When the Scottish rugby team lined up for the national anthem before playing Samoa at Eden Park last week, they had a friend in a very high place.
Simon Fraser, Pipe Major of the Auckland Police Pipe Band (APPB), was on hand to play the Flower of Scotland - Scotland's unofficial national anthem - from 40 metres up, on the roof of Eden Park’s towering South Stand.
Friday 18 July saw the final game of Scotland’s New Zealand-Pacific tour and the APPB was among local pipe bands invited to play at the game, outside the stadium to greet fans and in a massed pipe band performance from the West Stand at half time.
There was also an invitation for a lone piper to play from the roof of the stand, as has been done at other grounds including Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby. And, of course, from the battlements of many Scottish castles.
“It’s always a great privilege to play for a national team,” says Simon. “But I’ve never been able to do it in that way, from the top of the stadium. It was a pretty cool opportunity.”
Simon was harnessed and tethered front and back for safety. He performed a run-through in the afternoon before returning to his lofty perch for the performance in the evening.
He played once through Flower of Scotland before the singers below joined in.
“It was a lovely crisp winter’s afternoon and in the evening definitely a bit colder. But you could see for miles, right across Auckland.
“At night, looking down at people in the stands, and the field, and the city lights, was daunting and a bit nerve-wracking but it was definitely a perspective you don’t get to see too often.”
Returning to ground level, Simon joined the massed band at half time.
Simon, who works for Auckland Council in the Environmental Strategy team, began playing the pipes as a youngster, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who had to give up playing because of wartime hand injuries.
After playing through high school in Christchurch, Simon joined the Grade 1 New Zealand Police Pipe Band in Wellington, competing at the highest level of pipe bands over a 15-year period.
Work opportunities eventually took him to Auckland, where he joined the APPB, stepping into the role of Pipe Major and musical director of the band in 2023.
“We’re really proud to represent New Zealand Police at high-profile events – extremely high, in this case,” says Inspector Scotty Webb, the band’s Police Controlling Officer.
“The band provides opportunities for Police to interact with the public at a massive range of events, in a way they enjoy as much as we do.”
The pipes are calling...
The Auckland Police Pipe Band is looking for new members. If the skirl of the pipes and the swish of the kilt appeals, check out the APPB's Facebook page (facebook.com/aucklandpolicepipeband) for more details - and look for the post from 1 May.