Vernon hosts Quidditch Western Regional championship this weekend

Nov 11, 2023 | 8:00 AM

Vernon will be the site of a unique sports event this weekend made famous by the Harry Potter books and movies.

The Western Regional Quidditch Championship will be held Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Polson Park Oval from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spectators are welcome and food trucks will be on site.

Quidditch, which is now known as quadball, is a team sport that was created in 2005 at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, and was inspired by the fictional game of the same name in the Harry Potter books by author J. K. Rowling.

The sport involves elements of rugby, basketball and dodgeball.

Wikipedia describes it like this: “Two teams of seven players each, astride broomsticks and opposing each other on a rectangular pitch, compete with the primary objective of passing a ball through the defenders’ hoops, while preventing their opponents from passing it through their own hoops.”

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The Vernon event will feature teams trying to qualify for the national championships set for Oshawa, Ontario March 16-17, 2024.

It’s the first time the Western Regionals have been held in the Okanagan. The tournament is being hosted by the Sport and Culture Society of the North Okanagan and Tourism Vernon.

“Vernon’s compelling bid outlines an exciting player experience for athletes, and their desire to bring quadball into the community going forward supports us in introducing this sport to new communities across the country,” a statement from Quadball Canada said.

For more on the sport, check out the Quadball Canada website, or watch this video on How To Play Quadball.