First Quidditch European Games to be held in Italy

Jul 21, 2015

Posted by: Alysha McLeod

Events, Fun, News

As some will recall from our World Cup 8 report, the IQA (International Quidditch Association) dissolved in  2014, after many non-US Quidditch teams refused their bids to the 7th annual Quidditch World Cup. The IQA was then split into national associations (i.e. USQ, QUK, etc.). US World Cup 8 was hosted by USQ, while European Quidditch Associations promised a combined regional Cup was in the works. The European regional tournament is finally here.

For the first time, European Quidditch games will be held in Tuscany, The Telegraph reports.

According to the article, the real-life version of Quidditch, which was invented in the USA in 2005,  is popular in Italy. There are an estimated 6,000 Italian players. This year marks the first  that squads from all over Europe will take part in games held in the 2,000 year-old town of Sarteano. Players from the UK, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Catalonia, France, Poland, Spain, and Italy will compete in the games, which begin this Friday. The Telegraph reports that Sarteano will be transformed into a “mini Hogwarts” for the games:

The Quidditch teams will be greeted by a Harry Potter-themed party in Sarteano Castle, which dates from the 11th century. Market stalls will be set up to resemble the fictional Diagon Alley, where young wizards and witches come in search of their wands in the JK Rowling books.


Alas, flying on broomsticks isn’t exactly a possibility; however, real-life Quidditch reportedly closely mimics the original wizarding sport:

Each of the seven players in a real-world team must hold a broomstick between their legs at all times and the game comes to a close only once the snitch – which comes in the form of a human with a tennis ball suspended in a sock between their legs – is caught.


You can read the rest of the article here.

 





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