Quidditch Canada National Championship at Swangard Stadium this weekend

Straight from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels: the Quidditch Canada National Championship will be held at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby this weekend.

The two-day tournament on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29 is organized by Quidditch Canada, the national governing sports body for quidditch. The inaugural tournament will feature seven teams from across the country:

Alberta Clippers
McGill Quidditch
SFU Marauders
Toronto Avengers
UVIC Valkyries Quidditch
Vancouver Vipertooths
Winnipeg Whomping Willows

The public is welcome to watch the games, although attendance at this weekend’s matches are by donation to support Quidditch Canada’s programs.

The sport is played with seven active players on each team. Three chasers attempt to move, pass or score with the ‘quaffle’ (a volleyball) by shooting it through their opponents three hoops. Another two players hurl ‘bludgers’ to temporarily knock opposing players out of the game.

There is also a keeper to defend the hoops and a seeker on each team to chase the snitch, a velcro tail attached to the shorts of a very swift runner dressed in yellow.

Quidditch is played around the world by more than 400 teams, including 30 from Canada. The game is particularly popular on university campuses.

This is the second consecutive year Metro Vancouver has played host to a major quidditch tournament. In the summer of 2014, Burnaby’s Lake West Sports Complex hosted the Quidditch Global Games – a tournament with seven participating teams and Team Canada placing third.

2015 Quidditch Canada National Championship

Dates and Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 29
Location: Swangard Stadium (3883 Imperial Street, Burnaby)
Cost: Admission by donation
Webiste: http://www.quidditchcanada.com/nationals/