If you know what a quaffle, bludger and golden snitch are, you may want to get in touch with Calvin Ng.
The Port Moody resident is looking to launch a quidditch team in the Tri-Cities, taking the game from between the covers of the Harry Potter books and bringing it to a field near you.
“The game… is translated to fit real-world, muggle constraints,” Ng said. “It is a co-ed, full-contact sport that is a combination of handball, dodgeball, rugby and flag football.”
In quidditch, two teams of seven players take to an arena-size outdoor pitch, where they attempt to throw a volleyball into one of three opposing hoops. The team with the most points by the time the golden snitch is caught — the golden snitch in the muggle world being a tennis ball inside a sock — wins the match.
There’s just one catch: all of the players compete while mounted on a broomstick.
“It is an alternative for people who might not be the traditional athletic types,” Ng said. “One of the best things about quidditch is its openness. You don’t have to be the best athlete in your year to join — although it does help.”
The popularity of quidditch has grown rapidly in the last few years.
Ng is one of the founders of the Simon Fraser University team, where he played until recently graduating, and he said the sport is taking off at universities across North America.
In 2014, the Quidditch Global Games were held at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, when an estimated 1,000 people came out to compete or watch the games.
Team Canada ended up going 4-2 during the round-robin portion of the tournament, eventually finishing third after defeating Team UK 60-40 in the bronze medal game. Last spring, a national quidditch tournament was also held in Burnaby, with seven teams participating.
Ng is hoping to generate some interest among high school students in the Tri-Cities, who may be interested in taking part in the sport when they begin their post-secondary careers.
Once the club is established, he said players will get an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game while testing their skills against UBC and SFU’s clubs.
There is also a community team operating out of New Westminster.
Over time, Ng hopes that more club teams will pop up across the region.
“That is the dream,” he said. “It will build the foundation for people to get their feet wet before they go on to university. One of my goals is to use this as a development tool.”
Anyone that is hoping to signup for the Tri-City quidditch club can email Calvin Ng at [email protected]. There is also a Twitter (@3quidditch) and Facebook page (facebook.com/3quidditch).
@gmckennaTC
