EQC 2017 Group D Preview

With European Quidditch Cup (EQC) 2017 rapidly approaching, the Quidditch Post takes a look at each of the teams competing in this year’s tournament.

Group D

Velociraptors Quidditch Club

By Fraser Posford

Fresh from their domination of British Quidditch Cup (BQC), the Velociraptors turn their eyes toward European glory. Earlier this month, Tom Heynes’ team convincingly won all of their matches on their way to their first BQC title, including a 180*-40 rout of rivals Werewolves of London in the semifinal, before an even bigger 260*-60 victory over the Bristol Brizzlebears in the final.

EQC 2017 Group C Preview

With European Quidditch Cup (EQC) 2017 rapidly approaching, the Quidditch Post takes a look at each of the teams competing in this year’s tournament.

Group C

METU Unicorns

By Can Kaytaz

Editor’s Note: Can Kaytaz is a player and former captain of the METU Unicorns.

This is the third consecutive EQC appearance for METU Unicorns, who impressed by finishing joint third last year with the Nottingham Nightmares. The Unicorns won both the Turkish Quidditch Cup and Turkish Quidditch League in 2016, with a record of 18-2 in the two competitions.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - February 11-12 and 18-19

Contributions by Yeray Espinosa Cuevas, Chula Bruggeling, Austin Wallace

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world. 

This week we are covering the Southwest Regional Championship, Spain’s Liga Centro, Spain’s Euskal Quidditch Liga, and tryouts for the Quidditch Premier League in the UK.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - January 7-8 and 14-15

Contributions by Lena Mandahus, Alicia Mills, Cameron VomBaur, Chula Bruggeling, and Yeray Espinosa Cuevas. There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world. After a bit of a break for most quidditch regions, we are now returning to our regular schedule of International Weekend Wrap-Ups. This installment will cover two weeks of events instead of one, due to the lower frequency of events this time of year. We cover the Czech Republic’s First Prague Quidditch Derby, the German Winter Games, the Andalusian League in Spain, the Tegan and Sara Invitational in USQ West, and Canada’s Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - December 3-4 and 10-11

Contributions by Chula Bruggeling, Yeray Espinosa Cuevas, Christopher Dewing, Sean Fry, Can Kaytaz, Sudiksha Kumar, Carrie Soukup, and Katelyn Stubberfield

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world.

This week we have a special edition of IWWU, covering not one but two weekends worth of events. This special edition covers the Australian National Championship, updates on the national leagues in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey, and the US's Threaux Me Something Mister Quidditch Expeaux, Lone Star Invitational, and Silicon Valley Showdown.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - November 26-27

Contributions by Chula Bruggeling, Can Kaytaz, Fraser Posford, and Stefan Scheurer

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in awhile and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world.

This week we are covering Ireland’s first game between Dublin and Belfast, Spain’s II Copa de España (Spanish Cup II), some Turkish Quidditch League games, and the UK’s Christmas Cup 3.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - October 21-23

Contributions by Ajantha Abey, Emma Bramwell, Chula Bruggeling, Serena Cheong, Yeray Espinosa Cuevas, Los Angeles Gambits Quidditch, and Katelyn Stubberfield.

The Quidditch Post is trying out something new this season. There’s a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. You might discover interesting formats, learn about developments around the world, or simply have some interesting knowledge you can surprise your friends with next training. This week's installment, the second of its kind, covers events in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.

Open Letter From Yeray Espinosa Cuevas, Former President of Asociación Quidditch España (AQE)

I first discovered quidditch in Europe in March or April 2014, when I was on the Erasmus Programme in Poland. I had heard some things before on television about the old “World Cups” in the US, but that was all. I met a woman online whose boyfriend was involved in Spanish quidditch and I asked them to get me involved. Then I met the, at the time, developing Spanish quidditch community. It had the Catalonian teams, with Barcelona Eagles being the most well known, but the rest of the Spanish teams were scattered throughout the country. Development in the Catalonian region was growing, with the Nightmare Grims starting to play, but it was not the same for the other regions of Spain.

