18) and Lacie (12) involved in the u18 and u13 championship teams.