Southern pipers are all buzzing after a huge weekend hosting the National Championships, with up to 1500 participants from all over Australasia in the city.
Held at the Queens Park Cricket Grounds and an impressive event for spectators as well, 57 bands were involved, and the Grade 4 team came home with a national title. Related: Watch: 2025 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships - Day Two (Saturday)
The entry level pipers were made up of adult beginners and young 10 and 11 year olds, including father/son, brother/sister combinations, and were a really tight unit, pipe band director Ali McKenzie said.
“They’ve been super to work with the last few seasons and very well deserved.”
Ali McKenzie was the pipe major of the Invercargill Grade 1 band, and he said a win for one band was like a win for everyone in the south, “and to see the young ones do so well is a sign that we are getting things right, with the tutoring programmes and structures that are in place…”
He said the weather didn’t dampen their spirits at all, with at least 130 local pipers participating.
“I’m extremely proud of our whole organisation, the way all our bands played and their placings.”
The Juvenile A team finished runners up to the mighty St Andrew’s College, and Grade 3 finished in 4th place.
Grade 1 was placed 5th overall (including a 3rd in the MSR event) “which is a top result, to crack the top 3 is not easy at all.”
Ali said while gutting to not get the Street March event with the weather, there was real buzz performing in front of the home crowd at the cricket grounds “and you could certainly feel the support.”
The national event was last held here in 2020 and this year was the largest pipe band competition ever staged in the country.
The Invercargill Grade 1 band often performed at high profile events around Southland and Otago including Highlanders matches, and festivals.