Quidditch renamed ‘quadball’ in effort to distance game from Rowling’s trans views

QUIDDITCH has been rebranded to distance the game from JK Rowling over her “anti-trans” views.

A real-life version of the fictional game in the Harry Potter series is played in the UK and governed by the International Quidditch Association (IQA).

The IQA has changed the sport’s name to “quadball” after pressure to cut links with the books’ author, who has been condemned by some transgender campaigners for her views.

The leadership of the IQA stated yesterday that its first reason for the name change was because “JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, has increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions”.

The body had previously recommended that the sport should move “away from direct association” with the author because “the name ‘quidditch’ and its relationship to JK Rowling carries a stigma that no longer aligns with the mission and values of the IQA”.

Rowling has become embroiled in an ongoing row over transgender issues after stating that biological sex is real and an important factor when considering women’s health and safety, leading to her being labelled transphobic.

IQA is also trying to distance itself from Warner Bros, the studio that created the film franchise, as they control the trademark for “quidditch”. It is hoped the new name of “quadball” will allow the sport to advertise and grow without being hindered by copyright.

Andy Marmer, of IQA, said: “This is a tremendous development for the sport and represents an amazing opportunity for us to continue the incredible growth we’ve already seen over less than two decades.”

‘The sport should move away from association with the author because it carries a stigma’