RPI QUIDDITCH PLAYERS COMPETE at the IQA World Cup for the first time. They played against teams from Australia, Canada, and all over the U.S.The RPI Remembralls went 1-3 during pool play in World Cup VII this past weekend in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. All three losses due to the other team grabbing the snitch. This is the first time that RPI’s quidditch team has been to a World Cup. The team was founded in 2010 and became part of the International Quidditch Association for the 2012–2013 season.
The first game at the World Cup was against the University of Minnesota, ranked tenth in the world. Co-captain Erin McAllister ’14 explained that “We are built as a passing and agility team but are highly physical regardless of the opponent’s size,” as opposed to Minnesota, which was a larger team physically. Seeker Marcus Flowers ’16 caught the snitch when the game was at 70-40, with RPI down. Minnesota scored just before he grabbed the snitch, which meant that RPI lost as opposed to the game going into overtime.
RPI then played the University of Sydney, which was the only non-Canadian international team at the World Cup. Chasers Teddy Costa ’17, Rachel Glick ’17, Mario Nasta ’15 and keeper Sam Nielson ’17 all scored goals for RPI. Flowers caught the snitch for the win. The third game, which RPI had to win to make it to the brackets on the second day of the tournament, was against McGill. The score was tied at 40-40 as a result of beaters McAllister and Jeffery Patrick ’15 keeping the chasers from scoring. McGill caught the Snitch and won.
The last team RPI played was the Silicon Valley Skrewts, who were ranked low because of injuries last fall. The Skrewts won 140-30, but the game lasted nearly 35 minutes as opposed to a more normal 20. The Skrewts had a great deal more experience than the RPI team, which is mostly composed of freshmen and sophomores.
McAllister explained that qualifying for the World Cup meant placing in the top 12 teams in the Northeast Regional Championships, held last November. RPI placed second to last out of 26 teams last year; therefore, making it to the World Cup is a great improvement. According to President Emily Walters ’16, the team consists of around 30 members.
McAllister explains how quidditch works: “Quidditch is best described as a combination of rugby, dodgeball, and wrestling. Yes, brooms are involved, but it is no more a handicap than dribbling is to basketball. The entire sport is full-contact, meaning tackling is allowed, and there are no pads. Three chasers and a keeper handle a quaffle and score points by passing it through one of three hoops. The keeper is charged with defending the hoops but can also bring the quaffle up the field, act as a passing option, and score points. Beaters use bludgers, also known as dodgeballs, to hit opposing players. When an opposing player is beat, they must drop whatever ball they held and return to their hoops before returning to play. There are three bludgers on the field and two beaters on each team, so there is always one beater without a ball, who must fight for possession of it either by catching the ball, retrieving a bad throw by the opponent, or taking it from an opposing beater physically. Finally, there is one seeker on each team who tries to catch the snitch. The snitch is typically a sprinter or wrestler who keeps the seekers from catching the sock attached to their back by any means necessary. This manifests into throwing seeker to the ground or into each other. When the snitch is finally caught, the match ends and the winning seeker’s team is awarded 30 points.”