Tauranga Boys’ College has won the Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Regional Schools’ Debating Championships for the third time.

The event was hosted at Tauranga Boys’ College on Sunday, March 16.

The Tauranga Boys’ College team of Ollie Larsen, Jacob O’Toole Corrigan, and Sam Mitchell beat the Mount Maunganui College team of Maggie Reaves, Keenan McGregor, and Elly Shirley in the grand final.

This is the third consecutive year Tauranga Boys’ College and Mount Maunganui College have gone head-to-head in the grand final.

Tauranga Boys’ College was awarded the Josh Baxter Cup.

The teams in the grand final debated the motion: “This house regrets the prevalence of technopessimism”.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Schools’ Debating Championships, held annually and sponsored by Cooney Lees Morgan, involved a record-breaking 40 teams and over 120 students from around the region.

“We’re incredibly grateful for Cooney Lees Morgan’s continued support, which enabled this opportunity for so many intelligent and expressive students,” New Zealand Schools' Debating Council president Liam Silverwood said.

Students debated in three preliminary rounds on topics ranging from the appropriate length for parliamentary terms to the best approach to raising children in a digital world.

“It’s inspiring to see young Bay of Plenty students engaging deeply with challenging topics,” Silverwood said.

“Debating fosters intellectual curiosity and sharpens analytical thinking – qualities that are invaluable as students prepare to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

Students had half an hour to prepare their speeches after finding out what side of the topic they were arguing.

Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Regional Team: Jacob O'Toole Corrigan, left, Ollie Larsen, Layla Clarke (reserve), Te Aorangi Stewart (reserve), and Pearl Vahey-Bourne. Photo / Supplied

A squad of three debaters was chosen to compete at the National Finals of the New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships, which will be held in Wellington in May.

The Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Schools’ Debating Team will be represented by: Ollie Larsen (Tauranga Boys’ College), Pearl Vahey-Bourne (Tauranga Girls’ College), and Jacob O’Toole Corrigan (Tauranga Boys’ College).

“These students demonstrated remarkable persuasiveness and rhetorical ability over the weekend, and I look forward to welcoming them to the national championships,” Silverwood said.

The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships have been held annually since 1988 and are recognised as the country’s most prestigious school debating competition.

The Championships are convened by the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council, a charity that works to promote debating in secondary schools around the country.