Did you know that Quiddich, the game played by Harry Potter in the books and movies, is an actual sport? There’s no flying involved, but there are brooms, quaffles, bludgers, hoops and snitches. In fact, the sport of Quiddich has an International Quiddich Association, a nonprofit that has put on a World Quiddich Cup for the last six years—and this year, for the seventh, the cup is coming to North Myrtle Beach!
The Quiddich World Cup will be held April 5-6 at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex. 80 teams from around the world will be coming to North Myrtle Beach to play for the title.
In the muggle world (as opposed to the wizarding world depicted in Harry Potter), quiddich is “a co-ed contact sport with a unique mix of elements from rugby, basketball, and dodgeball.” But unlike in any of those games, the players run around the field with brooms between their legs. Teams are made up of seven players, and game play involves chasers following a ball (called a quaffle) and scoring points by shooting or dunking through hoops at either end of the pitch. Keepers defend against goal hoops, and beaters use dodgeballs—called, as in the Harry Potter books, bludgers—to knock out players. In the books, a snitch is a magical and elusive gold ball, but in the muggle version of quiddich, the snitch is a ball attached to the waistband of a snitch runner in a yellow uniform—usually the fastest, most athletic player who will use any means necessary to avoid having the snitch taken, as the snitch is worth 30 points and to capture the snitch brings on the end of the game.
The Quiddich World Cup has been held annually since 2007, growing over time from a competition between two New England schools to an international event that draws teams and players who qualify in regional championships all over the globe. Community teams and teams from schools (mostly universities) the world over compete for the top spot. In addition to the opportunity to watch the competitions, attendees will also enjoy live bands, slideshows, costumes and the opportunity to buy magic gear, including scarves, robes, brooms and wands.
Tickets can be purchased through March 31, with prices ranging from $9.99 for a one day kid pass to $99.99 plus fees for a VIP weekend pass, which includes access to the VIP tent, front row seats, free parking, free food and drinks and special VIP staffing. Children 2 and younger enter free. Parking passes are an additional $5 per vehicle per day, though players and VIPs get free parking. Tickets will also be available at the door.
