2026 NZ Championships expecting at least 56 entries across six grades

The 2026 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships, March 20-21, 2026, in Kōhanga Moa  Inglewood, a town of fewer than 4,000 in the Taranaki Region of the country’s North Island, has an entry of 56 across all six grades of competitions, possibly making it the world’s largest non-UK pipe band contest.

Fifty-seven bands competed at the 2025 New Zealand Championships. The 2025 North American Championship at Maxville, Ontario, saw a total of 43 participants, and the 2025 Chicago Highland Games had an entry of 38

“Given the geographic challenges for bands to navigate to get to Inglewood, the fact numbers are as strong as ever is an indication of the heart of the pipe band movement in New Zealand,” said Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association President Liam Kernaghan.

Notably, 12 bands entered the Juvenile grade, likely the largest entry in that category at any competition worldwide. (Five Juvenile bands competed at the 2025 World Championships. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association divides the Juvenile into Juvenile, Novice Juvenile A and Novice Juvenile B, the latter two grades seeing a combined 2025 Worlds entry of 26.)

Manawatu Scottish will defend its 2025 New Zealand Champions title against Auckland & District and Canterbury Caledonian Society. The 2025 Grade 1 contest comprised six bands, but ILT Invercargill Highland and the New Zealand Police have since moved to Grade 2, and Australia’s Hawthorn is not planning to make the 1500-mile journey.

It will be the first New Zealand Championships for Grade 1 Canterbury Caledonian Society under Pipe-Major Piers Dover, who competed as a member of Grade 1 Field Marshal Montgomery in 2025. Dover took over from Jamie Hawke, who elected to leave the role due to family and career commitments. Dover is the first non-Hawke leader of the band in several decades, with Jamie Hawke’s father, Richard, serving as pipe-major since the 1990s.

Remarkably, the Grade 4A Edmonton & District from Alberta, Canada, will travel nearly 10,000 miles to compete.

“We are particularly proud of the fact that our youth scene is growing and diversifying right across the country. Having 12 juvenile bands compete at the ‘Nationals’ is hugely encouraging for our movement here in New Zealand,” Kernaghan added. “I’m proud that the pipe band community ‘Down Under’ is continuing to go from strength to strength despite the economic challenges we are all collectively facing.”

2026 New Zealand Championships entry (from New Zealand unless noted)

Grade 1

• Auckland & District
• Canterbury Caledonian Society
• Manawatu Scottish (2025 Grade 1 Champions)

Grade 2

• Celtic (Nelson)
• City of Tauranga
• Emmanuel College Highlanders at the University of Queensland
• ILT City of Invercargill
• New Zealand Police
• St. Andrew’s (Brisbane)
• St. Andrew’s College (2025 Grade 2 Champions)

Grade 3

• Auckland & District (Gr3)
• Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr3)
• Hamilton Caledonian Society (2025 Grade 3 Champions)
• Hawkes Bay Caledonian
• Manawatu Scottish (Gr3)
• Metro Scottish (2025 Grade 4A Champions)
• Scottish Society of New Zealand
• Wellington Red Hackle

Grade 4A

• Canberra Burns Club
• Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr4A)
• City of Rotorua Highland
• City of Wellington
• Edmonton & District (Canada)
• Hokonui Celtic
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4A)
• Papakura
• Scots College
• St. Andrew’s College (Gr4A)
• Wellington Red Hackle

Grade 4B

• Celtic (Nelson) (Gr4B)
• City of Sails
• Feilding Caledonian
• Hokonui Celtic
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4B) (2025 Grade 4B Champions)
• Manawatu Scottish (Gr4B)
• Marlborough
• Napier Boys’ High School
• NSW Highlanders (Australia)
• NSW Police (Australia)
• Scottish Society Highland
• South Canterbury Highland
• Stratford & District
• Vale of Kawerau
• Wairarapa Fern And Thistle
• Wellington Red Hackle (Gr4B)

Juvenile

• Canterbury Caledonian Society Juvenile
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland A
• ILT City of Invercargill Highland B
• Lewis Turrell Memorial Trust Juvenile
• Manawatu Scottish Youth
• Napier Boys’ High School
• Papakura
• Scots College
• South Canterbury & Celtic (combined)
• St. Andrew’s College A (2025 Juvenile Champions)
• St. Andrew’s College B
• Wellington Red Hackle Team Goose

RSPBA judges Robert Mathieson and Keith Orr are being flown in to adjudicate alongside RNZPBA judges Martin Frewen, Ross Levy, Chris Stevens, Brian Switalla, Davey Welsh and Greg Wilson.

Because New Zealand’s seasons run opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere, bands often welcome guest players from north of the equator, particularly in the higher grades. The converse holds for bands in the Northern Hemisphere. The practice must comply with the transfer and registration rules of the relevant associations.