World Debating Championships

History of the World Universities Debating Championships
Last updated Dec-98 by Colm Flynn

International debates between universities began in the years before the Second World War when student delegations from universities in Australia and North America would visit universities in Europe and practice their debating skills. It was not, however, until the beginning of the 1970s that this practice acquired a more structured character and the first intervarsity competitions took place.

The first major international debating competition between universities was the Trans-Atlantic University Speech Association Tournament which was held in London in 1976. University teams from the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland gathered to debate in English.
Two years later, in 1978, university teams from the United States, England, Scotland and New Zealand traveled to Melbourne and Sydney for a series of debating competitions.

This rapid growth throughout the 1970s prepared the ground for the first World Debating Championships, which was organized by the Glasgow University Union in January 1981 when 50 teams from 8 nations competed. Since than it has dramatically expanded and 270 teams from 40 nations took part in the championships last year in University College Cork. It is now the worlds second largest student event with only the World Student Games having more competitors. In the 1987 Championships in Dublin, Ireland teams from France and Greece participated for the first time in the competition extending participation to non-English speaking countries and adding a multi-cultural dimension.

Although the championships have become more of a global event they are still dominated by the original 8 nations. Scotland has won five times, Australia four times, Ireland (King's Inns, '85, U.C.C. '86), Canada, England and the U.S. have won twice. New Zealand has won just once. The hosting honours have also been shared out mainly between the original "Charter" nations (although Worlds council voted in Athens to change the Charter Nation Status). The U.S have hosted the competition four times with Ireland (U.C.D. '87, Trinity '92, U.C.C. '96), Scotland and Canada all on three times. Australia have played hosts twice with England, South Africa and Greece just once.

As well as the main debating championships the World Public Speaking championships are held at the same time. This is an event which is dominated by the Americans and Canadians who hold public speaking competitions in conjunction with most of their intervarsities (although James Mc'Dermott from Kings Inns won the championships for Ireland this year and in 1997). Public speaking is very rare on the Irish, Scottish and British circuits. For competitors from non-English speaking nations the English as a second language competition provides an outlet for success when they would be unfairly disadvantaged if limited to the main championships only.

In 1998 Stellenbosch in South Africa hosted the Championships, becomming the both first non-charter and African nation to do so. In 1998 Deree college in Athens, Greece hosted the championships. In 1999 Manilla in the Phillipeans will host the championships becoming the first Asian Nation to do so. The year 2000 Championships have provisionally been awarded to Sydney University in Australia. Glasgow announced in Athens that they intend bidding for the 2001 championships and began lobbying the other nations.