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.

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.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Ireland

by Sherrie Talgeri and Jack Lennard

Introduction

The Galway Grindylows and MDI Misfits are currently the only active teams in Ireland after a concerted effort in 2012 to set up teams. The nascent Quidditch Ireland will be looking to promote growth going forward and finally begin to set up regular matches between multiple Irish teams. The only previous interaction between Quidditch Ireland and the rest of the world was a match at the inaugural British Quidditch Cup in 2013, where the Galway Grindylows proved a fan favourite, managing to seize a victory against the Norwich Nifflers. Quidditch Ireland will be hoping to bounce back from the dissolution of the one of the only other teams in Ireland, Dublin City University (DCU), and the lack of interest in the All Ireland Quidditch League (a regular competitive event, previously between the Grindylows and DCU, though not played with IQA-recognised rules). The birth of a third team, the MDI Misfits (so named after Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin) has allowed them to form a mixed team to represent the Emerald Isle in Sarteano this summer, and this could be the much-needed spark for quidditch in Ireland.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Turkey

by Sherrie Talgeri (Turkish translation by Elif Ataç and Sertaç Alptekin)

Introduction

Quidditch in Turkey began with the founding of the Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Hippogriffs (ODTÜ Hippogriffs) in March 2014 at Middle East Technical University (METU/ODTÜ). The Turkish national governing body, Quidditch Derneği (QD), was set up soon after in November 2014, and now has five official teams and several teams on their way to becoming official. Representing Turkey at the 2015 European Quidditch Cup (EQC) after winning the Turkish Quidditch Cup, the METU Unicorns placed 18th, an admirable achievement for the country’s second ever international tournament.

Team Turkey is looking to impress at the upcoming European Games (EG). With plans to double the number of official teams, and the Unicorns set to host a large international club team tournament named the Intergalaktik Cup in late January 2016, the coming season will certainly be an exciting one for Turkish quidditch.

American's Guide to European Games

by Andrew Marmer

To anyone not in Europe at the moment, the tournament happening in Sarteano soon might seem somewhat abstract. The European Games (EG), the first iteration of which will take place on July 25 and 26, is without precedent in European quidditch and will take the sport to a level beyond that of the Global Games (GG) and the European Quidditch Cup (EQC). It gives those at the top of European quidditch another chance to show off and improve their skills and keeps European players fighting to reach the top of their game even in the years when GG is not occurring.

The Basics

The EG is to Europe as GG is to the world; it occurs every other year, and teams consist of all-star players from the participating countries. In this, its first year, 12 nations will be represented in the battle for the trophy. It is more diverse than the 2015 EQC, thanks to the inclusion of Spain and Ireland. Austria, which sent a team to the EQC, will not be attending this year. The tournament will take place over two days, using a pool play system followed by elimination stages (bracket, semifinal, final). The pools were chosen by seeding the teams according to their performances at the EQC.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Catalonia

by Sherrie Talgeri

Introduction

Quidditch in Catalonia is steadily growing; its NBG, Associació de Quidditch de Catalunya, was recognized in late 2014 by the IQA, and there are currently three official teams: the Barcelona Eagles and Wyverns Quidditch Team from Barcelona, and the Nightmare Grims from Tarragona. Catalan quidditch began in 2013 with the founding of the Barcelona Eagles by Alba Arrieta, and the team catalysed the creation of the Grims and Wyverns Quidditch.

The Eagles and the Grims have both attracted European attention at the Tournoi International de la Violette in Toulouse, France. In addition, the Eagles have attended the Brussels Muscles Invitational and represented Catalonia at the 2014 and 2015 European Quidditch Cup (EQC), placing seventh in 2014 and 21st in 2015. Tournaments organised by the region, such as the Barcelona Moustaches Time and the Catalan Cup, have consolidated growth, which has been consistent but not as rapid as that of other countries. This may be attributed to the small population of the region. Catalonia is looking to impress at the European Games, and we can expect to see great things from the region at this tournament and the coming season.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Italy

by Abby Whiteley and Marco Minò (Italian translation by Claudio Svaluto)

