Students who took part in the annual debate tournament could find themselves using their oratory skills in New Zealand this summer.

Some of the top talkers in the Bermuda Junior Service League's Fourth Invitational Secondary Schools Debate Tournament will now be invited to train for the national debate team.

And the Bermuda Debate Society is hoping to send the team to the International Debate Tournament in New Zealand in August.

The local debate tournament, held at Bermuda College on Saturday, involved 12 teams from six secondary schools -- Whitney Institute, Mount Saint Agnes, Warwick Academy, Berkeley Institute, Saltus and the Bermuda High School.

Twelve-year-olds Jordan Zancanella and Deana McEwan of Berkeley were the overall winners, beating Stacey Branum and Sarah Mansell of Saltus in a final debate on the motion "This House believes that Bermuda should be used to test new environmentally-friendly products''.

In the three rounds leading up to the final debate subjects included: "This House believes humankind is the next dinosaur'' and "Be it resolved that small is beautiful''.

The third round was an impromptu round with students given the motion just 90 minutes before the debate.

Over 50 judges from all walks of life were used during the tournament, including politicians, lawyers, educators, and businessmen.

A member of the organising committee said: "They were all volunteering their time for this educational and worthy event.

"The students who took part in the tournament were aged between 12 and 17 and the judges commented that the calibre of their debating skills had improved significantly over the past year.'' Judges for the final were the Governor Lord Waddington, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr. Tim Smith, Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith, Ms Elizabeth Virgo from the Bermuda Debate Society and former clerk to the House of Assembly Mr. John Gilbert.

Other students from the schools helped by performing the duties of speaker and clerk/timer for the debates.

Lord Waddington presented trophies to the two finalists and the individual winners. Jordan Zancanella placed first and Deanna McEwan second. Jennifer Burland and Samantha DeCouto, both from Bermuda High School, placed third and fourth respectively while fifth place went to Rachael Barritt of Saltus and sixth place to Berkeley's Rashan Smith.

The Governor presented the Victoria Cox Memorial Trophy to the Berkeley team.

Jordan was also presented the Victoria Cox Memorial Plate donated by four students -- Alison Dyer, Michael Pearman, Colm Singleton and Carolyn Thomas -- who made up the first Bermuda National Debate Team which competed in Scotland in 1991. Miss Dyer presented the plate.

TOP ORATORS -- Twelve-year-olds Deanna McEwan and Jordan Zancanella of Berkeley Institute hold aloft the Victoria Cox Memorial Trophy after winning the annual debate tournament.