The Counties Manukau Regional Schools' Debating Championships was held on the 24th of February with 11 teams in attendance. It was a very high quality tournament and we’d like to extend a warm thanks to every school for attending, and a special thank you to Hon. Jenny Salesa for coming to watch the finals and for giving a very heartwarming speech. An additional thank you to all of the adjudicators who judged the tournament.
After three exciting rounds of preliminary debates, the two teams progressing to the finals were Papatoetoe High School on the affirmative and De La Salle College on the negative.
Following a spirited final debate, Papatoetoe High School were announced as the winners of the Counties Manukau Regional Schools' Debating Championships. Congratulations to Jenny Vu, Han Nguyen and Joel E. Challis.
Runners-Up - De La Salle College: Leato Collins, Marques Tominiko & Elijah Wilson
Best Speaker: Manuia Fox-Romia (Mangere College)
Most Promising Speaker: Marques Tominiko (De La Salle College)
Promising Speakers: Steve Roberts (De La Salle College) and Elijah Wilson (De La Salle College)
Highly Commended Speakers: Shiona Prasad (Ormiston Senior College), and Iosefo Tominiko (De La Salle College).
Counties Manukau Team 2024: Manuia Fox-Romia (Mangere College), Jenny Vu (Papatoetoe High School), Juan Koti (De La Salle College). Reserves: Leato Collins (De La Salle College) and Joel E. Challis (Papatoetoe High School)
Previous Regional Teams
Counties Manukau has competed in the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships since 2022. The regional teams since that time are listed here.
2024
Manuia Fox-Romia (Mangere College
Jenny Vu (Papatoetoe High School)
Juan Koti (De La Salle College)
Coaches: James Boland, Valentino Tew and Ellen Wang
2023
Cadell Armstrong (De La Salle College)
Manuia Ella Fox-Romia (Mangere College)
Jacob Tominiko (De La Salle College)
Coaches: James Boland, Harper Smith and Ellen Wang
2022
Gabriel Toreja (De La Salle College)
Jahnavi Shah (Ormiston Senior College)
Jarren Iuvale (De La Salle College)
Coaches: Chuan-Zheng Lee, Celine Goh and Callum Hackston
2023
The second ever Counties Manukau Regional Debating Tournament was held in 2023. We had a record 17 teams travelling in from around the region. It was a tournament of very high calibre.
Congratulations to Cadell Armstrong (De La Salle College), Manuia Ella Fox-Romia (Mangere College), and Jacob Tominiko (De La Salle College) who were selected for the regional team.
Thank you for all those adjudicators who travelled for the tournament.
2022
On the 19th of March, we hosted the inaugural Counties Manukau Regional Debating Championships online! Thanks to all teams who participated and helped make the tournament such a wonderful debut.
Congratulations to De La Salle College for winning the first ever Counties Manukau Regional Debating Championships!
Well done to all the following prize winners from the tournament as well:
Highly Commended Speakers
Han Nguyen (Papatoetoe High School)
Prisha Shah (ACG Strathallan)
Development Squad
Cadell Armstrong (De La Salle College)
Jacob Tominiko (De La Salle College)
Lauraly Taia (Wesley College)
Reserves to the Regional Team
Aadi Golchha (Ormiston Senior College)
Cadell Armstron (De La Salle College)
Counties Manukau Regional Debating Team 2022
Gabriel Toreja (De La Salle College)
Jahnavi Shah (Ormiston Senior College)
Jarren Iuvale (De La Salle College)
Best Speaker: Gabriel Toreja (De La Salle College)
Champions - De La Salle College 1
Bayley Cummings
Gabriel Toreja
Jarren Iuvale
Liufau Kaloni
Runners up - Ormiston Senior College
Aadi Golchha
Dean Chalmer
Jahnavi Shah