2026 NZ Champions: Canterbury Caledonian Society

Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand – March 20-21, 2026 – With firsts from all eight judges, Canterbury Caledonian Society enjoyed a convincing win at the 2026 New Zealand Championships, held in perfect conditions at the TET Stadium & Events Centre in the small town near New Plymouth on the country’s North Island. It was the band’s first big prize under recently appointed pipe-major, Piers Dover.

Grade 2 was won by the Emmanuel College Highlanders, University of Queensland, narrowly topping St. Andrew’s College. Emmanuel College also won the aggregate drumming prize in a tie with ILT City of Invercargill Highland.  Emmanuel College had a second in the Medley and a third in the MSR, while LT City of Invercargill Highland’s drum section was first in the Medley and fourth in the MSR, the tie broken by the MSR ranking.

A total of 56 bands competed, making the event one of the largest non-UK pipe band competitions in the world. There was a strong entry from Australia. The furthest-flung by far was the Grade 4A Edmonton & District, flying more than 12,000 km from Canada.

Conditions were ideal on both days: mostly sunny with no rain, a light southern breeze, and temperatures reaching about 23°C.

Both days were broadcast live on YouTube, with Libby O’Brien and Max Simpson providing pithy, credible commentary and interviews. The creative footage of band performances included several drone shots. About 800 were watching from 18 countries at its peak.

Grade 1 (three competed)
Overall
1st Canterbury Caledonian Society (14 pipes, eight snares, five tenors, one bass)
2nd Auckland & District (11 pipes, six snares, two tenors, one bass)
3rd Manawatu Scottish (16 pipes, nine snares, five tenors, one bass)
Drumming: Canterbury Caledonian Society

Medley
1st Canterbury Caledonian Society (1,1,1,1)
2nd Auckland & District (3,3,2,2) (ens.pref.)
3rd Manawatu Scottish (2,2,3,3)
Judges: Brian Switalla, Davey Wesh (piping); Robert Mathieson (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

MSR
1st Canterbury Caledonian Society (1,1,1,1)
2nd Auckland & District (3,2,2,3) (ens.pref.)
3rd Manawatu Scottish (2,3,3,2)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)

Grade 2 (seven competed)
Overall
1st Emmanuel College Highlanders, University of Queensland
2nd St. Andrew’s College
3rd Celtic (Nelson)
4th ILT City of Invercargill Highland
5th New Zealand Police
6th St Andrew’s (Brisbane)
7th City of Tauranga
Drumming: Emmanuel College Highlanders

Medley
1st Emmanuel College Highlanders, University of Queensland (1,1,1,2)
2nd St Andrew’s College (2,2,3,5)
3rd Celtic (Nelson) (3,3,2,7)
4th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (6,4,4,1)
5th New Zealand Police (4,6,6,4)
6th St Andrew’s (Brisbane) (5,5,5,6)
7th City of Tauranga (7,7,7,3)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)

MSR
1st St. Andrew’s College (1,1,1,1)
2nd Emmanuel College Highlanders, University of Queensland (2,2,2,3)
3rd Celtic (Nelson) (4,4,3,2)
4th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (3,3,4,4)
5th New Zealand Police (5,6,5,5)
6th St. Andrew’s (Brisbane) (6,5,7,7)
7th City of Tauranga (7,7,6,6)
Judges: Brian Switalla, Davey Welsh (piping); Robert Mathieson (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

Grade 3 (eight competed)
Overall
1st Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr3)
2nd Hamilton Caledonian
3rd Metro Scottish
4th Auckland & District (Gr3)
5th Wellington Red Hackle
6th Scottish Society of New Zealand
6th Hawkes Bay Caledonian
8th Manawatu Scottish (Gr3)
Drumming: Canterbury Caledonian Society

Medley
1st Canterbury Caledonian Society (1,1,1,1)
2nd Hamilton Caledonian (2,2,2,5) (ens.pref.)
3rd Metro Scottish (3,3,3,2)
4th Auckland & District (Gr3) (4,4,7,4)
5th Scottish Society of New Zealand (5,6,6,3)
6th Hawkes Bay Caledonian (6,5,5,8)
7th Wellington Red Hackle (7,7,4,7)
8th Manawatu Scottish (Gr3) (8,8,8,6)
Judges: Brian Switalla, Davey Welsh (piping); Robert Mathieson (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

