Whanganui Collegiate Gold debating team take out Central North Island Champs for the second year running

Collegiate's Gold debating team of (from left) Elliot Jones, Olivia Simpson, and John Bryant with last weekend's silverware. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui Collegiate School's Gold debating team has taken out the Central North Island Championships for the second year in a row after seeing off Hawera High School in the final.

Last weekend's competition was held via Zoom due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

This year's Sir Michael Hardie Boys Cup-winning team was made up of Elliot Jones, Olivia Simpson and John Bryant.

Bryant and Jones are in their last year at school, while Simpson is a Year 12.

Jones said there were a variety of different motions to tackle this year, from centralising governments and removing local councils to revealing Remy the Rat (from the film Ratatouille) to the public if they were the chef.

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"We had never seen that one before.

"You're thinking about the consequences on the individuals involved, and on the chef if he reveals that a rat is cooking for him.

"Then there is the impact on the rat if he is found out."

The team argued that it was better to do it in a planned way and control the media narrative, rather than have the secret come out eventually.

Students competed in four limited-preparation debates over the competition.

They had 30 minutes to prepare (without any devices, just pen and paper) once the motion was announced.

The finalists were then decided through a combination of total wins and individual speaker points.

Collegiate teams held four of the top five rankings after those debates.

Head of debating at the school, Costas Thrasyvoulou, said the winning team was almost at the point where they were "coaching themselves".

"They are pretty dedicated, and I just unlock the classroom and give them the space to work.

"Each of them are so individually motivated now."

The next step is competing in the national competition.

Jones and Bryant feature in the Central North Island squad, with Simpson acting as a reserve.

"We will be going down to Wellington in May," Jones said.

"The squad will compete against 12 other teams, which feature the top speakers from that region.

"If we make it that far, the final is held in Parliament."

As well as the top team prize, Simpson won the most promising speaker award and Bryant won best speaker.

Charlotte-Hayne Otton from Whanganui High School took home the most promising junior speaker award and fellow High School students Hazel Chant and Alice Quigley were both highly commended.

The conveners of the Central North Island tournament, all former Whanganui High School debaters, had been hugely supportive and ran a great competition, Thrasyvoulou said.

"We had Alister Hughes, Merle Chant and Leah Aiono. They are doing such a wonderful job."

Interest in debating was at an all-time high at the school.

"Something that was driven last year was a debating club. It has just grown in strength.

"Because it's less high stakes and more fun and social, there has been a lot more buy-in.

"There are more debaters in the ranks than probably ever before."