Breaking news for all you Hogwarts student athletes. The famous Harry Potter themed sport quidditch has announced a new name change in order to distance itself from the book’s author J.K Rowling.
Though plans for a rebrand were announced back in December, both Major League Quidditch and U.S Quidditch have released statements this week confirming that the sport will now be referred to as quadball.
The change comes after Rowling made remarks back in 2020 that received heavy backlash and were labeled “anti-trans.” The author made a statement about gender and how people were trying to get rid of it, saying “erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.” Due to her comments, Rowling received criticism from beloved Harry Potter fans as well as Daniel Radcliffe himself.
Rowling’s cancellation has now led to the rebranding of a game which she herself invented. Major League Quidditch, which I don’t think anyone reading this blog has ever heard of, will now be known as Major League Quadball. The same goes for the organization U.S Quadball because yes, there does need to be two different leagues.
In this week’s statement, MLQ said “Today marks a monumental step in the history of our sport, and it marks an equally big step for Major League Quadball.” The league’s statement went on to call itself “one of the most progressive sports in the world on gender equality and inclusivity,” which is probably true given the “athletes” are really just into a slightly more athletic version of cosplay.
Despite accrediting the name switch to the “disgraced” author, Warner Bros. actually owns the rights to the name “quidditch,” which may also be playing a role in the change.
Regardless of the reasoning, quidditch is now quadball and if you use the old term you will probably be called a bigot by anyone you see wearing a cloak. Personally, I don’t think the move is going to help distance the sport from the book considering a large portion of the game revolves around riding on a broomstick.
