Harry Potter's favourite game a hit in UK, US varsities

Quidditch, a sport developed by author JK Rowling for the Harry Potter book series, is a very popular sport played by wizards and witches around the world. Matches are played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped goals.

In Britain, Oxford and Cambridge universities have both signed up with the International Quidditch Association after Harvard Princeton and Brown universities in the US, with all setting up their own teams, the 'Sunday Express' reported.

The Quidditch storm started at Middlebury College, Vermont, in 2005 -- now it even has its own World Cup of the ball game played on broomsticks.

Law student Jack Williams, who is captaining the Cambridge team, was quoted as saying, "It all started off as a joke in the bar one evening. When we found Quidditch could be played by muggles (non-wizards), and there was a league in the US, we were very keen to find out more."

Now Jack and co-captain Ellie Chan are planning a match against Oxford.