IQA World Cup
Most recent season or competition:
2023 IQA World Cup
International Quidditch Association logo.
FormerlySummer Games
Global Games
SportQuidditch
Founded2012
Inaugural season2012 IQA Summer Games
No. of teamsVaries
Most recent
champion(s)		 United States
(4th title)
Most titles United States (4 titles)
Official websiteiqasport.org

The IQA World Cup is an international quidditch tournament contested by the national teams of the members of the International Quidditch Association, the sport's global governing organisation. The championship, which was named Summer Games and Global Games in its first two editions, has been awarded every two years since 2012. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Germany in 2023,[1] after having also beaten Belgium back in 2018.[2]

History

Locations of the IQA World Cups

The World Cup was first held in July 2012. The tournament was named the "Summer Games" in accordance with its unofficial tie-in to the 2012 Summer Olympics, and because the name "World Cup" was already being used since 2007 for a club championship held in the United States. The tournament was held in Oxford, United Kingdom as the Olympic torch was passing through the city. Five teams participated: Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The event followed a round-robin format, with the lowest ranked team being eliminated and the others advancing to the bracket phase. The UK was defeated by all other competitors and did not make the bracket. The US took first place, defeating France in the final, and Australia claimed bronze by defeating Canada.[3]

In 2014, the tournament was renamed "Global Games" and took place under an updated IQA which became an international sports federation.[4] The Games were under the supervision of US Quidditch but were held in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.[5] Seven teams came out to compete: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Italy had planned to compete but had to pull out. The event was contested over a round-robin, with positions in a series of playoffs determined by each team's result in the first round. Due to limited media relations and improper planning, the tournament was relatively unknown and had a lacking medical staff which became evident when Belgium chose to forfeit after suffering multiple injuries.[6] The United States defended their title by defeating Australia in the final, and Canada claimed bronze by defeating the United Kingdom.[7]

The 2016 World Cup took place in Frankfurt, Germany. The initial tournament plan involved 24 competing teams, but because of the dropouts of five teams, the number of expected nations was reduced to 19.[8] Later, Brazil and Slovakia were added to the roster of teams, resulting in a field of 21 nations.[9] The tournament took place using a pool-play format, followed by a single-elimination bracket with all 21 teams. Ahead of the tournament, exhibition matches were held between Canada and the United Kingdom, Turkey and Mexico and Australia and Germany. [10] After a pool-play and bracket tournament, Australia defeated the United States 150*–130 in the final. The United States had first made a snitch catch which was disallowed on the grounds of charging the snitch. When the Australian seeker caught the snitch, the catch was initially challenged due to the seeker having been hit by a bludger. However the beat was ruled out as the beater had himself been hit by a bludger. The catch was therefore called good and Australia won the match and the United States suffered their first defeat. In the third place match, the United Kingdom avenged their defeat in the 2014 third place playoff years prior by beating Canada 190*–60. Both the final and bronze playoff were therefore re-runs of the same games from the previous World Cup, both with the reverse result.[11]

The 2018 World Cup was held in Florence, Italy with 29 teams competing.[12][13] There has been much online controversy about the unexpected hike in tournament fees, which has forced some smaller nations to drop out, namely Denmark and Sweden, both of whom would have been attending for the first time.

Format

Qualification

None of the competitions so far have involved a qualification round. To be eligible, the team must be representing a region's national governing body.

Results

The following table shows a list of all World Cups to date. The team that caught the snitch is denoted with an asterisk.

Year Host city Final 3rd place match Teams
Champions Score Runners-up 3rd place Score 4th place
2012
Details		 United Kingdom
Oxford
United States		160*–0
France
Australia		60*–50
Canada		 5
2014
Details		 Canada
Burnaby[lower-alpha 1]
United States		210*–0
Australia
Canada		70*–40
United Kingdom		 7
2016
Details		 Germany
Frankfurt
Australia		150*–130
United States
United Kingdom		190*–60
Canada		 21
2018
Details		 Italy
Florence
United States		120*–70
Belgium
Turkey		110*–60
United Kingdom		 29
2023
Details		 United States
Richmond
United States		140–50
Germany
Belgium		120–60
England		 15

Medals summary

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States4105
2 Australia1113
3 Belgium0112
4 France0101
 Germany0101
6 Canada0011
 Turkey0011
 United Kingdom0011
Totals (8 entries)55515

Appearance

Team United Kingdom
2012
(5)		 Canada
2014
(7)		 Germany
2016
(21)		 Italy
2018
(29)		 United States
2023
(15)		 Total
 African Nations••••5th1
 Australia3rd2nd1st5th6th5
 Austria••14th11th13th3
 Belgium•7th7th2nd3rd4
 Brazil••16th27th9th3
 Canada4th3rd4th9th8th5
 Catalonia••12th17th•2
 Czech Republic•••15th•1
 England••••4th1
 Finland•••28th•1
 France2nd6th5th6th7th5
 Germany••11th7th2nd3
 Hong Kong•••25th13th2
 Iceland•••29th•1
 Ireland••20th21st•2
 Italy••13th8th•2
 India••••9th1
 Japan••••11th1
 Malaysia•••18th•1
 Mexico•5th8th13th11th4
 Netherlands••18th19th•2
 New Zealand•••20th•1
 Norway••9th11th13th3
 Poland••19th13th•2
 Slovakia••17th26th•2
 Slovenia••15th21st•2
 South Korea••21st23rd•2
 Spain••10th10th•2
 Switzerland•••23rd•1
 Turkey••6th3rd•2
 United Kingdom5th4th3rd4th•4
 United States1st1st2nd1st1st5
 Vietnam•••15th•1
Legend
  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • 3rd – Third place
  • 4th – Fourth place
  •  •  – Did not enter / Did not qualify
  •     – Hosts
  • Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
  • WD – Withdrew from the tournament

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Quadball Game Results". Quadball.one. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Ling, Thomas (2 July 2018). "US beat Belgium to win the World Cup – of quidditch". Radio Times. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  3. ↑ Black, Alan (6 July 2012). "London 2012: Olympic Quidditch Expo Tournament Preview". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "IQA Global Games Announced". IQA. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18.
  5. ↑ Solinsky, Kolby (25 February 2014). "Grab Your Brooms! Quidditch Global Games coming to Burnaby, B.C. in July". Burnaby Newsletter. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Gryffins Injury Update". Belgian Gryffins. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "TEAM USA WINS GOLD AT QUIDDITCH GLOBAL GAMES 2014 IN BURNABY". Vancity Buzz. 20 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "World Cup Teams". International Quidditch Association. 6 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "World Cup Teams-2". International Quidditch Association. 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "WC 2016". International Quidditch Association. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  11. ↑ "Aussie Dropbears crowned world quidditch champions". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "2018 IQA World Cup to be hosted by Florence between June 27 – July 2 2018". International Quidditch Association. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "IQA Quidditch World Cup 2018 To Be Hosted in Florence, Italy". International Quidditch Association. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
Notes
  1. ↑ The 2014 Global Games were held in Canada but officially hosted by US Quidditch.
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