If you’re following the RBS Six Nations you’ll be gearing up for the match between Scotland and Italy this weekend.
In an exclusive new entry on Pottermore.com (found in the Moment ’The Golden Stadium’ in Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), J.K. Rowling reveals why many in the wizarding world are avid supporters of the Scottish rugby team, despite being forbidden from participating in Muggle sports themselves.
The extensive entry reveals the history behind the worldwide wizarding appreciation of the Scottish rugby team, as well as the magical community’s general derision of Muggle sports like cricket:
| “Unfortunately, cricket found little favour with wizardkind. As the chief sports writer in the Daily Prophet wrote in 1902: ‘a Beater who is unable to fly defends three sticks instead of a hoop, while a Snitch without wings is thrown at the sticks. That’s it. Sometimes for several days’. Rugby held more appeal. Wizards could not help but admire the strength and courage of Muggles prepared to engage in a sport so brutal, without recourse to Disapparating out of the way, or access to Skele-Gro to repair broken bones. It must be admitted that there was an edge of sadism to some wizards’ enjoyment.” | |
Find out more about Angus Buchanan, the Squib* who went on to become famous across both the Muggle and wizarding world – an historical achievement – and whose career is still celebrated today by the Wizarding Supporters of Scottish Rugby Union (WSSRU):
“The WSSRU, which exists to this day, has both Scottish and foreign wizarding members. They meet on the eve of every Scottish international match to toast Angus’s memory and anticipate a happy eighty minutes of watching Muggles trample each other into the mud.” | |
You can read the full entry from J.K. Rowling on Pottermore.com, as well as over fifty other pieces of exclusive writing, including sub-plots, character backstories and J.K. Rowling’s thoughts on writing the Harry Potter series.
If you are new to Pottermore.com, you will need to create your free account to access ‘The Golden Stadium’ Moment and read the entry.
*A non-magical person born to at least one magical parent