The IQA will be co-hosting an elite quidditch tournament on April 28 with Emerson College, Boston University, and the Boston Cannons, a Major League Lacrosse team, as part of the Cannon’s season Opener. Teams may apply or nominate themselves (or other teams) now. 

By Todd Mitchell & Mari Watson

Want to play against some of the IQA’s best teams at one of the nation’s top collegiate sports facilities?

This April 28th, the Boston Cannons, one of the top Major League Lacrosse teams, will be co-hosting a quidditch tournament with Emerson College Quidditch, Boston University Quidditch, and the IQA, at the Harvard sports complex as part of the Cannons’ season opener against Rochester.

The tournament will take the top 10 available teams from around the country and put them in one of the highest levels of competition outside of the World Cup.

The schedule will incorporate round robin play followed by bracket play and ending in a final battle between the top two teams. Round robin will run from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m at an external location ; athletes will then be transported to an Astroturf soccer stadium for single-elimination bracket play and championships from 3 PM – 6 PM.

Finally, the night will be capped off by admission to the Lacrosse game in Harvard’s famous football stadium along with 10,000 other Cannons fans.

Ticket prices are $15 for spectators and $25 for athletes.

Spectator Package:
- Admission to the Quidditch bracket tournament at the Harvard soccer stadium from 3 PM – 6 PM
- Admission to the Boston Cannon’s Major League Lacrosse Season Opener vs. Rochester from 7 PM – 9 PM

Athlete Registration:
- Includes all of the above plus:
- Participation in the tournament & free transportation between locations
- Access to free water and Powerade

- Bud Light Barracks admission during the Cannons game and 10% off at Miller’s Ale House after the games for spectators 21+

Teams will be selected via a nomination and invitation process. Official member captains are invited to vote for the top 20 teams in the league, and event organizers will pool the results to invite the top 10 available teams to attend. Regional all-star teams may also be nominated.

NOMINATIONS ARE BY OFFICIAL MEMBER CAPTAIN ONLY.

Check your team and/or captain email to find the link to the nomination form. If you did not receive the email, please email allison.gillette@internationalquidditch.org.

Discount hotel packages available at $35 per person per night. A limited number of teams may receive free housing from Emerson Quidditch – please contact allison.gillette@internationalquidditch.org for details. 

Food, beverage, and merchandise vendors will be available on-site inside the stadium from 6pm-9pm. Tailgating is permitted!

Teams are required to bring one referee and one snitch to the tournament, announcers optional. There will be a training and testing session on April 27^th, the day before the event, to verify skill levels for referees and snitches, and a training video underscoring refereeing style will be released before the event. Additionally, a weekly “Captain’s Club” will allow for captains of each team to meet online to review event plans and ensure that every team is fully prepared for the event. The tournament is being run under the direction of Allison Gillette, the Emerson College commissioner, former rules council member, and the gameplay director for World Cup VI.

This is a once in a lifetime Quidditch event that could very easily set the level of competition high for the World Cup next year! Come out and share the experience.

Please note – this is not a qualifier or championship; it is a one-time spring event that exists to provide the most competitive teams in the league with another opportunity for top-level games.