Muggles rejoice: New Zealand's national Quidditch team will take on the world championships come next week.
The Black Brooms - New Zealand's first ever national Quidditch team - will compete in the World Cup in Florence, Italy.
Quidditch is a sport based on JK Rowling's Harry Potter universe, beginning in the USA in 2005 and quickly developing a universe of its own.
While the magical Harry Potter version sees witches and wizards take to the skies on flying broomsticks, the muggle version has two teams of seven players, each carrying broomsticks between their legs, competing in a mixture of rugby, dodgeball, and tag - all involving multiple game balls.
The New Zealand team, consisting of local and overseas players, has been preparing for the past eight months, the Quidditch Association of New Zealand says.
"It is also a major step forward for gender equality as for the first time New Zealand will be participating in a full contact mixed gender sport at the international level," the association said in a statement on Tuesday.
The first Quidditch camp was held in Christchurch last year, and was hailed a success by associate president Emma Humphrey.
The team will face America, Australia and Germany among other Quidditch nations.
Newshub.
