The University of Warwick lost by one of the smallest margins in University Challenge history in yesterday's grand final (May 12).

Having made a great start in the first 15 minutes, eventually Christ's College, Cambridge creeped ahead in the final questions.

The final finished Warwick 170, Christ's College, Cambridge 175.

Students gathered at the Gibbet Hill campus on Monday night to watch the final broadcast on BBC Two on a large outdoor screen.

The team – Oscar Siddle (Mathematics), Ananya Govindarajan (Engineering), Thomas Hart (Mathematics), and Benjamin Watson (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) – delivered strong performances throughout the series and reached the final after a series of closely contested matches.

Students gathered on campus to watch the final (image by Karim El-Tonsy)

Reflecting on the final, Benjamin Watson said: "We're obviously crushed by the result but the trophy couldn't have gone to a nicer team and we're all very proud of how far we went in the competition. It was an incredible honour to represent Warwick and a great experience."

Warwick has a strong record in University Challenge, having won the competition in 2007 and 2021.

Warwick's University Challenge team made a strong start to the series, securing impressive wins over the University of East Anglia (275–125), Oriel College, Oxford (215–110), and Queen's University Belfast (215–95). However, the competition grew tougher in the quarterfinals, where they faced Christ's College, Cambridge. Despite trailing by 150 points at one stage, Warwick mounted a determined late push, narrowing the final score to 155–205.

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In their final quarterfinal match, Warwick bounced back with a commanding 220–125 victory over University College London, earning a place in the semi-final.

A nail-biting finish saw them defeat Darwin College, Cambridge, in the last three minutes to secure their place in the final – a rematch against Christ's College, Cambridge.