Quadball: Britain’s fastest growing sport

Warwick is known for having some of the country’s best university sports clubs, with our teams regularly winning a variety of BUCs and national competitions. Recently, one of our most successful is the small but mighty Warwick Quadball Club.

Warwick’s Quadball Team officially formed in 2014 and are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. Throughout their time, they have competed in regional, national and international tournaments. Last season alone saw them win the Southern University Cup, as well as the British University League. They also competed in Division 2 of the European Quadball Championships, which were hosted in France.

Quadball is typically described as being a mixture of rugby, dodgeball and netball. Squads of 21 compete, with constantly rotating 7-a-side on pitch at a time. So what are the basics? Three players, known as chasers, attempt to score through the opposition’s hoops while defending their own, with a goal being worth 10 points. They also have a keeper, who is immune to being ‘Beat Out’ by a dodgeball when in their own end-zone. The two people throwing the dodgeballs are known as beaters, who attempt to disrupt opposition play and are vital for defence. After 20 minutes of fast-paced play, an impartial official, often referred to as a flag runner, enters the field with a flag attached to them. This is when the final member of the squad, the flag seeker, enters play to capture the flag. It is worth 30 points, and is very difficult to retrieve as the flag runner uses evasion, speed and physical force to avoid being caught.

If this sounds like a sport for you, Warwick Quadball are always looking for new members

While the sport of Quadball was officially founded in 2005, it has recently been announced as the UK’s fastest growing sport, with over 40 clubs around the country competing in the University and Community League. It is also unique in the fact it is the only full-contact, mixed gender sport in the world. While some have voiced concerns regarding this in the past, it is generally seen by the Quadball community as one of the most special and respected parts of the sport.

QuadballUK have followed the leads of other national governing bodies around the globe with introducing a 3-max gender rule this season, meaning that teams are allowed a maximum of 3 members of any one gender on pitch at a time. Not only does this allow non-male players their chance to shine and show their insane physical strength, but it allows anybody and everybody to take part regardless of gender identity. This is especially important in relation to the queer community: Quadball is open to individuals of all identities, and encourages self-identification when signing up. Whether you are cis, trans or non-binary, this is a sport that wants you!

If this sounds like a sport for you, Warwick Quadball are always looking for new members! They train twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday 2-4pm. Their first tournament of the season is Southern Development Cup, a 1-day competition aimed at getting freshers used to the sport, due to be held in Cardiff on November 11th. You can find more information on their Instagram @WHPQsociety.