WAPOL: 2026 Australian Champions; Perth Metro wins Grade 3

Perth, Australia – April 11, 2026 – The Grade 2 Western Australia Police under Pipe-Major Chris MacDonald and Leading Drummer Ryan Green were awarded the 2026 Australian Pipe Band Championship at the biannual contest hosted this year by Pipe Bands Western Australia at Subiaco Oval in Subiaco, a suburb of the Western Australia state capital. The weather was perfect.

Hawthorn, Australia’s only Grade 1 band, did not attend, and the only Grade 2 band to enter was the Western Australia Police. Grade 3 was the highest contested category, with six bands competing, and Perth Metro No.1 was the overall champion.

The Australian Championships are co-managed by Pipe Bands Australia every two years and rotate among the country’s six state pipe band associations (Pipe Bands Western Australia, Pipe Bands New South Wales, Pipe Bands Queensland, Pipe Bands Victoria, Pipe Bands South Australia, Pipe Bands Tasmania), depending on which association bids to host.

The five-hour flight from Sydney to Perth is comparable to flights from Toronto to Vancouver or from New York to Glasgow, a substantial commitment for most of Australia’s competing pipe bands.

The total prize pool was more than AUD$8,500 distributed across all grades. Each winner also received a “Victor’s Pipe Banner.”

The event was livestreamed on YouTube, and the entire eight-plus hours are available here.

Grade 2
Medley
Western Australia Police
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

MSR
Western Australia Police
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)

Grade 3
Overall
1st Perth Metro No.1
2nd Scots College No.1
3rd Brisbane Boys’ College No.1
4th Scotch College Melbourne No.1
5th Coastal Scottish WA
6th Haileybury No.1
Drumming: Scots College No.1

Medley
1st Perth Metro No.1 (1,4,3,1)
2nd Scots College No.1 (4,3,2,2)
3rd Coastal Scottish WA (3,1,6,3)
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No.1 (2,2,5,4)
5th Scotch College Melbourne No.1 (5,5,1,5)
6th Haileybury No.1 (6,6,4,6)
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

MSR
1st Scots College No.1 (2,2,1,1)
2nd Perth Metro No.1 (1,1,3,2)
3rd Scotch College Melbourne No.1 (4,4,2,3)
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No. 1 (3,3,4,5)
5th Coastal Scottish WA (5,5,6,4)
6th Haileybury No.1 (6,6,5,6)
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)

Grade 4A
Overall
1st City of Melbourne No. 2
2nd Lion City
3rd Perth Highland
Drumming: Lion City

Medley
1st City of Melbourne No. 2 (1,2,2,2)
2nd Lion City (3,3,1,1)
3rd Perth Highland (2,1,3,3)
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

MSR
1st Lion City (2,2,1,1)
2nd City of Melbourne No.2 (1,1,2,2)
3rd Perth Highland (3,3,3,3)
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)

Grade 4B
Overall
1st Scotch College Melbourne No. 2
2nd The Scots College No. 2
3rd Presbyterian Ladies’ College Perth
4th Coastal Scottish WA
5th Brisbane Boys’ College No. 2
6th Rockingham City
7th Haileybury No. 2
8th Northside Highlanders
Drumming: Scotch College Melbourne No.2

Medley
1st Scots College No.2 (1,1,2,1)
2nd Scotch College Melbourne No.2 (2,2,1,3)
3rd Presbyterian Ladies’ College Perth (4,3,4,2)
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No.2 (3,7,3,6)
5th Rockingham City (6,6,5,4)
6th Haileybury No.2 (7,4,6,5)
7th Coastal Scottish WA (5,5,7,7)
8th Northside Highlanders (8,8,8,8)
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

MSR
1st Scotch College Melbourne No. 2 (1,4,1,1)
2nd Scots College No.2 (2,3,2,3)
3rd Coastal Scottish WA (4,1,5,4)
4th Presbyterian Ladies’ College Perth (6,5,3,2)
5th Rockingham City (5,2,6,5)
6th Brisbane Boys’ College No.2 (3,6,4,6)
7th Haileybury No.2 (7,8,7,7
8th Northside Highlanders (8,7,8,8)
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)

Novice Juvenile A
Overall
1st Scots College No.1
2nd Scotch College Melbourne No.1
3rd Brisbane Boys’ College No.1
4th Haileybury No.1
Drumming: Scotch College Melbourne No.1

Medley
1st Brisbane Boys’ College No.1 (1,3,3,1)
2nd Scots College No.1 (3,2,1,2)
3rd Scotch College Melbourne No.1 (2,1,2,3)
4th Haileybury No.1 (4,4,4,4)
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

MSR
1st Scots College No.1 (1,1,2,3)
2nd Scotch College Melbourne No.1 (3,3,1,1)
3rd Brisbane Boys’ College No.1 (2,2,3,2)
4th Haileybury No.1 (4,4,4,4)
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)

Novice Juvenile B
Overall
1st College Melbourne No.2
2nd Scots College No.2
3rd Presbyterian Ladies’ College Perth
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No.2
5th Haileybury No.2
Drumming: College Melbourne No.2

Medley
1st College Melbourne No.2 (2,2,1,1)
2nd Scots College No.2 (1,1,2,3)
3rd Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Perth (3,3,3,2)
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No.2 (4,4,4,4)
5th Haileybury No.2 (5,5,5,5)
Judges: Ainsley Hart, Joy Joyce (piping); Greg Bassani (drumming); Callum MacSween (ensemble)

Selection of Marches
1st College Melbourne No.2 (1,1,1,1)
2nd Scots College No.2 (2,4,2,2)
3rd Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Perth (3,2,4,3)
4th Brisbane Boys’ College No.2 (4,3,5,4)
5th Haileybury No.2 (5,5,3,5)
Judges: Scott Nicolson, Matthew Rigby (piping); Emlyn Brown (drumming); Brian Martin (ensemble)