Draw for Grade 1 World’s Qualifier announced
Fourteen Grade 1 bands will vie for the remaining spots in the Final round at the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships. The RSPBA made the draw for the Qualifier following the results of the European Championship at Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Five bands from the Qualifier will join the nine bands that have already made it to the Final, for a competition of 14 bands.
- Fife Constabulary (Scotland)
- Spirit of Scotland (Scotland)
- Band Club Sydney (Australia)
- Lothian & Borders Police (Scotland)
- Tayside Police (Scotland)
- Australia Highlanders (Australia)
- Alberta Caledonia (Canada)
- Toronto Police (Canada)
- Los Angeles Scots (USA)
- New Zealand Police (New Zealand)
- Cullybackey (Northern Ireland)
- Vale of Atholl (Scotland)
- Peel Regional Police (Canada)
- Clan Gregor (Scotland)
Pre-qualifying for the final, either by virtue of accruing points at previous RSPBA championships or by being an “overseas” band placing at last year’s World’s are:
- Ballycoan (Northern Ireland)
- Boghall & Bathgate (Scotland)
- Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)
- House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead (Scotland)
- Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)
- ScottishPower (Scotland)
- Simon Fraser University (Canada)
- St Laurence O’ Toole (Ireland)
- Strathclyde Police (Scotland)
How did Ballycoan qualify? Have they ever had a prize at a major? Good band yes but does n ot make any sense when you look at some of the overseas bands that has to compete in the qualifier.
Hi Ballycoan haven’t been out of the top seven or eight bands at the majors and some of the individual piping/drumming results have been in the top six…..I think it was on the disqualification of the vale last time and some daft rule somewhere that kept them out of the prize list ….so good for them I think they deserve their pre qualified status Ian Neill
Fair enough and good luck to them. Anyone notice how the two bands which just come into grade one this year drew first two spots? What a coincidence!