It is the highly anticipated climax of a fiercely fought competition, and will no doubt have avid viewers shouting at their screens.

But tonight's University Challenge final between Wolfson, Cambridge and Balliol, Oxford has sparked outrage over the lack of any female contestants.

Student equality campaigners have blasted the show's production company, ITV Studios, for allowing all-male teams into the competition, with a third of this year's teams having no women.

Indeed, only 22 per cent of the contestants on this series are women and just five per cent of the finalists in the last five years have been women.

Tonight's University Challenge final between Wolfson, Cambridge (pictured) and Balliol, Oxford has sparked outrage over the lack of any female contestants.

Student equality campaigners have blasted the show's production company, ITV Studios, for allowing all-male teams into the competition, with a third of this year's teams having no women. Pictured above, Oxford's Balliol team

Azita Chellappoo, equality and diversity officer at Wolfson College, told the Daily Mail that university quizzing societies can be 'very hostile to women'.

She also noted that many female students are discouraged from signing up to take part in University Challenge because of the social media trolling or unwanted attention to which contestants - particularly female ones - are often subjected.

She said: 'The underrepresentation of women on University Challenge is a big problem.

'I think partly it is because the quizzing community [such as university quizzing societies] can often be quite hostile to women, or at the very least not particularly welcoming spaces.

'Also, the women that do appear on the show often face a lot of sexist commentary on social media. There's often a lot of discussion about their looks, for example.'

This year, Emma Johnson from Corpus Christi College, was described as the 'perfect woman' by viewers after her appearance on the show.

And last year, Hannah Woods received thousands of messages online about her eyebrows.

This year, Emma Johnson from Corpus Christi College, was described as the 'perfect woman' by viewers after her appearance on the show

And last year, Hannah Woods, from Peterhouse, Cambridge, received thousands of messages online about her eyebrows

Asked whether she thought the competition should have any rules in place regarding the diversity of teams, Miss Chellappoo said: 'I think quotas would be a really good idea, or if not formal quotas, guidelines at the very least. I don't think all-male teams should be allowed on the show.

'Greater representation on University Challenge is an important part of encouraging more women to join the quizzing scene, and to showcase the intellectual capacities of women at UK universities.'

Whilst universities, or individual colleges in the case of Oxbridge, are responsible for selecting their own teams, ITV Studios only selects 28 teams to take part, and therefore a vetting process does take place.

Viewers have threatened to boycott the show over the final being an all-male contest for the third time in five years.

The Balliol team declined a request for comment, and Wolfson's hugely popular captain Eric Monkman said he had 'no comments' on the matter.

A University Challenge spokesperson said: 'Each team is determined by the universities themselves and whilst we do encourage them to reflect the diversity of their student population ultimately each university has their own team selection process.'

University Challenge airs tonight on BBC Two at 8pm.