The imaginary sport played on broomsticks in the Harry Potter books is returning to Oxford this weekend.
Quidditch is back and the first tournament of the season is being played in the city.
Inspired by the JK Rowling's fictional world, quidditch is now an international sport with a worldwide following.
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This Saturday and Sunday, 16 teams from across the UK will compete at the Oxford Brookes University's Harcourt Hill campus in Botley in hope of lifting the trophy and claiming the title of national champions.
The tournament is non-ticketed, and anyone can attend for free or watch online.
Last year, the Werewolves of London Firsts took the winning title, defeating London Quidditch Club. Oxford Quidditch teams the Oxford Mammoths and Oxford Radcliffe Chimeras secured fifth and tenth place last year and hope to claim the title of champion for their region and city this year.
Abby Whiteley, vice president of QuidditchUK, said: “This is the first tournament of the 2019-20 season, and we’re excited to hit the ground running with a successful tournament at a fantastic venue.
"Oxford Brookes has been a great venue previously and is perfect for our regional championships as teams face off to qualify for nationals and European tournaments.”
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Having started life as a purely fictional creation in JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, quidditch is now an international and competitive sport that has been labelled the most progressive in the world for its gender inclusivity.
Unlike many other competitive sports, quidditch is mixed-gender and recognises non-binary participants.
Just in time for the upcoming British Quidditch Cup, QuidditchUK has recently been accepted as a member of the Sports and Recreation Alliance giving the sport a step towards being treated and perceived as a legitimate sport.
The quidditch that is played in the real world closely resembles the JK Rowling fictional sport, with the distinctive quidditch hoops, players mounted on sticks throughout the game and the all-important golden snitch, which in this game is a small tag attached to the shorts of a neutral player.
The game has offensive and defensive players with the aim of scoring points by throwing balls through the hoops.
Beaters throw balls to knock people out of the game, and keepers defend their posts. There are also bonus points up for grabs which can be gained by tackling and capturing the snitch.
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The following teams will compete at Oxford Brookes: Bath Basilisks, Bournemouth Banshees, Bristol Bears, London Quidditch Club A, London Quidditch Club B, London Unspeakables, London Unstoppables, Oxford Mammoths, Oxford Radcliffe Chimeras, Southampton Quidditch Club, Southsea League, Swansea Swans, Warwick Quidditch Club, Werewolves of London Firsts and Werewolves of London Seconds.
Members of public can watch this weekend from 8am to 6.30pm both days. Find out more online at quidditchuk.org
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