SAN ANTONIO – If you’re a Harry Potter fan then you already know what Quidditch is but what you might not know is that there’s actually a Major League Quidditch (MLQ) team in San Antonio called the San Antonio Soldados.
Turns out they’re actually pretty good too because they’re gearing up to compete in the 2021 MLQ Championship in Howard County, Maryland this weekend.
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In case you’re not up to speed on Quidditch - it’s a mixed-gender, full-contact sport played by around 600 teams in almost 40 countries and it’s based on the game featured in the uber-popular book series Harry Potter.
The game incorporates elements from basketball, rugby and dodgeball and while it doesn’t feature broomsticks, like in the books, players do have sticks they “ride.”
An MLQ spokesperson said the sport is guided by a 35-page book of health and safety protocols which now include a COVID Code of Conduct. Teams are not allowed to compete unless all Quidditch players have been vaccinated.
“MLQ is the highest level of quidditch in North America,” the spokesperson said. “The league is home to 15 franchises and one trial expansion team across the U.S. and Canada and runs from June to August. The teams recruit star players from local college and club quidditch programs.”
The MLQ tournament will start Saturday morning and games will be livestreamed online.
The Soldados are scheduled for a highly anticipated rematch against Indianapolis in the quarterfinals, the spokesperson told KSAT. They have a 9-3 record for the current Quidditch season.
Whether you’re a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin - you can still cheer on the San Antonio Soldados.