St Margaret’s College debaters delivered an outstanding performance at the Senior Regional Debating Tournament, held at the University of Canterbury over the weekend, where they competed across two demanding 10-hour days against some of the region’s strongest debating schools.
Seven St Margaret’s teams took part in the tournament, with the highlight coming from Team Kākāpō, who claimed the overall title after an impressive run through the competition. In the final, they faced Rangi Ruru, winning the debate on the motion that it would be in Europe’s best interests to give Greenland to the United States. The victory followed a strong semi-final performance against Christ’s College.
Individually, Orla Miller was named Best Speaker of the Tournament and earned selection for the Canterbury team for Nationals for a second year. Sneha Datla was recognised with a Highly Commended certificate, while Lily Fowler delivered a remarkable performance as the first speaker for the winning team across all eight debates.
Across the wider squad, SMC teams showed depth and determination throughout the tournament. The weekend showcased the strength of debating at St Margaret’s, with students demonstrating sharp thinking, teamwork and resilience across a packed schedule of debates. After two intense days of debating, the students return to school with plenty to celebrate and, no doubt, a well-earned need for some rest.
