New Zealand Plays Host To Drumming Qualifier

Christchurch will host one of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association World Solo Drumming qualifiers this weekend, hosting 30 pipe band drummers from across Australia and New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands' Association (RNZPBA) has announced.

The RSPBA Oceania Solo Drumming Championships - one of eight across the world and the only one in the southern hemisphere - will be held at Rangi Ruru Girls School on Saturday afternoon, featuring performances in the adult category as well as in all five of the RSPBA juvenile categories.

"It's a sign of real confidence and growth in pipe band drumming in New Zealand that we can hold competitions across all five juvenile grades - certainly outside of Scotland, I think we are the only jurisdiction doing so," RNZPBA President Liam Kernaghan says.

Four qualifying spots are available for competitors in the adult event to proceed to the World Solo Drumming Semi Final in Glasgow later this year.

"To have the opportunity to send four of our drummers to the World Semi Final is a huge boon for New Zealand, and hopefully it inspires our next generation of talent to continue to pursue drumming," Liam continued.

"Not only are we inspired by the depth of the adult competitions, we are encouraged by the number of young people interested in giving something a go."

Last year's winner of the Oceania Qualifier, Steven Shedden, returns to the competition from Melbourne. In total, nine adults will compete for the four qualifying spots.

The Juvenile 5 category is this year named in memory of Connor Higgs, the inaugural winner of the Juvenile 5 category at the Oceania Drumming Championships in 2024.

"Connor was a remarkable young man, taken from us far too early. It is a privilege his family have agreed to allow us to name the event in his honour, and to commemorate his skill and passion for pipe band drumming," Liam said.

"Pipe band drumming is creative, it is dynamic and it is fun. We hope the event inspires those who might be wanting to take up drumming to do so, and give a platform for our drummers to slug it out on the world stage against the best in the business."

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