The Sheffield team cruised into the final of the top rated BBC2 show after beating Oxford's Magdalen College by more than 100 points in their semi-final.

The quartet - Paul McKay, Aditya Balachander, Phil Smith, and Kathryn Swindells - have amassed one of the highest overall points totals during their matches so far, having earlier beaten Central Lancashire, Edinburgh and Exeter.

In the final on Monday Sheffield will face another Oxford team, Christ Church College.

With subject expertise in architecture, chemistry, linguistics, and law the team is hoping to be the first Sheffield team to win the coveted Challenge Cup.

The Sheffield team was chosen in February last year after auditions in the university's union of students.

More than 200 teams from around the country entered this year's University Challenge heats, but only 28 were selected to compete in the televised stages.

Paul McKay, team captain and an architecture student at the university, said: "All of us on the team have been watching University Challenge for years and I for one didn't really expect ever to be on the programme.

"Now, to be so close to winning the whole series, feels really quite extraordinary.

"The finals are usually dominated by Oxford and Cambridge and it would be great if Sheffield could develop into a real force on the programme - we've shown this year that we can compete with anyone and it would be good to see our success this year pave the way for another blazing run to the final in 2009."

Sheffield Brightside MP David Blunkett said: "We can be very proud of what the Sheffield University team have already achieved, and the whole city should get behind them to send support ."

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