Meet New Zealand's Highland dancing champion who's taking the sport by storm

July 26, 2019

As reporter Rachel Parkin explains it’s high intensity and considered a sport.

If your kids are keen to get into sport, you might be tempted to nudge them toward your classic Kiwi codes: rugby, cricket, netball or league.

But there's another sport out there that's just as competitive and high intensity – Highland dancing.

Angus Hendry is New Zealand's top Highland dancer and at 24, he's overtaken 39 women to take the trophy.

It's classified as dance but also considered a sport because it's competitive and full of hard work.

It's a sport demanding a lot of strength, of which there are pros and cons for each gender. Men doing better in the strength department, Angus reckons.

So if men do have the upper hand in the strength department, why are they dropping out of the sport?

Two years ago there were three competing and last year, two - now it's just Angus in the running.

"I think people hit this kind of age-range, 23, 24, they finish university and they get a job and then they move away from their teacher," he says.

He's won nine trophies and coach Brian North believes he is a champion in the making.


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