IQA World Cup 2020 Postponed to Summer 2021

by · April 18, 2020

As previously reported, the International Quidditch Association has made a public announcement about the IQA World Cup. It decided to postpone the event to next year due to the risk of the spread of COVID-19.

This tournament is one of the most important events for the entire Muggle quidditch community and was initially intended to be held in Richmond, Virginia, July 18–19. The place remains the same, but the new date is July 31–August 1, 2021.

 

Match UK team vs. team in red-white jersey. From UK team there are male keeper, female chaser, male chaser and male beater. From red-white team there are male keeper, male chaser in the middle with quaffle, male beater with bludger, male chaser and one another player. There are also two hoops in backgroung (belongs to red-white team propably) and one referee in background.

Credit: Ondřej Hujňák

 

The IQA board consulted with the IQA Events Department, experts, national governing bodies (NGBs), and national team representatives before it made the final decision. The board wasn’t sure if it could provide enough safety measures this summer. There would have been many logistical problems with preparing and planning the event. Events Director of the IQA Pauline Raes said that this tournament isn’t only a competition.

It’s an opportunity for us to gather together, to meet people from different countries and cultures and grow as sportspeople. Remember that those values are not going away. We’re all going through a very difficult time right now, but quidditch will be coming back, and we will all meet again.

Many national teams would have also had other problems. Thirty NGBs gave feedback to the IQA about the current situation in their countries: Twenty-six national teams cannot practice in person, eighteen national teams cannot travel currently, and eleven national teams cannot fundraise.

The postponing of the event also means conflict with the dates of the IQA Continental Games, which includes the IQA Pan-American Games and the IQA European Games. The IQA organizes them biennially, alternating with the IQA World Cup, meaning that the next games should have been held in summer 2021. Due to the new date of the IQA World Cup, the IQA decided to postpone them also to 2022–2023. The IQA didn’t announce the exact date.

Press Release

IQA WORLD CUP 2020 POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

Richmond, V.A. — In response to the growing uncertainty and risks related to the spread of COVID-19 globally, the International Quidditch Association and US Quidditch have decided to postpone the IQA World Cup to 2021. The event will be held from July 31 [to] August 1, 2021, in Richmond, V.A. at Glover Park.

"Richmond Region Tourism and Henrico County have been incredibly supportive over the past few weeks, as the IQA and USQ have deliberated over what to do," said Mary Kimball, executive director of USQ. "We couldn't have asked for better partners."

The decision to postpone was made by the IQA board after consulting with NGB and national team representatives, emergency response experts, the IQA events department, USQ, and local event partners. Under the current circumstances, the board felt that it would be impossible to guarantee the health and safety of all attendees at a summer 2020 event. When looking at whether to postpone to 2021 or 2022, the impact of both years on several key groups was analyzed, including NGBs/national teams, the IQA, USQ, volunteers and spectators, and our event partners.

“We are very sorry that World Cup cannot happen this summer,” said Pauline Raes, events director of the IQA. “We know that it’s one of the most important events for the entire quidditch community. It’s not just a competition, though that’s surely a very exciting part of it! It’s an opportunity for us to gather together, to meet people from different countries and cultures and grow as sportspeople. Remember that those values are not going away. We’re all going through a very difficult time right now, but quidditch will be coming back, and we will all meet again.”

[The] IQA World Cup is the peak international competitive tournament for the sport of quidditch, bringing together over two dozen national teams from around the world. There were 29 teams in attendance at the last World Cup two years ago, held June 30-July 1, 2018, at Polisportiva U.S. Affrico, located in the Campo di Marte area of Florence, Italy. The U.S. national team won gold in 2018, their third world championship title. Belgium and Turkey received their first World Cup medals at that event - Belgium with silver and Turkey with bronze.

Team registration for World Cup 2021 will restart and reopen later in the summer, and additional registration details will be shared soon. For those who expressed an interest in volunteering at the event this summer, the IQA events team will be in touch with more information about 2021 in the upcoming weeks.

Tickets for World Cup 2021 will go on sale later this year.