Whiteknights the Third Previews

With both the British and European Quidditch Cups out the way, the competitive season is beginning to wind down, as players turn their attention to exams and the summer of fantasy tournaments ahead. However, Whiteknights the Third, based in Reading, is one final test of a wide variety of teams. Although not a QuidditchUK official event, as shown by the relatively loose regulation of rosters and the worrying lack of assistant referees, this tournament provides a great opportunity for teams with a poor year and those who have had more successful seasons to go out on a high and get some glory in the dying days of the season.

GROUP A

BANGOR BROKEN BROOMSTICKS

By Fraser Posford
Founded: Summer 2012
Captain: Anna Barton

Record this season

Bangor’s record this season can be summed up in one word: frustrating. Bangor has spent much of this season in the competitive (and geographical) wilderness of North Wales, which led to it not being awarded a qualifying spot at the European Quidditch Cup (EQC) despite a third place finish at the British Quidditch Cup (BQC) the previous season. It suffered a 3-0 Challenge Shield defeat to Leicester Thestrals in February before a 14th-place finish at BQC, narrowly losing out to the Loughborough Longshots on a SWIM catch in the Round of 16. Bangor will be coming to Whiteknights looking to prove it is still a force to be reckoned with.

Players to watch

Andrew Hull, well-known from both the 2014 and 2015 TeamUK squads as well as Valentines Cup II, will be coordinating the Bangor attack with powerful drives and accurate long passes. Expect beaters Jade Saunders and Sam Davies, chaser Fabian Brunt and utility player Ben Honey to have a big say in Bangor’s performance at this tournament.

Tournament Prediction

The Broken Broomsticks should qualify for bracket play through Group A, although they will face stiff competition from every team they play, especially the Bristol Brizzlepuffs. Bangor possesses a roster capable of winning the tournament; however, the absence of regular seeker Will Johnson means they may be overly reliant on Honey making those all-important snitch grabs. The ability of the experienced beaters in the roster to have adapted to the new tactical depth that has grown in the UK since Bangor was in its prime will also play a key role in its performance this weekend.

LONDON UNSPEAKABLES AND SURREY STAGS

By: Fraser Posford
Founded: 2011
Captain: Jacob Vogts

Record this season

London have surprised many this season with a large quantity of SWIM victories over the likes of the Oxford Quidlings, Falmouth Falcons, Southampton Quidditch Club 2 (SQC2), and Cambridge University Quidditch Club to earn the team second place at Highlander Cup, third at Southern Cup and sixth at BQC. Although the Unspeakables faced tough opposition at EQC last weekend, and disappointingly fell to Darmstadt Quidditch in the first round of Division 2, the Unspeakables were proud to field their first ever full roster for a tournament, and will hope that their experience in Europe’s elite competition will inspire the team to a strong finish to the season.

Players to watch

Rookie chaser Luke Trevett has impressed in the latter part of the season, and former Derby Union Quidditch beater Jen Hughes will be looking for a good performance after making her London début at EQC. Whiteknights is also expected to be captain Jacob Vogts’ last appearance for the team before he returns back to his American homeland, so expect him to be hoping to go out with a bang. London’s roster also includes Surrey Stags Captain Haroon Shah and Daniel Thripp (brother of TeamUK and Southampton chaser Jemma Thripp), both of whom will be making their tournament débuts.

Tournament prediction

Due to the absences of pacey chaser Nat Thomas (recently selected for the TeamUK reserves) and experienced beaters Ashara Peiris and Sophie Chrétien along with fatigue from EQC last weekend, London may find it difficult to cope with the physicality of Bangor but will fancy its chances against the Manchester Manticores and the Brizzlepuffs in pool play. London’s form this season would suggest that it will manage to scrape through to bracket play on Day Two, although it would not be too surprising if it missed out on this and went on to win the lower bracket competition instead.

