QA8: The Spread of Quidditch Worldwide

The history of Quidditch on various continents is discussed.

Calendar and Dates

1385
An Irish team from Cork soundly defeated a Lancashire team in Lancashire, and had to flee the village afterward.

Early 1400s
Ingolfr the Iambic, a poet in Norway, wrote a verse about pursuing the Snitch. About the same time, the French wizard Malecrit was writing his play "Hélas, Je me suis Transfiguré Les Pieds", in which one of the performers is a Keeper.

1473
First ever Quidditch World Cup between Flanders and Transylvania.

1601 - 1700 (seventeenth century)
At some point in this time period, non-European teams began to compete in the Quidditch World Cup (presumably not long before 1652, see below).

1601 - 1700 (seventeenth century)
Quidditch reached North America in the early part of the seventeenth century.

1601 - 1700 (seventeenth century)
Quidditch was introduced to New Zealand, inspiring Maori artists to depict matches.

1652
The European Cup was established.

1701 - 1800 (eighteenth century)
Quidditch was introduced to Australia.

1701 - 1800 (eighteenth century)
Abraham Peasegood invented Quodpot after emigrating to the United States.

1970s
The Moose Jaw Meteorites were threatened with disbandment owing to post-match antics.

1986
The Patonga Proudsticks held the Montrose Magpies to a draw.

1993
The Sweetwater All-Stars defeated the Quiberon Quafflepunchers.

1994
The Toyohashi Tengu was narrowly defeated by the Gorodok Gargoyles.

Interesting facts and notes

This chapter is the source of much of the Lexicon's information about Quidditch teams outside Britain.

GRENOUILLE: I cannot go with you to the market today, Crapaud.
CRAPAUD: But Grenouille, I cannot carry the cow alone.

"Grenouille" is French for "frog", while "crapaud" means "toad". Frog and Toad are the main characters in Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad stories, written for children just learning to read.

Malecrit, the name of the "French wizard" who wrote the play in which those characters appear, translates as "badly written".

Of the many superb European teams, perhaps the Bulgarian Vratsa Vultures is most renowned. Seven times European Cup winners, the Vratsa Vultures are undoubtedly one of the most thrilling teams in the world to watch, pioneers of the long goal (shooting from well outside the scoring area), and always willing to give new players a chance to make a name for themselves.

The Vratsa Vultures are an excellent Quidditch team and are likely provide players to the Bulgarian National Team. The Bulgarians featured in finals of the 1994 Quidditch World Cup (GF8), the 2002 final against Egypt and finally winning the World Cup at the 2014 tournament (QWC).

Exceptional character moments

Abraham Peasegood's reaction to having his Quaffle explode soon after emigrating to the Americas was to invent the game of Quodpot.

Memorable lines

Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air
With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair
As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout
But then comes a Bludger and I am knocked out.

The final between Transylvania and Flanders has gone down in history as the most violent of all time and many of the fouls then recorded had never been seen before - for instance, the transfiguration of a Chaser into a polecat, the attempted decapitation of a Keeper with a broadsword, and the release, from under the robes of the Transylvanian Captain, of a hundred blood-sucking vampire bats.

The New Zealand Ministry of Magic has certainly spent much time and money preventing Muggles getting hold of Maori art of that period which clearly depicts white wizards playing Quidditch (these carvings and paintings are now on display at the Ministry of Magic in Wellington).

The Japanese practice of ceremonially setting fire to their brooms in case of defeat is, however, frowned upon by the International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee as being a waste of good wood.