Team Open reached the quarter-finals of University Challenge Series 30, but their fantastic run came to an end against Christ Church, Oxford on 4 March.
Team Open have reached the end of their run on University Challenge Series 30, after numerous impressive performances throughout the series.
The team were beaten by Christ Church, Oxford in their second quarter-final match. Christ Church reached 170 points and Open reached 75. As it was Open's second loss in the quarter-finals, they were eliminated from the competition, while Christ Church will play a third quarter-final for a place in the semi-finals.
Here's how Team Open have performed throughout the series:
- First round, 4 September 2023: Open - 155, Hertford College, Oxford - 230
- Repechage, 30 October 2023: Open - 255, Oxford Brookes - 155
- Second round, 13 November 2023: Open - 265, UEA - 130
- First quarter-final, 29 January 2024: Open - 170, Trinity College, Cambridge - 190
- Second quarter-final, 4 March 2024: Open - 75, Christ Church, Oxford - 170
At the end of their last match, host Amol Rajan praised Team Open for applauding their opponents Christ Church, Oxford when they buzzed in quickly for starter questions: 'I thought that was wonderfully noble of you and in keeping with what a wonderfully entertaining team you've been.' You can catch up on the match on iPlayer here if you're in the UK, and our live tweeting thread here.
Team Open 2023/24 are a fantastic representation of OU students and have done our student community proud. Their speedy buzzing, team spirit and broad knowledge has been evident throughout the series. A big congratulations goes to Ellie Romans, Mike Holt, Ann Gavaghan, James Davidson and reserve member Nicky.