MANCHESTER MANTICORES

By Johnney Rhodes

Founded: January 2015

Captain: Benjamin “Captain Krum” Krump

Record this season

The Manticores have not yet played a game but already they are having a great early season attracting loads of new players and getting ready to host their first quidditch event. It is a mystery and we shall see just how the Manticores play during their debut.

Players to watch

Again hard to say as they have not played any games and are such a new team, but having consulted the great wise ones of Manchester quidditch, I would say the two players to watch are their keeper Ben Mercer, and Captain Ben Krump. Luke Twist will be playing for them this weekend, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the relatively inexperienced squad fits around his notable presence on the pitch.

Tournament prediction

Manchester has some physical players and has had some great assets to the team including help from the Great White North; however, that being said, with a small squad and with no experience it is hard to call. Honestly I do believe we shall see great things from the Manticores and I think if they play well they could go home with a win or two under their belts.

BRISTOL BRIZZLEPUFFS

By: Ben Pooley

Founded: Autumn 2014

Captain: Tom Ower

Record this season

Bristol have had a solid first season, with strong performances against the likes of the London Unspeakables and the Oxford Quidlings. They will be hoping to round off the season on a high after an already successful 13th place finish at BQC in March, where they recorded solid victories over the Norwich Nifflers and St Andrews Snidgets, while only losing to the Radcliffe Chimeras and Keele Squirrels.

Players to watch

The Puffs' squad will be bolstered by the beating talents of Bex McLaughlin and David Dlaka, but do not let that overshadow the brilliant beaters they have in their team already. Jodie Mee in particular is someone who could really shine this tournament, with more experienced beaters helping her unlock her true potential. On the chasing front, Stephen Fung and Sam Senior will be slicing through the opposition's defence with their incredible strength and speed respectively. The Brizzlepuffs have some real talent that has not yet been picked up on, with Viral Patel and Sofia Schiavo both being incredibly competent chasers who will have a chance to help their team to glory this weekend. Tom Ower, the captain, is also said to be very excited to be playing on home turf, being a Reading native.

Tournament prediction

It is hard to predict exactly where the Brizzlepuffs will finish. Bangor will provide tough opposition, with its physical play style being something I have not seen Bristol able to cope with this season. The match against London should be the closest, but ultimately I think the Puffs will edge that game. That result, combined with a likely win against Manchester, means Bristol should qualify for the top bracket with no problem. How will they do after that? If they get a kind draw, they could make it to the semis or potentially the final; however, if they get drawn against a team like the Leicester Thestrals, Warwick Quidditch Club, or the Falmouth Falcons, they might face an early exit from the tournament.

GROUP B

LEICESTER THESTRALS

By: Abby Whiteley

Founded: Spring 2012

Captain: Elliot Gray

Record this season

Leicester has a tendency to give erratic performances; at BQC it lost to the Leeds Griffins, a team it was expected to beat comfortably, but managed to defeat Durham University Quidditch Club in a shocking upset in the Round of 16. Leicester beat Bangor three times in their pre-BQC Challenge Shield matchup and also topped Division 2 at EQC after an incredibly tight game against the intimidating METU Unicorns, a result which will certainly give those hoping for a strong Leicester showing this weekend something to get excited about.

Players to watch

It is impossible to discuss key players in Leicester without talking about Warren McFadyen and Callum Humphreys. The two of them form a core of skilful chasers on whom Leicester's quaffle play depends, and both are great all-round players, capable of both dealing out merciless tackles on the defence and driving hard on the attack. Abbi Harris is also an excellent chaser, with brilliant positioning and reception; she and Becky Thompson will be returning to Leicester for this tournament, and neither should be underestimated. Dan Trick is renowned for his aggressive beating, and has continued to give strong performances in white and black after scooping accolades for his display at East Midlands Cup earlier this season. Seeker George Fiddes will also be coming off a high from his fantastic performance in the Division 2 final at EQC, and is definitely one to watch out for.

