By Gavin Hughes
Editor’s Note: Gavin Hughes is the Head Coach of the Scottish National Quidditch Team.
When the International Quidditch Association announced back in August that it would allow NGBs to send regional teams to the European Games next year, most European countries simply shrugged and forgot all about it. For Scotland, however, it was a game-changing moment. Fast-forward through two months of preparation and negotiations and the Scottish National Quidditch Team can confirm that it will play its debut international fixture on November 17th against Catalonia, following a successful open training in Edinburgh earlier this month. From the 36-strong training squad composed largely of Scotland-based players, eighteen athletes intend to travel to Barcelona for the event. However, the national team’s eligibility criteria are not limited to residency, and players born in Scotland or with a Scottish parent are also eligible, along with those who have spent more than three years living in the country or are currently registered to a Scottish quidditch club.
As a fully integrated part of QuidditchUK, Scotland has historically been included under the Team UK umbrella at international tournaments, but relatively few Scottish players have ever been selected for Team UK, in part due to the relative lack of development of the sport in Scotland compared to in England. With the advent of the Scottish national team, the hope is to expose Scottish quidditch to the highest level of play the sport has to offer at the European Games and World Cup, and to help create a backbone of elite players, coaches and management personnel to underpin the future of the sport in Scotland. In addition, the national team hopes to positively represent those players who do not identify with the Team UK banner and have hitherto felt disenfranchised. While Scottish players remain eligible for Team UK, the choice now lies solely with the player.
Coaching team:
Rix Dishington- General Manager
Gavin Hughes- Head Coach
Jack Murray and Kieran Newton- Assistant Coaches
Tev Wallace- Captain
Gary Cassidy- Vice Captain
Training squad:
Keepers- Matěj Ballaty, Alec Bruns, Hannah Jacobs, Guillermo Parra, Henry Williams
Chasers- Caroline Bruns, Samantha Frohlich, Hannah Glover, Aakash Gupta, Matthew Hamilton, Alex Harrison, Gavin Hughes, Katy Lawrence, Alice McDougall, Bex McLaughlin, Kieran Newton, Jack Nord, Tom Ower, Claire Purslow, James Riches, Kelsey Silberman, Kit Smith, Alex Strachan, Ross Wiseman, Jamie Young
Beaters- Nye Baker, Nicolás Casillas Del Val, Gary Cassidy, Yanna Colmerauer, Charlie Mathews, Tara McDonald, Jack Murray, Alice Ravier, Julen Sempere, Luke Stevens, Tev Wallace
Catalonia fixture roster:
Keepers- Alec Bruns, Guillermo Parra, Alex Strachan
Chasers- Caroline Bruns, Hannah Glover, Aakash Gupta, Alex Harrison, Gavin Hughes, Katy Lawrence, James Riches, Ross Wiseman*, Jamie Young
Beaters- Nicolás Casillas Del Val*, Gary Cassidy*, Jack Murray, Alice Ravier, Julen Sempere, Tev Wallace
* = Seeker