New President And Board Of The Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association

Liam Kernaghan, Stu McHale and Peter Duncan will make up the new Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association Management board, outgoing president Iain Blakeley has announced today.

Mr Blakeley announced earlier this year his intention to retire from the presidency, meaning the position of president would become vacant.

Liam Kernaghan has been elected President of the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association unopposed, while Stu McHale has been re-elected to the Board for another two-year term. 

“I congratulate Liam and Stu on their election. I am confident they can lead the Association into a new era with new ideas, a fresh approach and the support of the pipe band movement to make it all happen,” Mr Blakeley said.

“It is an honour and privilege to lead an organisation which has given me so much already in life,” Mr Kernaghan said.

“Piping and pipe bands have given me opportunities I could never have imagined. Not just in a musical sense, but in my professional and personal life as well. The chance now to ‘give back’ and contribute to a movement growing by the day is one I relish and one I don’t intend to waste.”

With Liam Kernaghan moving from the Management Board into the presidency, the Associations’ constitution allows the Management Board to appoint a replacement to fill Liam’s now vacant board seat. The Board has decided to appoint Mr Peter Duncan to take Liam’s seat.

“It is fantastic that Peter Duncan to fill Liam’s place on the Board. Peter brings a substantial amount of experience in the pipe band and legal worlds, and his knowledge and expertise will enrich the Board’s decision-making,” Mr Blakeley noted.

“Importantly, Peter is at the coalface of our up-and-coming movement – he is supporting a new Grade 4 ‘B’ band out of Hamilton and knows both the challenges our grassroots face and the opportunities we can grasp as a movement. That – coupled with his extensive legal background – makes him the perfect person to support the Association’s work going forward.”

“I want to thank Iain Blakeley for his 20 years of service to the Association,” Mr Kernaghan said.

“It is hard to put into words the contribution he has made right across our movement – and even harder to try and whittle them down to just a handful. But it is without doubt that because of his leadership, the New Zealand pipe band movement is a more professional, worldly and confident community where no matter who you are or where you come from, you always have a place in pipe bands. 

“There is a Māori proverb which says ‘He kotuku rerenga tahi’ – or, ‘a white heron flies once.’ It is used as a way to celebrate the success of inspirational leaders in the community. Thank you, Iain, on behalf of our pipe band community for the contribution you have made.”

Messers Kernaghan, McHale and Duncan assume their roles from 1 January 2025.

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