Senior Premier A Grade
Premier A is the top debating grade within the Wellington Speaking Union Intercollegiate debating competition. It is designed for experienced, senior debaters. Each school can enter one team of up to five senior students, who can rotate throughout the year.
Teams compete in five preliminary rounds (two prepared and three limited preparation) before the top eight teams compete in knock-out quarter and semi-finals to find the two finalists.
The winning school receives the John F Henning Cup, donated in 1961 by the then United States Ambassador to New Zealand, who took a great interest in debating.
The best speaker in the Grand Final is presented with the Suffrage Cup, donated by the Hutt Valley branch of the National Council of Women, long-time supporters of schools debating.
The Grand Final of the Henning Cup, one of the highlights of the school debating year, is held in the Wellington City Council Chambers. WSU is grateful for their ongoing support, particularly from Cr Ian McKinnon.
The grade has long received support from the Victoria University of Wellington Debating Society, who supply the adjudicators for the grade.
The 2010 grade convenor is Seb Templeton (sebtempleton@gmail.com or 0274284172).
Premier A Points Table
Teams make the quarter finals based on a ranking of:
Wins, who beat whom (if a complete bracket), win points, who beat whom, number of defaults, who beat whom, coin toss.
Heretaunga also ended on three wins but had insufficient win points to make the quarter-finals.
Premier A Rounds to Come
Quarter-finals: Tuesday 16 August @ TBA
Prepared topic
Affirmative teams on the left:
St Mary’s v Samuel Marsden
St Catherine’s v Scots
Wellington College v HVHS
QMC v Tawa
Semi-finals: Tuesday 20 August September @ TBA
Limited preparation round
Grand Final for the Henning Cup: Tuesday 20 September @ Wellington City Council Chambers, 7pm
Prepared topic