Quidditch from Harry Potter brought to life in Hong Kong – broomsticks, bludgers, quaffle and a human golden snitch
University of Hong Kong Quidditch Club enact an earthbound version of the Hogwarts game as chasers dash between hoops, broomsticks between their legs, in a sport that combines rugby, dodgeball, tag and J.K Rowling rules
“Brooms up!” As the shout breaks the air above the grassy field, 10 players, five from each team, race from either end of the pitch to the centre to reach a volleyball and three dodgeballs lying there.
The players hold makeshift broomsticks between their legs as they dash across the field. This is how the game of quidditch is played at Happy Valley Sports Ground in Hong Kong.
Their antics are inspired by the fictitious game played on the campus of Hogwarts in British novelist J.K. Rowling’s bestselling Harry Potter books. The novels were adapted for the big screen, and fans quickly embraced all things Potter, including quidditch.
The Hong Kong equivalent has developed rules and strategies to mimic the original game as faithfully as is practical. It mixes elements from rugby, dodgeball, and tag, and requires players to “ride” a “broomstick” at all times – generally a plastic tube or light metal bar that they hold between their legs.
The goal is for teams to score points by chasers (attackers) throwing the quaffle (a volleyball) through the other side’s hoops, which stand at either end of the field.