Are you one of the many Muggles that wishes the rest of the world would just take Quidditch seriously already? You're not alone in that feeling, Harry Potter fans. From here on out, it looks like the world of sports is going to have to start paying attention to the Hogwarts-inspired game. You can thank the brand new Quidditch Premier League for that. That's right; Quidditch is joining the ranks of sports like UK's Premier League Soccer. In other words, it's real sport now, okay?!
Although we don't often hear a lot about them via mainstream sports news, QPL took a cue from Major League Quidditch in the states, their website notes. Now they join MLQ, along with QuidditchUK and many other organizations around the globe. 1000 points for Quidditch awareness! QPL will hold their matches during the QuidditchUK off-season because the thirst for the game is very real apparently.
Want to catch a match? Soon you'll be able to, as their season will begin in the summer. The dates are not set in stone, but it looks like matches will take place between the months of July and August. The league will consist of regional divisions with teams competing against one another. "Each fixture will comprise of three matches, where each team plays the other three teams in the division. The QPL season will conclude with a scintillating championship weekend, bringing the teams from each division together to crown a champion," their site also notes. Get ready for two divisions; the North and South, which will both contain four teams, making a total of eight. Of course, because it's one of the wildest sports around, the team names are pretty epic as well. The full list from the site is as follows:
"South Division:
The London Monarchs – after the residing Royal Family in the capital
The Southwest Broadside – after the seafaring and piratical history in the area
The Southeast Knights – after the legacy of the Battle of Hastings
The Eastern Mermaids – after the many ‘drowned cities' off the eastern coast
North Division:
The Northern Watch – after the iconic Hadrian's Wall
The Yorkshire Roses – after the region's famous symbol
The East Midlands Archers – after the legend of Robin Hood
The West Midlands Revolution – after the heritage of the Industrial Revolution."
How official! Every team will have custom logos and Quidditch kits (broomsticks, etc.) made just for them. If you want to make your way over to the UK, or if you happen to live there already, you can try out for the team in your area. That will go down in April of next year, so get practicing.