IQA Update

Global Games Team Australia Announced

by James Hosford | March 14, 2014

The IQA is excited to announce the Australian National Team. Below, Australian Quidditch Association (AQA) Gameplay Director James Hosford writes about the team and the selection process.

The AQA has announced the makeup of the Australian national team that will represent Australia at the 2014 IQA Global Games in Burnaby, British Columbia on July 19, 2014.

A five-person selection panel* deliberated for more than five weeks to make its decision from a large pool of worthy candidates. The panel received an impressive 70 applications from interested players spanning 13 teams.

The 2013 AQA season was largely dominated by two rival Sydney teams: the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) Snapes On A Plane and the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Thestrals. Unsurprisingly, these two powerhouse units have a dominating presence on the Australian national team, together earning nine out of the 21 places.

UNSW, the No. 1 ranked Australian team during the 2013 season, has the highest single representation, with five players on the Australian national team. Inaugural veterans and superstars Minh Diep and Andrew Culf, who was the first player to reach 50 career matches, will lead the charge alongside their general and Captain Rajtilak Kapoor. Additionally, the team will include big game seeker Emmanuel Berkowicz and ultimate utility Rhiannon Gordon, who is amongst the best female chasers and beaters in the country.

Newcastle Midwinter Cup champions, UWS, will send Captain Hannah Monty (tournament-winning MVP and Vice-President of the AQA) and long-time chasing partner Corey Ingold-Dawes, who will be on the front line of the squad. The team will also send powerful beater Dom Bell and international wheelchair quidditch pioneer/underrated utility Arfy Papadam.

The Western Australian Perth Phoenixes, who were crowned national champions at the 2013 QUAFL Cup, the Oceania Regional Championship, will have three representatives on the national team. Inspirational leader and QUAFL Cup MVP James Hyder will be joined in Canada by the beater duo of the ruthless Shane Young and indefatigable Katelyn Stubberfield.

The inexperienced Sydney Unspeakables, who surprised at the QUAFL Cup when they charged to the semifinals, will be sending beater and Captain Luke Derrick and prolific scorer Cameron Brown.

QUAFL Cup semifinalist University of Newcastle Quidditch Society has its greatest points-scoring machine on his way to Canada with the selection of Dameon Osborn.

Two of Victoria’s great teams have much to celebrate as well, with three representatives apiece. The Melbourne Manticores will be sending defensive wall Jimmy Stewart and the experienced foraging beater James Williams. They will also be sending Captain Katherine Hunter, who captained at the Oxford, UK 2012 Summer Games and was the only incumbent player who has made it into a second touring national squad.

The old and the new are nicely balanced in Victoria though, with the Blackburn Basilisks Quidditch Club—Australia’s youngest team—providing three veritable bolters: Alli Parker, Taya Rawson and James Osmond, the state’s most prolific goal scorer.

In coming weeks the AQA will announce the squad’s internally selected captain and coach to lead the team on a week-long tour starting on July 12 at the Western Region Fantasy Tournament and is likely to incorporate a series of warm up fixtures en-route to Burnaby, British Columbia.

Team Australia
Dom Bell - UWS
Emmanuel Berkowicz - UNSW
Cameron Brown - Sydney
Andrew Culf - UNSW
Luke Derrick - Sydney
Minh Diep - UNSW
Rhiannon Gordon - UNSW
Katherine Hunter - Melbourne
James Hyder - Perth
Corey Ingold-Dawes - UWS
Rajtilak Kapoor - UNSW
Hannah Monty - UWS
Dameon Osborn - Newcastle
James Osmond - Blackburn
Arfy Papadam - UWS
Alli Parker - Blackburn
Taya Rawson - Blackburn
Jimmy Stewart - Melbourne
Katelyn Stubberfield -  Perth
James Williams - Melbourne
Shane Young - Perth

The AQA will be fundraising for its Global Games team. It will be selling merchandise, which will include a replica Australian team jersey. To express your interest in an Australian team jersey, or for further merchandising and fundraising related inquiries, email .

*The selection panel consisted of James Hosford, Hannah Monty, Minh Diep, James Hyder & James Williams and was officially appointed by the AQA executive on behalf of the teams after a vote.

For a full list of national teams that have been announced for the 2014 Global Games, please visit this page.