The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council has a long and rich history, going back to 1988. Each year hundreds of debaters, coaches, and adjudicators are involved in our ten Regional Championships, the National Finals, and in sending the Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team to the World Schools Debating Championships.
The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council (NZSDC) runs 2 main competitions:
- New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships
- Regional Championships – Feb/March
- National Championships – May
- New Zealand Schools’ British Parliamentary Championships
New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships
The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships is New Zealand’s premier debating competition. Teams from across New Zealand compete in 10 Regional Debating Championships.
Nationwide, 12 regional teams of students are selected to represent their region at the National New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships.
Regional Championships 2020
The registration form for the Regional Championships can be found embeded below or linked here:
https://forms.gle/cpwPGeJs3ap5S1Rd
Northland: 22 February
Venue: Huanui College
Convenors: Liam Silverwood and Katey Whitehead
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 022 306 7684
Deadline for Entries: 13 February
Auckland: 21-22 March
Venue: TBC
Convenor: Chenchen Huang
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 027 397 6452
Deadline for Entries: 12 March
Waikato: 7 March
Venue: Hamilton Boys’ High School
Convenors: Liam Rawlings and Harper Smith
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 021 029 71297
Deadline for Entries: 27 February
Bay of Plenty: 29 February
Venue: Tauranga Boys’ College
Convenors: Kale Adair and Samuel Taylor
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 022 156 3485
Deadline for Entries: 20 February
Hawke’s Bay: 29 February – 1 March
Venue: TBC (Napier or Hastings)
Convenors: Brooke Kinajil-Moran and Frankie Gross
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 021 082 788044
Deadline for Entries: 20 February
Central North Island: 14 – 15 March
Venue: Whanganui High School
Convenors: Alister Hughes and Bridget Scott
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 027 973 5472
Deadline for Entries: 5 March
Wellington: 21-22 March
Venue: Hutt Valley High School
Convenors: Maddy Nash and Sam Penno
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 022 061 5711
Deadline for Entries: 12 March
Kahurangi-Malborough: 22 February
Venue Nayland College
Convenors: Amy Spittal and Keir Robinson
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 027 843 1674
Deadline for Entries: 13 February
Canterbury: 14-15 March
Venue: University of Canterbury
Convenors: Will Miller and Megan Blackwood
Email: [email protected] | Phone 022 036 5030
Deadline for Entries: 5 March
Otago-Southland: 29 February – 1 March
Venue: University of Otago
Convenor: Selena Ballantyne and Georgie Lomax-Sawyers
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 021 844 441
Deadline for Entries: 20 February
Regionals Registration Form
Results
The following pages link to results for NZSDC’s 10 regional competitions.
- Northland
- Auckland
- Waikato
- Bay of Plenty
- Central North Island
- Hawke’s Bay
- Wellington
- Kahurangi / Marlborough
- Canterbury
- Otago / Southland
National Championships
New Zealand Team
At the National Finals of the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships, the five best debaters are selected as the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team. The New Zealand Team then travel to the World Schools’ Debating Championships.
The New Zealand Team has won Worlds four times: in 1991, 1992, 1995, and 2009. The team were also runners-up in 2008, and quarter-finalists in 2016 and 2018.
Nationals Results
Since its establishment in 1988 the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council has organised the annual National Finals of the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships. Click on the links below to find out about the results of the National Finals held each year in Wellington.
New Zealand Schools’ British Parliamentary
Each year the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council runs a the NZ Schools’ British Parliamentary Championships. Click on the links below to find out about the results: