I had a go at Quidditch and it’s really difficult

Everyone at Leeds Uni knows of the Quidditch society- but do you really know about them?

You may have seen them practising in the park as you walk to and from uni, staring as you go. FYI the staring doesn’t go unnoticed.

The players are some of the most welcoming, friendly people and the sport itself is pretty darn interesting.

It is the only sports team at Leeds Uni that allows gender fluid people to join and they have a gender rule which means that there has to be at least two people playing that aren’t of the majority gender of the team- you follow? WHICH IS AMAZING, and slightly sad that not more teams are like Quidditch soc.

You’d think they’d milk the whole Gryphons- Gryffindor thing. But no. They’re not allowed to be called Gryphons but are Griffins. Also Holly and Dave who I talked to consider themselves more “Slytherins or Slytherpuffs”.

They have their first national tournament this year called Qudditch UK and the sport was voted the second most popular sport to become part of the Commonwealth Games. See, it’s on the rise.

The Snitch in Muggle form

So you don’t look like an idiot when it becomes an Olympic sport- Here’s the basics.

Well it’s like a mixture of Rugby and Dodgeball.

You have three hoops on sticks which you have to try and get the Quaffle through and past the hoop-keeper.

You have to stay on your broom at all times-obvs

The seeker gets the snitch- which isn’t a sneaky bitch of a ball but attached in the form of a ball in a golden sock to the shorts of a speedy player who is allowed to defend themselves

Think it sounds easy? Yes? Then you are a fool.

Everyone on the team apart from the girl who had only been playing two weeks has been broken or dislocated. When this was announced I became slightly apprehensive about giving it a go. Apparently broom to groin strikes are very common too-ouch.

Armed with some borrowed, three sizes too big football boots and a broom (unfortunately not the Nimbus 2000) I had a go at being a seeker.

IT’S REALLY HARD AND I’M REALLY UNFIT.

Trying to keep a broom between your legs while running is super tricky. Apparently the broom should be kept as far back as possible and you should only use one hand to hold it. I did feel a bit silly chasing after a sock on a pole- but if you’re as competitive as me, that sock becomes the snitch.

But I was shit, and did not get the sock/snitch. I’m going to pin the blame on the boots and a professor Quirrell figure cursing me, but it was probably my flailing, steady diet of takeaways and shouting “This is really hard” that did it.