Week 0: The Wright’s Cup
The 2019-20 Quidditch season in the UK kicked off Saturday with the traditional meeting between the League winner and Cup winner from last year. In a sometimes pulsating, sometimes stodgy affair, Cup holders Ballycastle defeated League champions Puddlemere United by a score of 320-210. United Chaser David Duffy led all scorers with 12 goals, while Ballycastle Seeker Brigid O’Neill caught the Snitch just in time for afternoon tea.
The Wright’s Cup, named after Bowman Wright (inventor of the Golden Snitch), is sometimes viewed merely as an exhibition, but some managers take the opportunity to signal their intent for the coming season. Puddlemere manager Alf Winterbottom introduced two of his summer signings for the match—Beater Simon Henderson and Chaser Sarah Moore—while Ballycastle’s Colin Sweeney put out the same starting seven that won them the Cup last year. And Ballycastle’s play for continuity paid off over the first hour, streaking to a 70-10 lead.
However, United’s new players soon got their brooms under them, with Moore scoring three goals in quick succession, and Henderson temporarily sidelining Ballycastle’s Chaser Liam Cantwell with a crunching Bludger to the torso. As the Snitch continued to elude capture, the match became a bit staid. The Chasers began to tire in the sweltering afternoon heat, and both Keepers settled into their work by making a number of saves—including an acrobatic kick-save from Ballycastle’s Patrick McGovern. Â
As the match went on, though, Puddlemere showed why they were last season’s champions: solid defense and reliable offense. Beaters Henderson and Lars Lundström consistently kept Ballycastle’s Chasers hesitant, and United Chasers Duffy and Glenn Stephens began to heat up. But then, just as the momentum seemed to have fully shifted, with United’s having taken a 40-point lead with the last of Duffy’s 12 goals, Ballycastle’s O’Neill spotted the Snitch under the United goal posts and captured it after a slick dive. Â
Following the match, O’Neill noted that United’s Seeker Jaime Garcia seemed a bit tired, thus possibly giving her a bit of an advantage; however, as she noted, “This is what we’ve been training for all summer.” Puddlemere manager Winterbottom was not bothered by the defeat, however: “We were grateful to escape the match without significant injuries, and Ballycastle gave us an excellent reminder of the level that we will face in the League this season. On to Wigtown!”
In an exciting start to the regular season this coming weekend, both teams open their campaigns with derbies. First, on Saturday, United travel to Wigtown for a renewal of the two teams’ historic rivalry and a beginning of Puddlemere’s title defense. Then, on Sunday, Ballycastle defend the The Cave against Kenmare in the first Irish derby of the season.
