OUR HISTORY
2012
“Belgium Muggle Quidditch” appears online as a Facebook page, moderated by Corentin Faniel and Jenny Lafeyre. Faniel is a Belgian exchange student who started playing for the St Andrew Snidgets in Scotland.
2013
People enquire about teams in Belgium, but no real activity. Faniel takes most responsibility over the Facebook page. A group of scouts from Antwerp, under the lead of Louis Lermytte, play a match for fun and launch the Facebook page “Deurne Dodo Quidditch Team”. However, no talks are held between Lermytte and Faniel.
In July 2013, Dàvid Danos, a Canadian exchange student, arrives in Brussels. Together with Zoé Miniconi and Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes, he starts a team named “Belgian Qwaffles”. Danos takes responsibility over the Facebook page.
Danos talks to Lermytte, which results into ‘Deurne Dodos’ actually starting to have practices.
Belgian Qwaffles host a tournament in November “Brussels Muscles Invitational”, with the following teams attending: Paris Phenix, Paris Frog, Barcelona Eagles, Lille Black Snitches, Belgian Qwaffles, Belgian Beerters, Toulouse Quidditch. For this tournament, the Brussels core and Antwerp core are mixed playing for Qwaffles and Beerters.
2014
Belgium hosts the European Quidditch Cup 2014 in Brussels. Brussels core plays as Belgian Qwaffles. Antwerp core plays as Belgian Beerters. Both end in the top 6, qualifying for IQA World Cup VII (a global team competition which no longer exists).
Belgium joins talks about forming a body of European NGBs (National Governing Body) to ensure the growth and development in Europe, but also to make sure the European Quidditch Cup would keep being held.
The European Board, unofficially dubbed “Quidditch Europe” or “European Committee”, decides to boycott IQA World Cup VII for the lack of interest shown from the (old) IQA towards Europe. This results in the disbanding of the (old) IQA and the formation of a true global International Quidditch Association, but also the creation of the Belgian Quidditch Federation.
In July, the “Belgian Gryffins”, the Belgian national quidditch team, makes its first appearance at the IQA Global Games in Vancouver, Canada. They end up in 7th place (out of 7 teams), having to forfeit against the United States of America due to being injured and unprepared.
2015
Zoé Miniconi becomes president of the Belgian Quidditch Federation.
Belgium gains 5 new clubs, bringing the total to 7.
In collaboration with Quidditch Nederland, Belgium hosts the Benelux Cup for the first time.
3 teams compete in the European Quidditch Cup 2015, where Deurne Dodos end up 6th. Brussels Qwaffles make upper bracket. Ghent Gargoyles enjoy their first EQC, but end up 28th (out of 32).
Belgian Gryffins fly to Sarteano, Italy to compete in the first IQA European Games. Belgium just misses the podium, losing to Norway in the bronze medal game.
2016
Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes becomes president of the Belgian Quidditch Federation.
Belgium gains 3 new clubs, bringing the total to 10.
BQF launches the Belgian Quidditch League.
November brings the first ever edition of the Belgian Quidditch Cup, now a deciding factor for who’s qualifying for EQC.
Deurne Dodos take the European silver medal in Gallipoli, Italy, only losing to Paris Titans in the finals. Brussels Qwaffles manage to take a spot in the Top 16 again (out of 40 teams).
The national team finishes 7th, after being knocked out by the United States of America in the quarterfinals of the IQA World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany.
2017
Abelhakim Boukil becomes president.
A joint bid by Antwerp Quidditch Club (formerly Deurne Dodos) and Belgian Quidditch Federation for Mechelen to host EQC is accepted by Quidditch Europe.
Antwerp Quidditch Club (formerly Deurne Dodos) win the European Quidditch Cup in their home country, beating METU Unicorns in the finals. Liège Leviathans are the first other Belgian team since Antwerp and Brussels to make the top 16.
The “Gryffins” compete in the 2017 edition of the IQA European Games, sadly with the same result as 2 years earlier: just missing the podium by being defeated by Norway.
2018
Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes returns as president.
Belgium launches the Development Cup, but is sadly cancelled later in the season due to lack of players from the Developing teams.
Antwerp QC does a tremendous job at EQC and ends up with a medal for the 3th year straight: silver. They lost the final in Pfaffenhofen am der Ilm, Germany to Paris Titans.
Ghent Gargoyles is the 4th Belgian team to ever make it to the top 16.
Belgian Gryffins blow everyone’s expectations and came back home with a silver medal, only defeated by the USA in the IQA World Cup in Florence, Italy.