Oakham's debating team through to Oxford and Cambridge Finals

Published by Oakham School on Friday 13th of February 2015

Oakham School Seventh Formers Will Butterworth and Erol Guvener have made it through to the prestigious national finals of both the Cambridge Schools' Debating Competition and the Oxford Schools' Debating Competition. This is an incredibly impressive achievement, considering around 640 teams entered each competition, with only about 40 going through to the national finals.

To get to the Cambridge finals, Will and Erol competed in two preliminary rounds, each of which they won. They also won the Oxford regional final to smoothly progress to the national final. In the judges' feedback, they have been particularly impressed by how seemingly easily the team have been able to identify the crux of the motion and base their argument around it.

'It's been a tough process, so it's great that we've made it to the finals,' said Will. 'We'll be going up against some serious contenders, but we're excited for the challenge.'

'Will and Erol have done a fantastic job to get this far in the two most prestigious debating competitions in the country,' said Mr Adam Rothwell, who runs Oakham School's Debating Society. 'Along the way, they've overcome opposition from local rivals and have managed to convince the judges that the eating of meat should be banned, and that squatting should be legalised.'

The finals will be held at the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union, both of which have a long tradition of hosting influential international speakers.

'I love debating because it's so intense and you really have to think on your feet,' said Erol. 'To be standing up and speaking in the same place that people like Winston Churchill have spoken is going to be such an incredible experience.'