Students at muggle university soon to be playing quidditch

Coming from the mystical world to a university near you this spring: quidditch.

That's right, the University of Manitoba recreational services is offering the game that originated in the beloved Harry Potter books, as an intramural sport.

Starting in May, teams of students on flying brooms — or sticks between their legs — will run around, chasing the magical Golden Snitch — or someone with a tennis ball in a sleeve attached to their waste — and throw quaffles — read: volleyballs — through hoops.

Kyla Ray, with the university's recreational services, is trying to figure out how best to adapt the game for the muggle university.

• Check out the rules quilled by Quidditch Canada

"The Harry Potter books were just so huge and it brings a little bit of that fantasy into reality and people have really caught on to it," Ray said.

Janet Stewart, host of CBC's Radio Noon program, was excited to hear about the new sport … until she found out that sign-up was limited to the university's students and staff.

"It's actually really popular," Ray said. "I know McGill has a team and there's some throughout the nation."

Ray isn't wrong. The sport continues to pick up in popularity with dozens of teams across Canada and with various levels of national and international competitions.

While quidditch might be the newest addition to the intramural roster at the U of M, it is not the only unconventional activity it offers. It also has inner-tube water polo and climbing competitions.

"We want different groups of students to come out and challenge themselves," Ray said.

"With a lot of these, you don't have to have the pre-existing athletic skills to take part, and I think that's really attractive to university students. And they get to meet new people and that's a part of the whole university experience."