While they won’t be flying around on Nimbus 2000 broomsticks, Carleton University plays host to more than 100 Muggles for the first-ever Canadian Quidditch Cup this coming weekend.
Quidditch is a sport rooted in Harry Potter – a mix of rugby, dodge ball and tag that’s described as “super intense” by those who play.
“It’s a full contact athletic sport and it’s the only co-ed full contact sport as far as we know,” explains Andrea Hill, team captain and a fourth-year student completing a combined honours in journalism and biology. “Sure, people laugh at first when they hear about it, but once they see us play, they realize that it is not a joke.”
Carleton plays host to the Canadian Quidditch Cup on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This seeding tournament will be the largest gathering of Canadian teams to date, with eight battling it out in preparation for the fifth annual Quidditch World Cup tournament being held in New York City this November. Carleton is ranked as the number two Canadian team, behind McGill University.
Hill says the sport that began in Middlebury, Vermont is now becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
“There are over 100 teams going to New York. The sport itself is growing at a tremendous rate. There are teams cropping up everywhere, including Australia, the U.K. and Finland. The sport is played at more than 300 high schools and universities all over the U.S., Canada and the world. ”
The Carleton team has grown from a modest 14 people to 60 active members this year. There is a recreational team, as well as the competitive team that will be traveling to New York with 16 Carleton students on its roster.
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For more information or to request photos:
Caitlin Kealey
Media Relations
Carleton University
613-520-2600, ext. 8718
Caitlin_Kealey@carleton.ca
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011 in News Releases
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