Quidditch, the Harry Potter game for wizards, hits U of C

Some University of Calgary students have brought a magical game to life.

"If you've read the Harry Potter books, if you've watched the movies, we're just playing the sport that comes out of that," says Alison Armitage, a member of the U of CHarry Potter Quidditch Club.

Quidditch, a game known for being played by wizards and witches, is now an intramural sport at the U of C. Though there's been a club at the school for a few years, the first intermural match was Wednesday night.

The rules are slightly different than they are in J.K. Rowlings fantasy world. Because the students are muggles meaning they dont possess magic skills they cant fly around on broomsticks.

Instead, they run around with a broomstick between their legs, either holding it with one hand or squeezing it between their thighs.

The game is a kind of mix between basketball, dodgeball and capture the flag.

"It's come out of a brilliant woman's imagination and it's completely impossible to do it as a literal interpretation in the books, so to bring it down to a level that we can play with that, it's incredible," says muggle Becca Madro.

Rigel Penman says the sport is good exercise because the players cant fly, they get a good cardio work out.

"[You run] back and forth across the gym especially every time you get hit, you do a full lap and run around your own set of hoops so it's not like there's a lot of muscular exertion. It's just all running, all the time."

The "characters" in this intermural sport admit its a bit different than most other games played at the university.

"You have to like some sort of geek culture in order to play this," says Bree Hartman.

"It's that taste of a world you get to be a part of."