Happy New Year, everyone! We’re hoping that each and every single person had a safe holiday break and you’re looking towards a better 2021.
QuidditchUK is doing well, albeit things are quiet during this extended period of downtime, but we wanted to update the community on what the coming year looks like and a few key changes to the season in light of what appears to be an extended COVID-19 hiatus.
Calendar for 2021
Our original plan was for us to host an equivalent version of the British Quidditch Cup this coming April, with a roll out of the new Community Season launching in mid-late June.
However, with the nation currently on a third full lockdown and an estimation of adult vaccinations not being completed until late summer 2021, hosting an event scaling to hundreds of people this early on is both unsafe and impractical.
With that being said we have drafted a new season structure with contingencies for when the vaccine has been rolled out and/or the pandemic has subsided enough that we can safely compete again. We will be seeking players' feedback on this season structure to ensure that we're delivering a structure which balances teams' needs effectively, so keep an eye out for surveys and round tables to be released in the next few weeks!
We are also cautiously optimistic that regular training may be able to return by the summer, due to a combination of vaccinations and new guidelines being completed in conjunction with the UK Sports Councils - it has been a long process but Abby Whiteley has made huge progress in ensuring a safe and significant return to training. We will continue to update our COVID-19 page and directly communicate any significant changes to club leadership.
Results of 2020's Funding Push
In the closing months of 2020, QuidditchUK put out an appeal on raising £3000 over the Autumn season. With a deadline in place at the end of November, the stakes were high as we needed to keep up our operational costs and activities throughout the Winter season to stick around for any chance to run quidditch events in the future.
Fortunately, all of you supported us with such grace and determination to get us slightly over our target goal of £3k. Whether you shared our posts on social media to your friends to spread the word; instructed your fellow club members to sign up for membership or donated to the British Quizzitch Cup 2020 to split all donations with Mind and QUK respectively - we're eternally grateful for your support.
We're not saying this will be it for our seasonal funding pushes, but this has left us in a much better position than we were in a few months ago. For that, we thank you! Be on the look out for more ways you can help QuidditchUK finnacially, like purchasing your player membership for next season as well as investing in some quality merch!
Update on Player Membership Purchases
Any membership fees purchased last year for this season will automatically be carried forward, and the price of any new membership will not change for 2021/2022. We will not be carrying on with the season pass idea that was floated at the start of last year due to the volatility of the upcoming season, but we are revisiting tournament fees to ensure that clubs that have been hit hard are not priced out of competition.
Want to be ready for 2021/22? Why not consider pre-purchasing your player membership for 2021/22. All you need to do is Sign Up for an account with us, follow the instructions and choose the club you're planning on playing with for the year when you're done! It's super easy!
Launch of the Utility Merch Store
Both QuidditchUK and Utility Apparel have been partners for a lengthy amount of time, with many of our clubs already investing in quidditch kits to look fresh on pitch with their sleek designs, fantastic quality and ultimately affordable range. It was time to take things up a gear between us, with Black Friday 2020 seeing the release of the official QUK merchandise store hosted and manufactured by Utility.
Sporting Hoodies, Sports Bras and Buffs to name just a few items, the store is jam packed with goodies made to order for anyone who interested in purchasing some extra quidditch stash. Whether you're a player or a fan of the sport, there's something for everyone! We've got a link to the store using the navigation button below.
For anyone who ordered from the store on Black Friday and beyond:
Utility were delighted that so many of you took interest to the new merch and are still completing the multitude of orders that came through. As of this weekend, Utility should be in touch with you all in regards to your orders being completed and dispatched. Thank you for your patience and we're really looking forward to seeing your merch online and in person!
International Quidditch
Alongside regional restrictions, international restrictions appear to remain the same.
Both Quidditch Europe and the International Quidditch Association are still discussing the possibility of hosting European Quidditch Cup (QE) and European Games (IQA) later this year -
QuidditchUK are maintaining a stance that any international competition this year is both impractical and unsafe, and are pushing to delay any further competition until 2022. We have decided that clubs will have to qualify again for D1 & D2 of EQC 2022 via the European Qualifier Tournament which we will host at the end of the year.
Clubs that qualified for 2020 EQC Division 1 will be receiving a refund directly from Quidditch Europe via QuidditchUK for their team fee, club leaders should keep an eye on their emails from our Operations Department in the coming week with more information.
QuidditchUK are also in discussions with Quidditch Europe regarding refunds for Division 2 clubs, however no refunds are available at this time due to financial and legal reasons tied into the Division 2 venue - Any club that does not attend EQC Division 2 will still receive a full refund, however we cannot give timelines for refunds at this stage.
Upcoming Admin Events
QuidditchUK will once again be hosting roundtable discussions for those who would like to add input or insight into the new calendar. We also are planning on resuming our General Forums, including Northern & Southern specific events.
Please keep an eye out for emails or messages from us with those details shortly.
Future of Gameplay
The new rulebook is here and QuidditchUK are researching amendments - If you would like to have a direct impact on our changes for the new iteration of our rules, get in touch with Eamonn Harrison.
We're banking on 2021 to be 'our year' as an National Governing Body of one of the most unique sports in the United Kingdom (and if not the world!). Stay tuned on our website and social media for regular updates, recognitions and progress on moving forward to playing again! Get yourself involved if you want to be part of the journey by volunteering with us. With multiple roles available in our departments, there may be something that fits well with what you're looking for - whether it be skills or experience building!
Contact us if you have any questions or queries about the future of QuidditchUK and how we're going to make 2021 a welcoming year for all.
Finally, stay safe and we hope you're looking forward to the next year ahead. Welcome back!
