The 2009 National Finals of the Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships were held from 7-10 August at Victoria University of Wellington.
Twelve regional teams from Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Central North Island, Wellington, Nelson-Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago-Southland took part in the competition. The regional teams comprise the best speakers from the hundreds of debaters who competed at various regional competitions held earlier in the year.
On Saturday and Sunday each team competed in five preliminary round debates at Victoria University’s Pipitea Campus. This year instead of prepared debates for rounds one and two, the teams had to grapple with “advised topic area” impromptu debaters, where they were told the general theme of each round a month in advance, but the actual topic only one hour before.
In the preliminary rounds the teams debated the following topics:
– This House would means-test superannuation (advised topic area: Superannuation)
– This House would abolish trial by jury (advised topic area: Judicial Reform)
– This House supports global nuclear disarmament
– This House would prevent skilled migrants emigrating from the developing world to the developed world
– This House believes fertility treatment is a choice, not a right
After the five preliminary rounds, the top four teams were Wellington Gold, Wellington Black, Auckland Blue (four wins, one loss) and Auckland White (three wins, two losses). Otago/Southland and Northland narrowly missed out on win points.
The motion for the semi-final was: “This House would never recognise governments which take power through military coup”. Wellington Gold defeated Auckland White in a 4-1 decision and Wellington Black defeated Auckland Blue by 5-0, setting up an all-Wellington final for the first time since 1996.
The Grand Final was again hosted by Hon. Peter Dunne in the Legislative Council Chamber of Parliament, before distinguished guests His Excellency the Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor-General, Lady Satyanand, Hamish McIntosh, Partner at Russell McVeagh, and an audience of several hundred school students.
The Wellington Black team comprising Carlos Bowkett, Maria English and Jodie O’Neill successfully affirmed the topic “This House would make citizens initiated referenda binding on government” against the Wellington Gold team of Nick Cross, Julia Wells and Jasmin Moran, winning in an unanimous 5-0 decision.
After the Grand Final the members of the 2009 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools Debating team were announced. The five member team is made up of Maria English (Wellington Black), Nick Cross (Wellington Gold), Jasmin Moran (Wellington Gold), Aria Newfield (Auckland White) and Josh Baxter (Auckland Blue). Maria English was named Captain of the New Zealand team for 2009, retaining the Andrew Stockley Cup she won in 2008. For an incredible third time in a row, she also received the Russell McVeagh Cup for the Best Speaker at the Championships. Corinne Marti from Northland and Rory Nolan from Auckland Blue were named as the reserves to the team. The team will compete at the next World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February 2010.
The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council is very grateful to Russell McVeagh for its continued support of New Zealand Schools’ Debating, which allows these Championships to occur. We are also grateful to Victoria University of Wellington who hosted the Championships during the weekend. Thanks too to everyone who contributed to making the Championships such a memorable success – adjudicators, coaches, chairpeople, and many other helpers.
Here are the full list of results from Nationals 2009.
Winners: Wellington Black
Carlos Bowkett (Wellington College)
Maria English (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School)
Jodie O’Neill (Chilton St James School)
Coaches: Polly Higbee and Clodagh O’Connor-McKenna
Runners-Up: Wellington Gold
Nick Cross (Scots College)
Julia Wells (Wellington East Girls’ College)
Jasmin Moran (Chilton St James School)
Coaches: Kathy Scott-Dowell and Seb Templeton
Highly Commended speakers:
Tom O’Brien (Canterbury Black)
Jodie O’Neill (Wellington Black)
Kurt Purdon (Otago/Southland)
Rosemary Dixon Cup for the Most Promising Speaker at the 2009 National Championships:
Cameron Price (Hawke’s Bay)
Reserves to the NZ Schools Debating Team:
Corinne Marti (Northland)
Rory Nolan (Auckland Blue)
2009 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team:
Maria English (Wellington Black)
Nick Cross (Wellington Gold)
Josh Baxter (Auckland Blue)
Aria Newfield (Auckland White)
Jasmin Moran (Wellington Gold)
Russell McVeagh Cup for the Best Speaker at the 2009 National Championships:
Maria English (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School)
Andrew Stockley Cup for the Captain of the 2009 Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team:
Maria English (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School)