World Cup 2016: Spotlight on Spain

By Jaume Miró

History

Although there was an attempt at creating a quidditch team in Madrid in 2012, quidditch was not actually played in Spain until the following year, first by the Barcelona Eagles and soon after by the Dementores de A Coruña. Up until a few months ago, there were only three teams in Spain, but since the Asociación Quidditch España (AQE) was founded in April 2015, several teams have appeared throughout the country. As of June 2016, there are 14 registered community teams, plus another three teams planning to join next season, all of them community teams.

Barcelona Eagles Basque in Victory: A Review of Mangamore Kopa 2015

by Bex McLaughlin (Traducción española de Fraser Posford y Andrea de Alfonso)

The Barcelona Moustaches Time 2 tournament last month was mainly a competition among mercenary teams, so it was Mangamore Quidditch Kopa 2015 on Oct. 10 that truly kicked off the regular season on the Iberian Peninsula. The Basque Country was represented by the Bizkaia Boggarts and Gasteiz Gamusins, Catalonia shone with Barcelona teams the Barcelona Eagles and the relatively new Wyverns, the Madrid Wolves represented the Spanish capital, and a few brave Toulouse players journeyed down from France, bolstered by Spanish mercs. The one-day event concluded with an exciting final that ended too soon due to a score miscalculation, but the event was an enjoyable showdown with some exciting games.

Mangmore Kopa Preview

by Marc Garganté

On Oct. 10, the small Basque town of Amorebieta-Etxano, Spain will host the Mangamore Kopa. This Iberian-centric tournament will cement the rapid growth of Spanish teams – probably one of the fastest national growths to be seen in quidditch as of late. Some of the attending teams will face each other for the third time in roughly two months, the other two previous times being the first Transpyrenees Cup (Transpiriquove) in early August 2015, held in Tarragona, Spain by the Nightmare Grims, and the Barcelona Moustaches Time 2015 (BMT2).

France Captures European Games Over UK

by Andy Marmer (French translation by Sherrie Talgeri and Morgane Leclerc)

A new chapter was added to one of quidditch’s most intense rivalries as the United Kingdom and France met again in a major tournament and, in following recent trends, the latter once again emerged on top, overcoming its rival 90*-50 in the finals of the first ever IQA European Games.

Quidditch Coming to Camp Nou

By Jack Lennard, Quidditch Post COO 

Messi, Neymar, Xavi...Chema? The Barcelona Eagles have confirmed exclusively to the Quidditch Post that the famed Camp Nou, home of La Liga leaders FC Barcelona, will be the location of this September’s Barcelona Moustaches Time 2: The Moustache Strikes Back.

Tournoi de la Violette Recap

By Abby Whiteley

Pour lire la version traduite en français, c'est en dessous!

After months of complicated organisation in three different languages and across six different countries, we saw 17 teams come together for the Tournoi International de la Violette last weekend, Jan. 24-25. Sub-zero temperatures and frozen mud did not put off the hundreds of players present, and we saw some fantastic quidditch throughout the weekend until the sun finally came out for the end of Day Two. The tournament was not entirely free of problems or injuries, but it was an excellent weekend for experienced and new teams alike, and I hope that the teams for whom this was their competitive début enjoyed it as much as the veterans. There is much to be said on the teams who made it to the tournament; although there were few true upsets, some unknown teams proved themselves to be far stronger than was expected of them, and we have seen some clear improvements in established teams which require discussing.

The Quidditch Road: Lunatica and Barcelona

By Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes

One year ago today, the 2013-14 European Quidditch Cup was played in Brussels, Belgium. In 75 days, the European Quidditch Cup of this season will happen in Oxford, UK. So I was wondering how are the teams that competed last year doing? And how did they even start with quidditch in the first place? Welcome to The Quidditch Road. For today, I sat down with Andrea Miglietta (Lunatica QC) and Alba Arrieta Sayalero (Barcelona Eagles).