"We really, really have to win," exclaimed a fist-pumping Sonia Muir, the second speaker for the negative.

"I'm so determined to prove my point that I'm going to sing a section of my speech."

Along with Ros Kemp and guest speaker Andrew Frost, the artists were determined to take the fight down onto the canvas.

Although the artists were taking the high ground arguing that sport is not more important than the arts,  art critic, writer, broadcaster and lecturer Andrew Frost, declared he was playing a defensive position.

"My job is to rebut the arguments put forward by the affirmative side. I'm going to have to wing it though, I have nothing at all written down,” he said.

The final speaker for the rugby side, Toby Tancred, said that like a reserve waterboy, his presence was not really needed.

"How do you argue the inarguable?" he said.

"Everyone knows that sport is more important than arts, although we will have a few jokes in there because the arts have taken a beating lately and they need a laugh."

Emus coach Andrew Logan led the charge for the affirmative, paraphrasing Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 

"Maslow believed that a first-rate soup was better than a second-rate painting, I believe that a second-rate rugby game is better than a first-rate painting,” Logan said.

The debate was organised by the Friends of the Orange Regional Gallery, was held at the Orange Emus Rugby Union Club and was won during a penalty tie-break by the artists.