Rudd wins coin toss to speak first

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has won the coin toss to speak first at the leaders' debate at the National Press Club on Sunday night.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will go first at the initial leaders' debate at the National Press Club in Canberra.

With the traditional coin toss to decide speaking order, Labor campaign director George Wright called heads.

And that's what faced up when Press Club chief executive Maurice Reilly tossed the 1939 penny, provided by the former Canberra Services Club.

"We'll bat first," Mr Wright told Liberal campaign director Brian Loughnane.

The debate starts at 6.30pm Sunday with Mr Rudd speaking ahead of Opposition leader Tony Abbott in the hour-long event.