Quidditch Premier League launches in UK

Players of the Ruhr Phoenix (blue) and Muenster Marauders (red) in action during a quidditch match Credit: PA

The Quidditch Premier League is launching in the UK today.

It will see eight teams compete at the highest national level to win the title of League Champions.

Inspired by the game featured in the Harry Potter books, quidditch is a serious, mixed-gender, full-contact sport played by thousands of players worldwide

Each player runs with a broom between their legs and the four maximum rule states that at most there can be four players of the same gender on pitch at one time.

The teams, named after British regions, include: The London Monarchs, Southwest Broadside, Southeast Knights, Eastern Mermaids, Northern Watch, Yorkshire Roses, East Midland Archers, and the West Midland Shredders.

In the recent Quidditch World Cup in Frankfurt, the UK came third while Australia became world champions.