Warwick Boar - Warwick on University Challenge

The Warwick team competing in last night’s ‘University Challenge’ thrashed Emmanuel College, Cambridge in what may transpire to be Warwick’s most promising performance yet.

Legendarily, Warwick University has always fared badly on the quiz show, scores even dropping into minus figures for interruptions. The Boar can reveal, however, that this year’s team looks to set significantly higher standards for any successors.

The team consisted of four students: Daisy Christodoulou, finalist English student and captain; Rory Gill, finalist English literature and Italian; Prakash Patel, MOAC PhD and Harold Wyber, a third year economist.

None of the four students had met before qualifying for ‘University Challenge’, but their captain Daisy claims that the team’s strength lay in how well they got on. ‘Last February, the sports officer organised a quiz based on questions set by University Challenge and the top four got into the team. We all knew what we would have to face, and I’d say we all contributed equally, especially in that first match.’

Jeremy Paxman, the long-time host of the quiz, is famous for his quickfire style of questioning and alleged favouritism of his own university, Cambridge. ‘In terms of favouritism, it wasn’t all that noticeable. He has a slightly patronising manner, but we learnt not to be phased by it,’ Daisy commented. ‘It wasn’t like we were an Oxbridge college with loads of pressure because of any previous history of having done well – we haven’t had an amazing record on the show. It’s the pressure of being on television which you can’t prepare for.’ The Warwick team’s initial struggle to answer starter questions reflects the intense pressure before the cameras. Despite this, the team’s performance swiftly picked up, and they acquitted themselves admirably.

University Challenge begins with 28 teams competing in the first round knock-out. Thereafter the 14 victorious teams as well as the 4 highest scoring losing teams progress into the next round. Although this first performance is a hopeful indication of future matches, the team captain insists that the most enjoyable times during filming were not about the glory. ‘You have to remember it’s just a game, and there are no prizes at the end of it. We got to socialise with other teams, and we got to go out and celebrate afterwards. We all got on really well – you go to have fun, and the best aspect was the team.’

This relaxed attitude stood the team in good stead in their first round, and Monday’s clear-cut victory against Emmanuel College is indicative that it will continue to do so.