On Thursday 18 August, five ākonga from Tauranga Girls’ College and Tauranga Boys’ College battled it out for the Brian Hammond Memorial Shield at the 25th annual Great Debate, sponsored by Tauranga City Sunrise Lions Club.

Officially named the ‘Tauranga Inter-Colleges Debate,’ the Great Debate has traditionally been a chance for ākonga from both schools to come together and compete against their peers in friendly high-level competition.

At the beginning of the evening, the score was even with 12 wins to Tauranga Girls’ College and 12 wins to Tauranga Boys’ College. It certainly added a bit of excitement to know that the winning team would break the tie.

Tauranga Girls’ College senior debating team comprising Maia Hulton-Wells and Ella Mitchell put together a compelling case negating the motion: this house would require all parents to attend parenting classes. After a lengthy and high-quality debate, they took the win against an incredibly well-spoken Tauranga Boys’ College team, coming away with the Brian Hammond Memorial Shield and breaking the tie 13-12!

The evening was great fun for all who attended and a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our community ties. Thank you to the Tauranga City Sunrise Lions Club and all staff and whānau who continue to support debating in the Bay of Plenty.