Tournament prediction

Leicester will be going into Whiteknights fresh from its EQC experience against some tough teams, such as the Loughborough Longshots and METU Unicorns, and so should have a reasonably easy time of it in its group. In bracket play and beyond, it seems that the greatest threat to a fortified Leicester squad will be the Falmouth Falcons, who exhausted the Thestrals in a record-length game at BQC, and the Bangor Broken Broomsticks, who have the physicality to match Leicester’s heavy hitters. Although Leicester has typically got the better of the Welsh side, the only time they came head-to-head this season Bangor was missing several integral players, including TeamUK keeper Andrew Hull, and Leicester may find itself in for a harder challenge than it anticipates. That said, Leicester did beat Durham at BQC, and Durham inflicted a significant defeat upon a full-strength Bangor, so Leicester may yet find itself able to neutralise this team, which leaves Falmouth as the team most likely to deny Leicester further glory. After Leicester's fantastic run last weekend, I feel confident saying that if Leicester continues on this winning streak, a gold medal to match their EQC trophy is not out of its reach at this tournament.

SWANSEA SEVEN SWANS

By: Abby Whiteley

Founded: Autumn 2013, active from Autumn 2014

Captain: Shannon Heal

Record this season

This will be Swansea’s competitive début! They are therefore going into this tournament never having lost a single game, and it would be excellent to see them maintain this perfect record.

Players to watch

After a hiatus from club tournaments, formidable keeper Sally Higginson will be returning to the pitch with Swansea under her wing. With the ability to turn her hand to whatever position Swansea requires of her, Sally will prove a great asset to the squad. Some of Swansea’s most notable chasers include Troy Kelly-Weekes, Henry Kirby, and Tom Heal, who demonstrate good all-round skillsets. Caroline Norrish will be donning the yellow headband for Swansea this weekend, and she demonstrates promise as a seeker; Swansea may find itself being saved from sticky situations by her sneaky catches.

Tournament prediction

It seems that at every tournament there is destined to be at least one or two new teams who are there just to learn. This is no bad thing, as they represent the ongoing expansion of our sport, and it is particularly pleasing to see some diversification in Welsh quidditch. However, these teams do not tend to upset established squads. On this basis, I expect the end of the tournament to find Swansea toward the bottom of the final rankings, although the Manchester Manticores are another team making their first appearance, which means that Swansea’s relegation to the bottom of the table is far from finalised. The lack of known players may also means that Swansea could spring some unpleasant surprises upon those hoping for Reading or a Chester Chasers glory.

READING ROCS

By: Fraser Posford
Founded: October 2012
Captain: Tom Jones

Record this season

It has not been the most memorable of seasons for Reading, with its only win, an overtime victory over the Bristol Brizzlepuffs, coming in the team’s first game at November’s Southern Cup, and a dismal finish at BQC. On the other hand, a fine run of form for some of the Rocs in fantasy tournaments will give the hosts confidence going into Whiteknights, and of course they are in a prime position to field a strong squad, not having to travel.

Players to watch

Chaser Chris Thomas has been a standout player for Reading this season with his speed and willingness to attack opposition defences whilst Captain Tom Jones and Coach Lee Baughan have both shown form as seekers catching multiple snitches at Christmas Cup and Valentines Cup II. Phil Sam’s beater game has also remained strong and he offers Reading extra speed in that department. A return to the squad for veteran player Gemma Golder will be a welcome sight, and may bring balance to the team.

Tournament prediction

With a roster bolstered by the inclusion of experienced Oxford beaters Matty Panda and Rix Dishington as well as chaser Dani Ellenby, the Rocs will be hoping to keep hold of bludger control for a good amount of time during their games and will definitely stand a chance of sneaking through to bracket play as one of the best third-place teams. Day Two may prove to be tougher but with their seeking talent, anything is possible if Reading can hold its opponents within snitch range with strong defensive beating.