Introduction

Quidditch emerged in Italy in 2011 when the first team, the Milano Meneghins, was established by Michele Clabassi armed with a translated copy of Rulebook 5. More teams were created in the following years, and now six teams are members of the Associazione Italiana Quidditch (AIQ), with around a dozen unofficial teams in the country. Italy did not manage to make it to last year’s Global Games, but sent three teams to the European Quidditch Cup (EQC), of which Green-Tauros Quidditch Torino (the current Italian champions) did exceptionally well by finishing in ninth place. The Green Tauros were possibly the biggest surprise at EQC, and the other two teams punched well above their weight given the squads were rather small. This EQC revealed a glimpse of the talent that Italy has to offer and, although it has hovered in the fringes of European quidditch for a couple of years, it will certainly be a team to watch at this tournament.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Poland

by Andy Marmer (Polish translation by Jagoda Sadecka)

Introduction

Quidditch came to Poland in 2011 by way of Potter Camp. However, it was 2014 that saw the modern iteration of the sport make its way to the country. Two teams sprouted up last summer: one in Warsaw and the other in the country’s south. Quidditch Hussars trace their legacy to Potter Camp, but made the decision to switch to IQA rules following the 2014 Global Games. The Warsaw Mermaids also popped up that same year with help from Radcliffe Chimeras star Jan Mikolajczak who helped to establish the team during his summer holiday back home in Poland. The two Polish squads have faced off a handful of times with the Hussars coming out superior. Both teams have at times struggled for membership, with the membership of the Hussars encompassing much of Poland while the Mermaids are based more specifically in the country’s south. While international competition has been scarce, with Mermaids players never having competed internationally and the Hussars making their international debut at the 2015 European Quidditch Cup (EQC), the team is passionate about its play. Quidditch Hussars competed valiantly at EQC but were outmatched in their group by the Oxford Quidlings, Paris Frog, and Deurne Dodo A. The team managed a trio of goals over their three pool play matches, and scored five against Division II Champion Leicester Thestrals in their first round bracket matchup, but the ragtag bunch were otherwise overwhelmed. The European Games national team will mix players from both of Poland’s teams as well some outsiders.

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.

Stampeding to Sarteano: France

by Abby Whiteley (translated by Sherrie Talgeri and Morgane Leclerc)

Introduction

France has been a huge presence on the international quidditch scene ever since the first European Quidditch Cup (EQC), which took place in Lesparre, in southern France. Although its rate of growth has been slower than the United Kingdom’s and Norway’s—other notable countries whose quidditch scenes emerged at around the same time—it has always produced top-tier teams. Ten teams attended its national tournament,  five of which made it to EQC; four of these teams made it into Division 1, and Titans Paris re-established itself as the best team in Europe by winning the championship. With extremely athletic players and a rapidly developing tactical core to their play, the French are sure to make an impact at European Games, and will doubtless be satisfied with nothing less than the crown.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Norway

by Abby Whiteley (Norwegian translation by Jørgen Helgeland Stenløkk, with assistance from Kai Haugen Shaw)

Introduction

Quidditch first came to Norway the same time it arrived in other European countries, following the first Global Games in summer 2012. Since then, it has quietly proliferated, only sending small contingents to international tournaments. And yet quidditch in Norway demonstrated significant popularity at its national tournament, with 11 teams in attendance. Some of these teams were temporarily formed for the event, with organisers using the event to facilitate growth in the region. It is certain, though, that approximately six teams regularly train in the country. Norway has always impressed on an international level, with both OSI (formerly UiO) and NTNUI performing at a high level at EQC, creating high expectations for the Norwegian side at this tournament.

Stampeding to Sarteano: Germany

by Abby Whiteley and Juliane Schillinger (German translation by Nina Heise)

Introduction

Individual teams have existed in Germany, with differing rates of success, since 2012, but Germany’s quidditch community first started developing fully in 2014. Growth during this year was particularly instigated by people coming back from their studies abroad and establishing their own teams, and this gave quidditch enough of a foothold in the region that it has only spread since then. The national governing body, Deutscher Quidditchbund (DQB), was established in January 2015, and currently has seven official teams. Following its national tournament at which four teams competed, Germany made its international début at this year’s European Quidditch Cup, sending three teams. It has been an impressive season for a relatively young country, and it shows great promise for the future.