IONA Debating Circuit

The IONA (Islands of the North Atlantic) debating circuit is one of the largest competitive university debating circuits in the world. In the 2007/8 debating season, the circuit comprised over 35 individual university level competitions (known as 'IVs' - an acronym for Intervarsities) as well as the World Debating Championships and European Debating Championships.

The IONA debating circuit does not have a firmly fixed recurring calendar of events, but certain substantial debating tournaments hold a relatively permanent status in the year. Each academic year of debating usually begins with the UCL President's Cup, a novice only competition held by University College London. Later in the first academic (autumn) term of UK and Irish debating, are held the Cambridge, Oxford and UCC IVs, as well as the English Leg of the John Smith Memorial Mace. The second and third terms of the University year tend to be given over to smaller IVs and Opens (in which 'composite' teams of individuals from two different academic institutions may enter), but are also host to the more prestigious Middle Temple and Inner Temple IVs. The season usually ends with the European Debating Championships in the early summer.

2007/8 IONA Debating Season

Listed below are the tournaments which have comprised the 2007/8 IONA Debating Season, with best speakers, and winning institutions and speakers of the tournament. Multiple winners/best speakers have the number of times they achieved that award up to and including that tournament listed in brackets.

Nine speakers have won two competitions so far, they are: Adam Bott, Jonathan Leader Maynard, Luke Wells, Fred Cowell, Rosie Unwin, Dan Bradley, Shengwu Li, Doug Cochran, Daniel Warents and James Dray. Art Ward from University College Cork has won three. Jonathan Leader Maynard and Sam Block have been the best speaker most times so far this season, each doing so on 5 occasions. The Middle Temple, Oxford and Cambridge have won the most competitions, each winning four times so far. Only one institution from outside the UK and Ireland has won a tournament so far in the season, when New Zealanders Christopher Bishop and Sayeqa Islam won the Cambridge IV for Victoria University of Wellington. [ [http://www.britishdebate.com/calendar/search.asp?s=09/01/2007&e=08/31/2008&a=Universities | British Debate | Calendar ] ]

As of 6th March 2008, Sam Block is currently the overall highest ranked speaker over the 2007/8 season. Oxford ended the year as the highest ranked institution, counting results from the entire season. [ [http://www.britishdebate.com/universities/results/rankings/index.asp | British Debate | Universities | Rankings ] ]

References

ee also

*International university debating
**World Universities Debating Championship
**National Association of Urban Debate Leagues
**Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships
**American Parliamentary Debating Association
**Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate
**North American Debating Championship
**North American Public Speaking Championship
*International high school debating
**International Debate Education Association
**World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
**World Schools Debating Championships
* List of debate associations
* List of debaters