UNC students have participated in Quidditch, a sport originally inspired by the “Harry Potter” book series, for over a decade. However, the sport, which combines aspects of rugby, dodgeball, basketball and soccer, has recently rebranded as quadball in an effort to distance itself from “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling.
Mohamed-Yahia Monawar, the president of the team, said the decision was made this August by US Quadball, the International Quidditch Association and Major League Quadball.
Monawar said Rowling’s controversial behavior towards the transgender community is a main reason why the name has changed.
“J.K. Rowling has had a lot of transphobic rhetoric in the past,” he said. “So kind of in an effort to move further away because one of the key aspects of the sport is its gender inclusivity.”
Kyla Kurosawa, a senior who has been involved in the sport since their first year at UNC, said that as a trans member of the team, it is important that the sport is separating itself from Rowling, but that there are also other reasons for the name change.
They said it is better for merchandising or getting partnerships and sponsorships if the sport is not connected to Rowling’s “Harry Potter” franchise.
“Removing us from the name Quidditch and all of the gimmicks that it's associated with will make it seem like a more serious sport that will get more people to want to join,” they said.
Kurosawa said that since participation in Quidditch across the United States declined during the pandemic, rebranding as quadball will make more people want to participate.
Yiyang Fan, a sophomore who had never played the sport before coming to UNC, said that it is not hard to learn.
