Quidditch Europe Solves Complications with Dates for EQC D1
After postponing the European Quidditch Cup (EQC) four times (from spring 2020 to September 2020, from September 2020 to spring 2021, from spring 2021 to summer 2021, and then, for the last time, to spring 2022), now it will finally happen. Quidditch Europe recently announced dates for both divisions of EQC 2022 and confirmed that locations remain the same.
EQC Division 2 will be held in Brescia, Italy, the same as it should have been in April 2020. The dates for EQC D2 are April 23–24, 2022.
The location and dates for EQC Division 1 have become more complicated since 2020. EQC 2020 D1 should have been held in Ghent, Belgium, but the location wasn’t possible after postponing. Quidditch Europe started looking for a new location in June 2020 and choose Limerick, Ireland, which remains the location for EQC 2022 D1.
Unfortunately, the venue in Limerick couldn’t offer any weekends in May without reducing the number of Muggle quidditch fields or limiting accommodations. This is why Division 1 will take place on the weekend of June 4–5, 2022, but it might be bad timing for students. In its official statement on EQC 2022, the Quidditch Europe board acknowledged this.
In principle, the weekend of June 4th & 5th, 2022, is manageable; however, it falls right into the examination season of a lot of universities across Europe. In the past, this has already been discussed, and the conclusion was that June should be avoided as a date for EQC.
Quidditch Europe thought about resolving the problem by reopening bidding; however, it would take at least three months, and it’s too late for that. There was also an option to combine divisions, cancel the Division 2 event, and have EQC in Brescia, Italy, but it would be unfair for teams attending the Division 2 event. It would also be difficult because of the point system that requires having both divisions in the same year.
Quidditch Europe asked European national governing bodies for feedback, and 50 out of 54 EQC teams responded. Six Division 1 teams would be unable to attend in June, and 13 Division 1 teams would be unable to attend later in the summer. Not hosting the Division 1 event in 2022 would affect 27 teams from EQC D1 and 11 teams from EQC D2.
According to this feedback, Quidditch Europe decided that both events will be held as planned and that performance points will be counted from both events.