NZ through to quarter-finals of Debating Champs

For immediate release
 
New Zealand through to quarter-finals of World Debating Champs
 
The Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools' Debating Team is through to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Schools' Debating Championships being held in Doha, Qatar. New Zealand is the defending champion after winning the title in Athens a year ago.
 
New Zealand defeated the Netherlands in the octo-finals. New Zealand affirmed the motion "That we should never restrict freedom of speech".
 
Each of the five judges voted for New Zealand.
 
New Zealand will debate Canada in tomorrow's quarter-finals. If they are successful in that debate, then a match-up against either Singapore or Slovenia awaits them in the semi-finals.
 
Australia, England, Pakistan, and Wales are the other quarter-final teams.
 
The five person Russell McVeagh New Zealand Team is captained by Maria English (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School) and also comprises Jasmin Moran (Chilton St James School), Josh Baxter (Auckland Grammar School), Nick Cross (Scots College) and Aria Newfield (St Cuthbert’s College).
 
The team is coached by Clodagh O’Connor-McKenna, a champion New Zealand university debater.
 

 
The World Schools' Debating Championships, a global competition for high school debaters, has been held each year since 1988. This year's tournament involves 56 teams, including England, Scotland, India, Pakistan, the USA, South Africa, South Korea, and Japan. New Zealand has won the tournament four times since 1988 (in 1991, 1992, 1995 and 2009), were runners-up in 2008, and hosted the competition in 1994.
 
ends
 

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