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UK’s first quidditch league begins in Bristol
The UK’s first ever league for a sport more used to being on the pages of Harry Potter begins in Bristol on Saturday.
The magical sport of quidditch is in fact a fast-growing sport in real life, with members of Brizzlepuffs – the University of Bristol’s quidditch club – founding a regional league which sees its first games played on the Downs.
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The sport has previously only been a tournament-based sport in the UK, but now there will be now one round of matches every month from October to April 2017.
Muggle quidditch is similar to the wizard version but minus the flying and spells, and is the fastest growing full-contact mixed gender sport in the world.
The playing field is about a third of the size of a football pitch with three circular goals placed on either side.
Players carry a stick or broom between their legs at all times, with balls of various shapes and sizes acting as the quaffle and bludgers, and the snitch in fact a tennis ball carried in a sock tucked in the waistband of a neutral player dressed in yellow.
Brizzlepuffs team coach Josh Blannin said: “I think the league has been well received, and the rest of the quidditch community will be watching Bristol over the next few months as we try to make this system work.
“It will get more teams playing more games in the year, and that’s something everyone wants to see.”
Founded in 2014, Brizzlepuffs won qualification for the European Quidditch Cup 2016 in Italy, where they came twelfth.
“The success of the Brizzlepuffs has been incredible,” Josh added.
“We’ve gone from being a brand new team two years ago, to a team which now competes internationally, which is amazing.”
Bristol’s club consists of two teams, the Brizzlebears and the Brizzlebees, who will both be competing in the new league.
The five other teams based in the South West are Bath Quidditch Club, Falmouth Falcons, The Swansea Seven Swans, The Exeter Eagles and The Worcester Saucerers.
Read more: 28 things no one ever tells you about Bristol
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