Victorian Championships: Hawthorn, City of Melbourne on top

Melbourne – March 29, 2026 – The 2026 Victorian Pipe Band Championships were held in conjunction with the Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival in the eastern suburb of Croydon. City of Melbourne Highland prevailed in Grade 2, the day’s top contested event.

The only Grade 1 entry, Hawthorn, performed for comments from the judges. A total of 25 bands competed in typical late March Melbourne weather: warm and mostly sunny, with temepratures reaching about 26°C.

At the event, longtime competitor, judge and teacher Andrew Womersley was presented with the 2026 Sir Rupert Hamer Award by Pipe Bands Victoria.

Nat Russell, the former pipe-major of 1998 World Champions Victoria Police and the Grade 1 Royal Ulster Constabulary, and workshop leader, was presented with a 50-year judging service award from the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s Adjudication Panel Management Board by RSPBA judge and Russell’s longtime leading-drummer, Paul Turner.

As with all Australian pipe band competitions, all bands had the opportunity to play in both of their grade’s events.

Grade 1 (one performed)
Medley
Hawthorn
Comments: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
Hawthorn
Comments: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Grade 2 (two competed)
Overall
1st City of Melbourne Highland
2nd Moorabbin
Drumming: City of Melbourne

Medley
1st City of Melbourne Highland (1,1,2,1)
2nd Moorabbin (2,2,1,2)
Judges: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
1st Moorabbin (2,2,1,1) (ens.pref.)
2nd City of Melbourne Highland (1,1,2,2)
Judges: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Grade 3 (four competed)
Overall
1st Old Scotch 1
2nd Scotch College 1
3rd Victoria Scottish
4th Haileybury 1
Drumming: Scotch College

Medley
1st Scotch College 1 (3,3,1,1)
2nd Old Scotch 1 (2,2,3,3) (ens.pref.)
3rd Victoria Scottish (1,1,4,4)
4th Haileybury 1 (4,4,2,2)
Judges: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
1st Old Scotch 1 (1,1,1,1)
2nd Scotch College 1 (2,2,2,2)
3rd Victoria Scottish (3,3,4,3)
4th Haileybury 1 (4,4,3,4)
Judges: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Grade 4A (one played)
Medley
City of Melbourne 2
Comments: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
City of Melbourne 2
Comments: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Grade 4B (11 competed)
Overall
1st Scotch College 2
2nd PLC Melbourne
3rd Riverina Highlanders
4th Ballarat Grammar
5th Golden City
6th Royal Caledonian Society SA
Drumming: PLC Melbourne

Medley
1st Scotch College 2 (2,2,2,1)
2nd PLC Melbourne (6,5,3,3)
3rd Golden City (3,6,1,6) (ens.pref.)
4th Ballarat Grammar (4,4,4,4) (ens.pref.)
5th Riverina Highlanders (5,3,6,2)
6th Royal Caledonian Society SA (1,1,8,7)
Judges: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
1st Scotch College 2 (2,1,2,2)
2nd PLC Melbourne (6,5,1,1)
3rd Riverina Highlanders (4,4,4,3) (ens.pref.)
4th Ballarat Grammar (3,2,6,4)
5th Golden City (5,3,3,5)
6th Royal Caledonian Society SA (1,6,8,8)
Judges: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Novice A (two competed)
Overall
1st Scotch College 1
2nd Haileybury 1
Drumming: Scotch College 1

Medley
1st Scotch College 1 (1,1,2,1)
2nd Haileybury 1 (2,2,1,2)
Judges: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

MSR
1st Scotch College 1 (1,1,1,1)
2nd Haileybury 1 (2,2,2,2)
Judges: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)

Novice B (four competed)
Overall
1st Scotch College 2
2nd PLC Melbourne
3rd Ballarat Grammar
4th Haileybury 2
Drumming: Scotch College 2

Medley
1st Scotch College 2 (1,1,2,1)
2nd PLC Melbourne (3,2,1,3)
3rd Ballarat Grammar (4,4,3,2)
4th Haileybury 2 (2,3,4,4)
Judges: J. Easdon, S. Dalziel (piping); Paul Turner (ensemble); Andrew Wormesley (drumming)

Marches
1st Scotch College 2 (1,3,2,1)
2nd PLC Melbourne (3,1,1,2)
3rd Ballarat Grammar (2,2,5,4)
4th Haileybury 2 (4,4,3,5)
5th Scotch College 3 (5,5,4,3)
6th Haileybury 3 (6,6,6,6)
Judges: Brian Niven, D. Telford (piping); Scott Nicolson (ensemble); Harold Gillespie (drumming)