A Huge congratulations to Royal Holloway's University Challenge team for making it to the quarter finals!
The 2023 Royal Holloway University Challenge team, left: Joel Abramovich, centre left: Joanna Brown, centre right: George Harvey, right: Micka Clayton
This year's team is comprised of Joel Abramovich, BSc Biology, Joanna Brown, PhD Creative Writing, Captained by George Harvey, MSci Astrophysics, Micka Clayton, PhD Music and Neuropsychology, with Edward Chesterman, MA Public History in reserve. Physicist and Captain George said:
"I think I speak for the team when I say it has been an incredible experience to represent Royal Holloway in University Challenge; even now nearly a year on from the actual application process, interviews and filming it doesn't quite feel real to me.
I am currently in my fourth and final year here at RHUL and historically University Challenge participation has never really been on my radar. I only found out about RHUL fielding a team in my second year purely by chance - a friend saw it advertised elsewhere and mentioned it to me in passing - and although I managed to get on to that year's team, we weren't successful in our interviews and never became one of the 28 televised teams. I am extremely lucky to have had another opportunity now as captain, with the added experience of that previous attempt.
Like that one, I never really expected it to get this far - over 130 teams are interviewed - and only twice before have RHUL made it on to the televised rounds (2004 and 2006). Both of those outings ended in round 2, so in now reaching the quarter finals we are extremely conscious of our position and the pressure was definitely on.
Despite the pressure, I have found the whole experience (whilst stressful) immensely enjoyable, and I am fortunate to be surrounded by such knowledgeable and genuinely lovely teammates. Special mention to Ed Chesterman, who does not appear on TV but is I think a large part of why our team has done so well - all those orchestrated practice meet-ups have done wonders."
Congratulations once again to the team! The Department of Physics will be avidly awaiting the next round!
