QUAFL - Australian Quidditch Championship

Quidditch Australia is proud to present the seventh annual national quidditch tournament. QUAFL - The Australian Quidditch Championships 2017 will run over the 2nd and 3rd of December. Following on from the success of last year, QUAFL will return to the Australian Institute of Sport for the biggest tournament in Australia, the current international champions.In December, over 25 teams from around the country are expected to make their way to Canberra. Hosted by the Australian Institute of Sport, QUAFL 2017 will decide this year’s Australian quidditch champion. QUAFL represents QA's premier event and serves as the culmination of the 2017 season.Quidditch is a full contact, high intensity, mixed gender sport that is rapidly taking the world by storm. This event is free for spectators and more information, including a spectator guide, will be available closer to the event. See the internationally acclaimed world champion Dropbears out in full force as they battle each other for the glory of their local teams.Come to the AIS on either or both days and enjoy some of the greatest quidditch Australia has to offer. Merchandise, food, and a superb atmosphere will all be on offer for what is sure to be a great day out for the whole family.Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/138724816727823

Team Australia Selectors

Quidditch Australia is excited to announce the Team Australia Selection Committee.The following six individuals will join Coach Genevieve Gibson, Assistant Coach Daniel Fox, and Selection Committee Chairperson Thomas Russell. Together, this committee will be tasked with assessing national talent and helping to create the Australian national team to be sent to the 2018 IQA World Cup.We wish them well and look forward to what each will bring to the role.

Congratulations:Cindy Callens, Daniel Scharf, Liam McMoppin, Owen Sherwood, Paul Harrison, Taya Rawson

IQA Rulebook Update

Quidditch Australia will be adopting the new edition of the 2016-2018 IQA Rulebook for the remainder of the season. This version seeks to clarify several errors in the original version but does not make any significant changes to gameplay or content.A changelog can be viewed here, and the new rulebook in full can be viewed here.The two previously outlined Australian amendments to the rule book covering compulsory mouthguard use and rostered gender maximums are still in effect.

World Cup 2018 Campaign Update: Assistant Coach, Dropbears Selection Process, and Selectors Applications

The next stage of the Australian 2018 World Cup campaign begins as we announce the appointment of an Australian National Team Assistant Coach, the timeline and process for team selection, and invite people to apply for the position of Team Selector.A full timeline of events can be found here.Exact dates subject to change. Locations will be announced closer to the dates.Assistant CoachQuidditch Australia is excited to announce that Daniel Fox has been brought onto the Dropbears leadership team as Assistant Coach. He will help Coach Genevieve Gibson with her duties and responsibilities over the course of the next year.Dropbears Development and SelectionThis year, national development, selection, and training will occur over a period of several months as Quidditch Australia aims to put its best foot forward for the upcoming IQA World Cup while also seeking to improve gameplay across the country. This process will be overseen by the Dropbears Selection Committee. This committee will comprise the selectors, team coach, assistant coach, and selection committee chair.Firstly, Quidditch Australia will host a series of development camps. Attendance at these camps will be determined by applications submitted on behalf of players by their team coach/es and captain/s. Players will be selected and invited by the national coaching team and the selection committee. The focus for these camps will be two-fold - generally improving the skill of all players who attend, and understanding the current level of national talent across the country. At least one individual from every willing and available team will be invited to participate in these camps in some way to ensure Australia-wide development. Up to fifty individuals will be invited to participate in each of these camps. These camps will in no way represent a shortlist for the 2018 Dropbears. They will be held in August and September in Sydney and Melbourne.Secondly, Quidditch Australia will hold a series of invitation-only selection camps. These camps will serve as one of the principal opportunities for selectors to review potential candidates for the Dropbears. Attendance at these camps will be based on personal applications for the team; players will be selected and invited by the selection committee. A shortlist of fifty individuals will be invited to attend selection camps. The camps will occur in November and December in Sydney and Melbourne.Thirdly, following the selection camps, up to thirty individuals will be chosen to form the Dropbears Training Squad. These individuals, chosen by the selection committee, will train together in January and February 2018. From this group, the final 21 players and reserves will be selected by the coaching team, assisted by the selectors, by mid February.SelectorsTeam Selectors will be tasked with inviting players to the Quidditch Australia Development Camps, inviting players to the QA Dropbears Selection Camp, and forming the Dropbears Training Squad. Applications for Team Selector are open as of today and will remain open until the 29th of June. Quidditch Australia is seeking four individuals to take on this role and are currently only considering non-playing selectors. Selectors that intend to try out for the team are welcome to apply but are unlikely to be successful. A more detailed position description is available in the application form. Selectors will be chosen by the Quidditch Australia board.Apply here: https://form.jotformpro.com/71559389747981Please send any questions, comments, or queries to dropbears@quidditch.org.au.

