Warwick trumps Cambridge on University Challenge

Warwick is through to the second round of University Challenge after emerging triumphant in their match against Christ College Cambridge.

They won by a convincing thirty points, with a score of 200 to 170 on 6th July. It was the first match of the 2009 series which has so far seen Oxford and Cambridge colleges dominating over the rest of the universities.

Warwick is the only university so far to have beaten an Oxbridge team. Warwick started the match extremely well, pulling ahead to take the lead early on. However, they slowed down in the second half and it was only in the final five minutes that they pulled through to through to deliver an overwhelming victory. The team (left to right) consisted of Chris Christmas, Ty Hayes, Robin Stevens, Matthew Smalley (third year, history, MA Social Research, third year English, second year engineering, respectively).

This comes two years after Warwick won the 2007 University Challenge tournament against all odds, led by Daisy Christodoulou beating reigning champions, the University of Manchester.

Despite this history, this year’s team spoke of their lack of confidence before the match as they thought they were up against some heavy-hitters. Robin Stevens, the team captain, said, “I am proud of the team for doing as well as we did.” The team was watched by an audience of sixty, with fifteen friends cheering them on.

Beforehand, the team “tried not look frightened” as they awaited the impending match.

When asked what being in the television studio was like, Stevens replied, “Being in the hot seat was a very exciting, if totally surreal experience”. However, there were negatives to conquering the illusions of television effects; “It was slightly disappointing to find out for sure that one team really doesn’t sit above the other!”

The team could not comment on the second match, however, it will air on the 7th December on BBC2.