University sports just got a little more magical.
Ryerson announced it will participate in York University’s first triwizard tournament, an event inspired by the magical contest that took place in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Broomsticks and wands aside, competitors will use their brawn and knowledge of wizardry and magic in order to rise above their adversaries.
Ryerson, University of Toronto and York will each select one person to represent them in this epic battle.
The winner will be rewarded with “the Triwizard Cup, bragging rights, eternal glory, and a surprise prize.”
The captain of York’s quidditch team, Adam Palmer, said there is a method to picking just one representative, but ultimately “the goblet will choose the most worthy champion from each school.”
There are still ways you can participate even if you aren’t selected to represent Ryerson. “We’re going to be needing volunteers for our tasks,” explained Palmer.
“Being a volunteer is going to be just as fun.”
Palmer expects the total cost of the event to remain below $500, but he still isn’t sure where the money will come from.
“We’re trying to get some funding from our school, but it might just end up being (an) out-of-pocket expense.”
The quidditch captain said he’s also asked for financial support from the other two universities, but will not exclude them if they don’t contribute.
“I do not know about costs yet,” wrote Alex Downey-Ging, co-captain of Ryerson quidditch, “but if there are they would be minimal and would come out of our collected team fees.”
She said any Ryerson student is welcome to apply, however those not familiar with quidditch are encouraged to attend a practice Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Quad.
The application, which can be found on the team’s Facebook page, asks potential contenders for a description of their physical appearance, the house they represent (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin) and the position they would like to play or currently play in quidditch.
It also asks applicants to rate their skill level in running, flying and swimming amongst other things, and requires them to answer magic questions like “Which two creatures can a patronus charm defend against?” or “What does the spell Locomotor Mortis do?
Although this is the first triwizard tournament for the universities, Palmer doesn’t believe his idea is entirely original.
“I’ve never read or heard of any other triwizard tournaments,” said Palmer, “but it’s hard to believe that nobody else has tried doing this before. For me the idea of playing quidditch is far more outrageous than doing a triwizard tournament.”
The online application form is open to all students until Friday.
The chosen one will be announced Oct. 4, and the first challenge is slated to take place Oct. 18
This story was first published in The Ryersonian, a weekly newspaper produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism, on September 25, 2013.
Kim is a 2nd year MJ student at Ryerson University.