Quidditch Australia’s State Shield

We are proud to present Quidditch Australia's inaugural State Shield weekend, featuring the Victorian Leadbeaters, the New South Wales Blue Tongues, the Queensland Thunderbirds, and South Australia.Last year, the Victorian Leadbeaters defeated the NSW Blue Tongues in 5 out of their 9 games to win the 2016 State of Origin series. This year we welcome Queensland and South Australia to the series!Saturday the 14th of October will feature a round robin series between the four teams. On Sunday the 15th, the top two teams will play a three games series to decide the 2017 Quidditch State Shield champion. The bottom two teams will also play a three game series to win the bronze medal!Tickets for the weekend will be available online for $5 and at the door for $10. The venue has an on-site cafe and licensed bar that will be open for the duration of the event.Details about tryouts should be directed to individual state associations. There will be a social on the Sunday evening after the tournament.Volunteer and official sign-ups - https://goo.gl/forms/w0V8tjEtiuPkE1O73Any questions should be directed to admin@quidditch.org.auEvent: https://www.facebook.com/events/1204180859687285

World Cup 2018 Leadership Announcement

With the 2018 World Cup just over a year away, Quidditch Australia is excited to announce the selection of our 2018 Dropbears leadership team.It is a privilege and an honour to say that Genevieve Gibson will be returning as Australian National Team Coach for the 2018 World Cup campaign, following her successful campaign as coach in 2016. This time around, Gen will be formally assisted by Nicholas Hirst who is taking up the position of Team Manager.Details about team selection and other developments will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, and we look forward to another successful international campaign.

2017 QUAFL Location Announced

Quidditch Australia is excited to announce that the location of QUAFL: Australian Quidditch Championship 2017 will again be the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, ACT. Nationals will be held on the 2nd and 3rd of December. More details to come.

Board of Directors Update

Following a meeting of the board on the 27th of April, 2017, Nicholas Hirst has stepped down as Chairperson of Quidditch Australia. He will remain on the board of directors for the continuation of his term, maintaining control of the Media and Marketing portfolio. In his place, the board voted to elect Merryn Christian, current Secretary, as Chairperson.At this meeting, the board was also notified of the resignation of Rayan Calimlim.Quidditch Australia is seeking applications for the two vacancies on its board. Available portfolios are Secretary and Member Liaison, though the board is willing to hear alternate suggestions. Successful applicants will be appointed on a fixed term basis until the next Annual General Meeting and will be required to attend board meetings, which occur roughly every 2-3 weeks. More information and how to apply can be found here.

World Cup 2018 Coach and Manager Applications

Quidditch Australia are now taking applications for the manager and coach positions of our World Cup team in 2018. Below you’ll find the application criteria for each position as well as a brief description of their expected parameters. Be advised that the positions will be filled by separate people. Applications may be sent to admin@quidditch.org.auApplications close April 17

Coach

Job DescriptionThe Coach will be the overall leader of the World Cup team and will be a non-playing position. The coach will be expected to be responsible for (either directly or through delegation) the following duties:

• Create and manage the overall vision for the team.
• Train the team in order to achieve that vision, including scheduling training and team events.
• Manage the personnel of the team in match situations, on the day of competition, and away from the field.
• Discipline players and team staff as necessary subject to appeal to the QA board.
• Hold a seat on the selection panel for both the training squad and the final team.
• Assist QA in choosing the panel of selectors.

Applications for coach should contain the following:

• Name, contact email, phone number.
• A description of relevant coaching and/or leadership experience both within and outside of quidditch.
• A list of any conflicts or responsibilities that may interfere with your ability to coach the team.
• A plan for how you would fund your attendance at World Cup were you to receive no assistance from QA.
• A minimum of two references from outside of the applicant’s current team
• An essay answering the following questions:
  • Your vision for the team and what a world cup winning team would look like.
  • How you would go about achieving that vision including a rough training schedule, specific aspects of the game you would focus on and any other relevant information.
  • What can Team Australia do that would give us an edge over other countries?
  • Do you have any weaknesses and if so how would you mitigate those weaknesses?
  • Any other pertinent information.

Manager

Job DescriptionThe manager is a subordinate to the coach expected to deal with off-pitch issues regarding logistics, planning and any responsibilities delegated by the coach at both training camps in Australia and at the World Cup itself. The manager is a non-playing person who is expected to specifically organise matters outside of on-pitch situations though may be delegated other responsibilities by the coach. The manager is expected to attend training camps and World Cup.Applications for manager should contain the following:

• Name, contact email, phone number.
• Any relevant managerial or leadership experience both within and outside of quidditch.
• A list of any conflicts or responsibilities that may interfere with your ability to manage the team.
• A plan for how you would fund your attendance at World Cup were you to receive no assistance from QA.
• A minimum of two references from outside of the applicant’s current team.
• Any other pertinent information or experience.

Australian Nationals 2017 Bid Package

Quidditch Australia (QA) is proud to present the Australian nationals bid package for 2017! QA will host the seventh annual Australian quidditch championship towards the end of 2017. The tournament is QA’s premiere event, serving as Australia’s national championship and the culmination of the 2017 quidditch season. It is predicted that a minimum of twenty-four teams and four hundred attendees will be competing at the 2017 Australian quidditch championship, with teams traveling from all across the country.Teams, states, local councils, or cities are welcome to apply to host the national tournament later this year. Your application should be in the form of a Microsoft Word Document or PDF document and emailed to president@quidditch.org.au by end of day, March 31st 2017.We look forward to expanding on last year’s fantastic tournament and providing another thrilling weekend of highly competitive quidditch!Direct link - http://www.quidditch.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Australian-Nationals-Bid-Package-2017.pdf