Benelux Preview

By Chula Bruggeling and Joke Daems

Editor’s Note: Chula Bruggeling is a member of the Wageningen Werewolves, and Joke Daems is a member of the Ghent Gargoyles.

On Sunday, Feb. 28, Haarlem, the Netherlands will be the site of the second annual Benelux Cup. Despite its name, for the second year in a row this international tournament will only feature teams from Belgium and the Netherlands, as Luxembourg currently does not have any official teams.

Belgian Quidditch League Round Two Roundup

By Joke Daems

The Belgian Quidditch League (BQL) is the official competition for competitive teams in Belgium. Out of 11 official teams in Belgium, six currently play competitively. Each team plays one game every month. The Belgian Quidditch Federation (BQF) decides which games are played and provides the necessary officials, but the teams decide on a date themselves. An official game consists of three sets, corresponding to what used to be a full game. Winners are decided on a best-of-three basis.

With the BQL’s winter break over, it is time to take a look at the games played during Round Two and to look ahead to the games that will be played in Round Three.

Belgian Quidditch League 2015: Round 1 - Recap & Reflection

by Joke Daems

Belgian quidditch is rapidly evolving, and part of that evolution can be found in the creation of the Belgian Quidditch League (BQL), the official competition for competitive teams in Belgium. Out of 11 official teams in Belgium, six currently play competitively. Each team plays one game every month. The Belgian Quidditch Federation (BQF) decides which games are played and provides the necessary officials, but the teams decide on a date themselves. An official game consists of three sets, corresponding to what used to be a full game. Winners are decided on a best-of-three basis.

Now that the first few games have been played, it is time to evaluate the new system and take a look at the gameplay and ranking after Round One.

Belgian Quidditch Cup 2015 Recap

by Inke Gieghase and Sherrie Talgeri

Introduction

On Nov. 8, the first Belgian Quidditch Cup was held in Mons. Ten teams from all over Belgium competed against each other in an impressive tournament that showcased the increasing quality of Belgian quidditch like never before.

Dutch National Quidditch Cup 2015 Preview

by Arjen van Assem, Charles Dezlein, Emrys Karlas, Marit Epskamp, and Lizzie Meijer

It’s almost time for the inaugural Dutch National Quidditch Cup 2015, where three teams will fight for the title of the best quidditch team in the Netherlands. The sport is still very young in the Netherlands, and this is the first official national cup to be held in the country. The sport’s presence there is increasing rapidly, so in the future one may expect more widespread competitions.

Belgian Quidditch Cup Preview

by Inke Gieghase and Sherrie Talgeri (French translation by Caroline Lesueur, Dutch translation by Inke Gieghase)

Introduction

On Nov. 8, Belgian quidditch history will be made in Mons, where the first Belgian Quidditch Cup (BelQC) will be held. Ten teams will compete here, driven by the prospect of spaces at the 2016 European Quidditch Cup (EQC 2016). The amount of available spaces for EQC are not yet confirmed, a factor that will only make the event more exciting.

EXCLUSIVE: Belgian Quidditch Federation Announce Major Season Overhaul

The Belgian Quidditch Federation (BQF) announced today a series of major changes for the coming season that it hopes will make quidditch in Belgium more competitive and widespread than ever before. Releasing the news exclusively through the Quidditch Post, the BQF revealed plans for three new fixtures of the Belgian quidditch calendar: a Belgian Quidditch League, the Belgian Cup, and the Belgian Super Cup.

European Games 2015: Triumphs and Controversies

By Abby Whiteley

Introduction

On 25–26 July 2015, the inaugural European Games were held in Sarteano, Italy. Teams representing 12 European nations came together in the first tournament of its kind to play for the title of European champions. After a nail-biting final against the United Kingdom, France took the championship 80*-40, which followed its victory at the 2015 European Quidditch Cup (EQC) and established its position as the strongest quidditch nation in Europe. This tournament brought with it fantastic matches and exciting indications for the development of quidditch in Europe, as well as  a couple of controversies along the way. Here we will look at the performances of each national team and break down some of the conversations brought on by the tournament.

LXG 2015: MVPs

by Jack Lennard (Dutch translation by Ellen Vander Heyden, French translation by Caroline Lesueur)

In the first of two pieces reviewing the League of Extraordinary Ghentlemen 2015, we take a look at some of the weekend's star attractions. Although play was of a high standard over the weekend, these players really stood out, and will certainly be ones to watch in the next season.

