‘We’re not a Harry Potter society’: Meet Leicester’s Quidditch team

Bet you didn’t know that Muggle Quidditch is a contact sport that involves elements of rugby and dodgeball, and has resulted in broken ribs.

But Quidditch is actually a real life American sport that has caught on in Britain and been sweeping the nation ever since. 

The British Quidditch Cup was held in Nottingham last weekend, a national event that hosted 23 university teams from all over the UK. Southampton Quidditch Club 1 (there’s more than one?) defeated defending champions Radcliffe Chimeras, from Oxford University, to win the tournament.

Our very own Leicester Thestrals participated and fought their way up until the quarter-finals, where they unfortunately lost to Keele. But they have come a long since the team started running.

The Leicester Quidditch Society was created in February 2012 with only 15 members. Today, according to their Facebook group, the society boasts 101 members with 30 active team players.

According to the oldest member of the team, Adam Dent, it wasn’t always smooth broomin’:

“We lost our first match which was against Keele, which was the first ever Quidditch game in the UK by the way, and we were also teased a bit.’’

Expected.

Adam Dent

Adam adds: “Some American football players took the piss by joining the Facebook group and posting nasty comments. It’s not really taken to that extreme anymore but for the most part, people do find it curious, and even silly.”

Team coach Callum Humphreys and Quidditch President Elliot Gray told us the reactions they initially received from family and friends.

“Can you fly?” is a pretty common response,” says Callum. “But I get so bored of saying no sometimes that I just say yes.”

Callum Humphreys. Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

Elliot Gray.
Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

Elliot adds: “Generally they just wanted to know how it was played, what were the dynamics of the game, how did the snitch work, and of course the ever present ‘so, you actually ride brooms’?”

But let’s face it, people running around on broomsticks and passing balls through hoops seems a bit laughable and silly, doesn’t it?

Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

But Ellioy describes it as a “full on contact sport”.

Callum says: “I would say that if people call breaking your rib and getting your windpipe crushed are the results of a silly sport that isn’t athletic at all, you might be a little bit out of touch with reality.

“Those are genuine injuries that have happened at Quidditch tournaments.”

Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

Then why doesn’t Quidditch have varsity you ask? Unfortunately DMU failed to set up a team, even though they really wanted to.

Thanks DMU.

Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

The best part about this society is that it’s not only a mixed sex sport, but it doesn’t discriminate on whether you like Harry Potter or not.

Coach Callum says: “I think most people who play Quidditch do like Harry Potter, but we’re not a Harry Potter society.

“We joined out of curiosity, but we stayed for the sport.”

Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

Captain Elliot says: “While I like the books and I’ve watched the films, I’m hardly what you would call a serious Harry Potter fan and it certainly wasn’t my main motive for joining the team.

“I can honestly say that given how much the Quidditch community has grown over the last few years and how much more physical the sport has become, that there are definitely more people like me who play the game because they love it, not Harry Potter.”

Photo Credit: Tom Gibbs

For more photos, visit SnappyGibbs Photography