Team qualifications for the Quidditch World Cup in April is heating up this winter

by · January 23, 2013

Muggle Quidditch is the fast-paced and high-energy game right out of the Harry Potter books and into the international spotlight. This April, nearly 100 teams will be facing off against each other in order to be crowned “King of the Pitch.”

Quidditch World Cup VI will have the most heated and competitive matches between nearly 100 teams right in the heart of Florida on April 13 and 14. But who are these teams? MuggleNet SnitchCenter and the International Quidditch Association (IQA) will have all of these answers and more over the next few months. Currently there are 35 teams that have won the right to compete in the tournament.

Here are a few of the teams we have our eyes on (current rankings are in parentheses):

  • Notheast Region – Boston University (#3), QC Pittsburgh (#19), and Carelton University (#12) are definitely strong teams, but other teams like Emerson College (#11), Hofstra University (#14), and Rochester Institute of Technology (#37) also promise to play a significant role.
  • Mid-Atlantic Region – Villanova (#7) defeated University of Maryland (#2) earlier this season, and this will not sit well, with Maryland expected to look for vengeance in Florida.
  • South Region – The hosting region has some major powerhouses with University of Miami (#10), Florida Gulf Coast University (#39) , Tennessee Tech University, and Ringling College. Home field advantage could play a huge role in the tournament.
  • Midwest Region – Annual powerhouse University of Kansas (#6) and University of Michigan (#25) will be two teams to watch in this region, but with the Glass City Quidditch Classic coming up on February 2, we could see a bevy of challengers.
  • Southwest Region – The Southwest Championship takes place on February 23-24 and will feature the overall #1 ranked Texas A & M (#1) and powerhouse University of Texas at Austin (#5). But don’t count out Louisiana State University (#22), University of Arkansas (#23), and Baylor University (#27)!
  • West Region – Top teams University of California, Berkeley (#8), University of Southern California (#15), Silicon Valley Skrewts (#21), University of California, Los Angeles (#29), and the Utah Crimson Flyers (#24) all hope to bring the Quidditch World Cup home, and they may just do that!
  • International – The international teams are what makes this tournament the greatness that it is! European Cup winner Paris Phenix, Canadian Cup champion McGill University, and Australian QUAFL champion University of New South Wales will be fierce competitors to try to take the Quidditch World Cup away from the Americans.

The IQA and MuggleNet will be providing a closer look at many of the teams competing this year in the Quidditch World Cup, and we are anxious for spring to arrive since we will be in Kissimmee, Florida, covering all of the action.

Support your local teams, and watch these amazing athletes perform the game you love from the mind of J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter books.