Stampeding to Sarteano: The Netherlands

by Abby Whiteley, Jerona van der Gevel and Nick van Kleveren (Dutch translation by Bram Vries)

Introduction

Early 2014 marked the emergence of quidditch in the Netherlands as Bram Vries and Jerona van der Gevel joined forces to introduce it to the country. A high school team, NILS Quidditch, was established at around the same time. A quidditch presence at a fantasy fair called Elfia Haarzuilens in April 2014, followed by a series of open practices during the summer of that year, brought quidditch to the attention of more people, and the North Sea Nargles developed as a result. Four regular teams now exist in the Netherlands, with more interest elsewhere promising to expand the region. The Netherlands had two representatives at the Benelux Cup, the regional tournament for the Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands area. These two teams, the Wageningen Werewolves and North Sea Nargles, also attended the European Quidditch Cup in April this year, so the Flying Dutchmen at the European Games represents the culmination of a very prolific season for the Netherlands on the international scene.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Belgium

by Abby Whiteley (Dutch translation by Joke Daems, French translation by Laura Mailleux and Morgane Leclerc)

Summary

Belying its small size, Belgium is one of the foremost quidditch regions in Europe. After some incipient interest in the sport from Corentin “Cory” Faniel and Zoé Miniconi in 2012, the the first team, Deurne Dodo, was established in June 2013 by Louis Lermytte. Belgian quidditch expanded rapidly after this, with the establishment of the Brussels Qwaffles, who hosted the second European Quidditch Cup in Brussels in 2014. Belgium currently has nine teams, competing with regions such as France and Norway. The Belgians had a good showing at the 2015 European Quidditch Cup, with two of their three representative teams advancing to Division 1, and Deurne Dodo A finishing at an impressive sixth.

EQC Division 1 Team Reviews

On the 18 and 19 April, the 2015 European Quidditch Cup (EQC) was held in Oxford, UK. With 32 teams from 11 regions, it was the biggest quidditch tournament held outside North America to date. Now that the dust has settled, our writers review how each team performed, starting with the 16 teams who made it into Division 1.

EQC 2015 Group Predictions - Part 3 (G and H)

Group G
By Bex McLaughlin

Predictions

1. Southampton Quidditch Club 1 (SQC 1)

2. Paris Titans

3. METU Unicorns

4. Three River Dragons Passau

This is the group of death for two reasons. Firstly, Southampton Quidditch Club 1 , METU Unicorns, or Paris Titans could progress to Day Two and all three would be worthy of a place in the bracket. Secondly, because Three River Dragons Passau are making their international debut against the current British Champions, the extremely physical Turkish No. 1 team, and the French Cup’s silver medalists.

EQC 2015 Group Predictions - Part 2 (D - F)

Group D

By Ashara Peiris

Predictions

1. Deurne Dodos
2. Paris Frog
3. Oxford Quidlings
4. Quidditch Hussars

In Group D we have one of the most competitive in the entire group stages, with many of the teams having the chance to win their group and make a deep tournament run. The level of competition within this group, with two of the most feared teams in Europe making an appearance, should produce some excellent quidditch, and make it one of the most closely observed groups, as the team to top this group will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.

EQC 2015 Group Predictions - Part 1 (A - C)

After the excitement of USQ World Cup 8, we will be spending the next few days going through the eight groups that will decide who goes into Division 1 and Division 2 at this weekend's European Quidditch Cup 2015 in Oxford, UK. Stay tuned as we delve into what groups A, B, and C hold in store for us with the help of our talented analysts!

Onward to Oxford: Ghent Gargoyles

As part of our efforts to preview all 32 teams competing in the European Quidditch Cup (EQC), the Quidditch Post is chatting with representatives from each team. Today we spoke with Ellen Vander Heyden, coach of the Ghent Gargoyles.

Onward to Oxford: Brussels Qwaffles

As part of our efforts to preview all 32 teams competing in the European Quidditch Cup (EQC), the Quidditch Post is chatting with representatives from each team. Today we spoke with Tanghi Burlion, captain of the Brussels Qwaffles.

Low Countries Aim High: A Recap of the First Benelux Cup

By Nathan Wilputte, Joke Daems, and Rein Anspach

The very first edition of the Benelux Cup took place on 28 Feb. in Deurne, Belgium. Three teams from Belgium and two teams from the Netherlands competed in this inaugural edition of what is set to become the annual tournament to determine who gets the title of Benelux champion. During the first stage of the tournament, all teams competed against all other teams in a round-robin format, with the second part of the tournament consisting of the bronze medal game and the final. Though taking place on Belgian soil, the tournament was organized by both countries, with Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes from the Belgian Quidditch Federation as Tournament Director, and Bram Vries from Muggle Quidditch Nederland as Assistant Tournament Director. The Quidditch Post talked to the head referees, captains and coaches involved to give you a game-by-game recap. Though we tried to include views from all teams, some captains or coaches could not be interviewed due to time constraints.

Onward to Oxford: Deurne Dodo

As part of our efforts to preview all 32 teams competing in the European Quidditch Cup (EQC), the Quidditch Post is chatting with representatives from each team. Today we spoke with Louis Lermytte, captain of Deurne Dodo.

Small Country, Big Ambition

With the Benelux Cup approaching this weekend, we caught up with the quidditch happenings in Belgium and the Netherlands and previewed this weekend's upcoming tournament.