MSR
1st Metro Scottish (2,2,1,2) (ens.pref.)
2nd Hamilton Caledonian (1,1,2,3)
3rd Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr3) (3,3,3,1)
4th Auckland & District (Gr3) (4,5,5,4)
5th Wellington Red Hackle (5,7,4,7)
6th Manawatu Scottish (Gr3) (6,4,8,6)
7th Hawkes Bay Caledonian (7,6,6,8)
8th Scottish Society of New Zealand (8,8,7,5)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)

Grade 4A
Overall
1st City of Rotorua Highland
2nd St Andrew’s College
3rd  Papakura
4th Edmonton & District
5th Canberra Burns Club
6th Hokonui Celtic
7th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4A)
8th Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr4A)
9th Wellington Red Hackle (Gr4A)
10th City of Wellington
11th Scots College
Drumming: Edmonton & District

Medley
1st City of Rotorua Highland (1,1,1,2)
2nd St Andrew’s College (2,2,3,4)
3rd Hokonui Celtic (3,3,4,9)
4th Papakura (9,6,5,1) (ens.pref.)
5th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4A) (4,5,7,5)
6th Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr4A) (6,8,2,7) (ens.pref.)
7th Edmonton & District (7,7,6,3)
8th Canberra Burns Club (5,4,9,6)
9th Wellington Red Hackle (Gr4A) (8,10,8,8)
10th City of Wellington (10,9,10,10)
11th Scots College (11,11,11,11)
Judges: Brian Switalla, Davey Welsh (piping); Robert Mathieson (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

MSR
1st City of Rotorua Highland (1,1,1,3)
2nd St Andrew’s College (2,3,4,5)
3rd Papakura (4,2,54)
4th Canberra Burns Club (3,4,6,7)
5th Edmonton & District (9,9,2,1)
6th Canterbury Caledonian Society (Gr4A) (5,7,8,8) (ens.pref.)
7th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4A) (7,6,9,6)
8th Wellington Red Hackle (Gr4A) (8,8,3,10) (ens.pref.)
9th Hokonui Celtic (10,10,7,2)
10th City of Wellington (6,5,10,9)
11th Scots College (11,11,11,11)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)

Grade 4B (14 competed)
Overall
1st Manawatu Scottish
2nd Celtic Nelson (Gr4B)
3rd Marlborough
4th South Canterbury Highland
5th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4B)
6th Feilding Caledonian
Drumming: South Canterbury Highland

Medley
1st Manawatu Scottish (1,2,1,3)
2nd Celtic Nelson (Gr4B) (3,3,3,2)
3rd Marlborough (2,1,4,5)
4th South Canterbury Highland (5,6,2,1)
5th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4B) (4,4,6,7)
6th Feilding Caledonian (10,8,5,4)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)

MSR
1st Manawatu Scottish (1,1,1,1)
2nd Celtic Nelson (Gr4B) (3,2,2,4)
3rd Marlborough (2,4,3,3)
4th South Canterbury Highland (4,3,5,2)
5th ILT City of Invercargill Highland (Gr4B) (6,5,6,11)
6th Feilding Caledonian (5,8,13,5)
Judges: Brian Switalla, Davey Welsh (piping); Robert Mathieson (ensemble); Ross Levy (drumming)

Juvenile (12 competed)
Marches
1st St Andrew’s College A (1,1,1,1)
2nd ILT City of Invercargill Highland A (2,2,2,2)
3rd Manawatu Scottish Youth (3,3,5,3)
4th St Andrew’s College B (4,4,4,5)
5th Lewis Turrell Memorial Trust Juvenile (5,6,3,11)
6th Wellington Red Hackle “Team Goose” (6,8,8,7)
7th Papakura Juvenile (7,9,9,4) (ens.pref.)
8th South Canterbury & Celtic Combined (10,11,6,6)
9th ILT City of Invercargill Highland B (9,5,10,10)
10th Scots College (8,7,11,9)
11th Canterbury Caledonian Society Juvenile (11,10,7,8)
Judges: Greg Wilson, Martin Frewen (piping); Chris Stevens (ensemble); Keith Orr (drumming)