CHESTER CHASERS

By: Abby Whiteley

Founded: Autumn 2013

Captain: Henry Parkes

Record this season

Chester has been fairly quiet this season, attending only one tournament and no Challenge Shield matches. The one tournament the team did make it to, BQC, was fraught with misfortune for them; a car accident on the way to the tournament meant that Chester had to play on with fewer players than would have been preferred, and makes it difficult to consider these tournament results as representative. Chester finished at the bottom of its group at BQC after losses to the Loughborough Longshots and Southampton Quidditch Club 2.

Players to watch

Chester will see the incredibly talented utility player Dale King-Evans return to the fold for this tournament, alongside the 2014 TeamUK beater Jess O’Neill. The experience and athleticism that these two players will bring to the squad will make a huge difference to a team that often looks lost on-pitch. Matthew Garside is a confident keeper, and he is joined in quaffle play by Stuart Killoran and Peggy Cook, both of whom have a good amount of experience in the game and will be looking to score some hoops by outsmarting the opposition. Newly appointed President Beth Quayle has long impressed at fantasy tournaments, and it will be interesting to see how she fares in this tournament alongside her primary team.

Tournament prediction

The long hiatus from mainstream competitive play may mean that Chester will find it difficult to adapt to a game that is changing all the time, in which case it is likely that Chester will struggle. Although Chester did play against some mercenary teams in the spring to get a bit more experience under its belt, it suffered a loss here too, and this alone will not have been enough to remedy the months of quarantine. However, in Chester’s group are the Reading Rocs, who did not fare much better than Chester at BQC, and the brand-new Welsh team the Swansea Seven Swans, so Chester could have a strong chance at some wins here, especially given that it has been bolstered with some game-changing talent.

GROUP C

WARWICK QUIDDITCH CLUB

By: Abby Whiteley

Founded: Autumn 2014

Captain: Gareth Rogers

Record this season

Warwick performed well at BQC; it took the Keele Squirrels, the bronze medallists, to overtime, and very nearly took that win before Ben Morton made an incredible snitch grab with seconds to spare. Unfortunately, a closely matched group meant that Warwick’s QPD was low enough to draw it the Radcliffe Chimeras in the Round of 16, which resulted in Warwick finished in a disappointing 15th place, despite giving the Chimeras a scare early in the match. This position is not representative of Warwick’s potential or, indeed, their real talent, and they should be treated with great caution.

Players to watch

The most obvious standout player on Warwick’s squad is inevitably Chris Noble, Warwick’s primary keeper who recently was chosen for TeamUK. This is an astonishing achievement for someone who has only been in the game a few months, and even more so given that the position of male chaser is traditionally the most bloated pool of talent. Noble’s power and decisiveness is a natural keystone around which Warwick forms its quaffle play, and he is well-supported by incoming captain and TeamUK alternate Seb Waters, a player who has impressed ever since his début at Christmas Cup. Jacopo Sartori, another TeamUK alternate, has become extremely well-known during his first season, and with good reason; his beating is exceptional for someone so new to the game, and he demonstrates huge innovation in attempts to reclaim bludgers. Hannah Dignum is another great asset to Warwick’s beating lineup, and again shows wisdom beyond her quidditch years in her prioritisation.

Tournament prediction

Warwick has the potential to go far in this tournament. Although it has not yet sharpened its claws against most of the teams here, due to its fairly recent inception, Warwick is a team with the desire and ability to beat most of the teams making an appearance. Warwick's greatest challenge in its group will be the Falmouth Falcons, a team renowned for its ferocity and intelligent tactics, so it may come down to snitch in that match. Warwick will be looking to build a strong foundation for its wealth of experienced talent joining it next season, and I would be surprised to see Warwick finish outside of the top four teams.

