World Universities Debating Championship
[Tuesday, 5 January 2010]

There is no debate about it: the University of Sydney has the best arguers in the world after winning the 2010 World Universities Debating Championship in Turkey.

The win is the fifth for the University of Sydney, which last won in 2007 and has now won more championships than any other university. The Championship is the largest debating tournament on the planet and is based on the British Parliamentary format.

Law students Chris Croke and Steve Hind - the University of Sydney Union's 'A' team - defeated teams from Harvard, Oxford and the London School of Economics to seize first place.

Together they formed winning arguments and crafted powerful speeches arguing against the proposition that 'this house believes that the media should show the full horrors of this war'.

The grand final took place in Antalya on 3 January. Approximately 240 teams were part of this year's competition, four from the University of Sydney.

'We are absolutely elated at the result, particularly against such strong competition with 1050 participants from 240 universities around the globe', said Steve Hind, who is ranked the number two debater in the world and is studying arts/law at the University of Sydney.

'It was a tough competition however we put up a very strong team backed up at every step of the way by the University of Sydney Union.'

Chris Croke, who is ranked the fifth best debater in the world and is studying social science and law at the University of Sydney, said: 'The USU team is very proud to have done so well and we congratulate all our members'.

Hind stated in his speech: 'There is a distinction between emphasising, by reading about what happens in a war and knowing about what happens in a war. And having the visual reaction that people have to seeing their loved ones brutalised and broadcasted across the world… stopping us from fighting the wars well'.