NORWICH NIFFLERS

By: Abby Whiteley

Founded: September 2012

Captain: Charlotte Earney

Record this season

After struggling through their first couple of games at BQC, the Norwich Nifflers performed an incredible comeback against the St Andrews Snidgets to come back from 90-10 into within snitch range, and then to catch the snitch for an amazing win. However, the Nifflers’ overall performance this season has been underwhelming, with a last-place finish at the Southern Cup and a 19th place finish at BQC, and they will be looking to use Whiteknights as their last shot to prove themselves this season.

Players to watch

Norwich’s chaser lineup can boast Matt Frampton and Tom Claydon, two very athletic players who offer Norwich versatility in its approach on the attack. Beater Priya Wolton is one of Norwich’s greatest assets on the defence, capable of forcing the quaffle attack into difficult situations, and she is in good company alongside Emma Jones, who also engages well with the offence and uses her beats sparingly but with great efficacy.

Tournament prediction

Norwich has found itself in perhaps the closest of the three groups, against the Falmouth Falcons, Warwick Quidditch Club, and SQC2. I would not dismiss Norwich here, and I think it could take at least one win from this group, but I would be wary of stating it will do so easily. Falmouth and Warwick will prove to be tough opponents, and Norwich will have to dig deep to make it into bracket play. That is not to say that it is impossible, however, and Norwich could cause an upset.

FALMOUTH FALCONS

By: Johnney Rhodes

Founded: December 2013

Captain: Nathan Jones

Record this season

The Falmouth Falcons have shown the same impressive level of high quality quidditch we have come to expect from the Cornish conquerors of quidditch. Earning a spot at EQC, the Tackling Titans never fail to bring a game in which they work incredibly well as a squad, passing fluidly and maintaining impressive coordination between bludger and quaffle play. Having had some sterling victories at BQC over such renowned teams as the Quidlings, it would not surprise anyone to see the Falcons in the final or possibly even clutching the trophy in their talons.

Players to watch

This could be a long list but some standout names are Nathan Jones, their powerful captain, Alex Brown, a seeker so good snitches have campaigned to have him banned from the sport, and Oscar Lozada who has proved himself to be a chaser to be reckoned with.

Tournament prediction

It would be unbelievable if we did not see the Falcons at least get through to the semifinals if not the final itself. After an incredibly promising season, they will be looking to walk away with the trophy and end their year on a high, having missed out on Highlander gold and Southern Cup bronze.

SOUTHAMPTON QUIDDITCH CLUB 2

By: Ben Pooley

Founded: September 2014

Captain: Ajay Gohil

Record this season

SQC2 was formed this year due to numbers of players at Southampton massively increasing. Now you might think that the second team of the British champion might have luck on its side, but it has been hugely unfortunate this season with results, losing after a strong performance against Loughborough and also suffering narrow losses to Cambridge University Quidditch Club and London. It will be looking to turn those good performances into good results, and begin to match the success of its first team, not to mention the Quidlings' rival club, Oxford University Quidditch Club’s second team.

Players to watch

Imy Gregg and Alex Carpenter will want to prove their worth in the national squad with good performances here, and will be anchors in the side. One chaser in particular I would watch out for is Anjit Aulakh, who is a pain in the neck to mark and relentless when it comes to tackles and point chasing. Newly elected SQC President Natasha Ferenczy has also massively improved her game this season, becoming the go-to person to pass to around the keeper zone, with a brilliant conversion rate in front of the hoops.

Tournament predictions

A tough group awaits them, with Warwick and Falmouth gunning for that top spot, and Norwich proving they won't roll over and let teams win. SQC2 is not short of talent, but it lacks cohesion, as many of the players are in the second team due to an inability to regularly attend training sessions. This could be highly problematic in keeping discipline against some ferocious opponents. I reckon third place is its to lose, but I think Falmouth and Warwick have the edge to take the top two spaces. While I can see SQC2 pushing these teams to work incredibly hard for a results, I ultimately see Falmouth and Warwick topping this group, with SQC2 a close third. After that, it could cause an upset or two in bracket play, but it all depends on who it faces.