The Britain and Ireland Quidditch League

• Type: Professional Quidditch sporting league
• Region: Great Britain and Ireland
• Established: 1674 (Quidditch Through the Ages)
• Number of Teams: Thirteen
• Governing Body: Department of Magical Games and Sports
• Trophy: The League Cup

The Britain and Ireland Quidditch League is the premier professional Quidditch competition for teams in Great Britain and Ireland. It was established in 1674, a pivotal moment in the sport's history that brought structure and regulation to what were previously often chaotic and poorly-organized local matches. The Department of Magical Games and Sports decreed that all teams would be officially registered and that certain dangerous practices, such as bringing live dragons onto the pitch, were forbidden. The League consists of thirteen teams who compete against each other throughout a season that runs from approximately November to May. The team that finishes at the top of the league table at the end of the season is awarded the League Cup. The League serves as the main domestic competition and is followed avidly by the wizarding public, with match results and player analysis frequently appearing in publications like the Daily Prophet. Players who excel in the League often go on to represent their home countries in the Quidditch World Cup.

There are thirteen teams that compete in the League. These teams are a significant part of Wizarding Culture, with many witches and wizards holding fierce loyalties to them.

• Appleby Arrows: A team from Northern England, known for their pale blue robes.
• Ballycastle Bats: A Northern Irish team, famous for their mascot, Barny the Fruitbat.
• Caerphilly Catapults: A Welsh team with a notable history of eighteen league wins.
• Chudley Cannons: An English team known for their bright orange robes. They are the favorite team of Ron Weasley, though their performance has been poor for many years. Their motto changed from “We shall conquer” to “Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.”
• Falmouth Falcons: An English team known for their aggressive style of play.
• Holyhead Harpies: A very old Welsh team, notable for being the only team in the league composed entirely of witches. Their Seeker, Gwenog Jones, was captain during Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts.
• Kenmare Kestrels: An Irish team, celebrated for the masterful displays of their leprechaun mascots.
• Montrose Magpies: The most successful team in the history of the League, having won the League Cup thirty-two times.
• Pride of Portree: A team from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, founded in 1292.
• Puddlemere United: An English team founded in 1163, making it the oldest in the League. Albus Dumbledore was a known supporter.
• Tutshill Tornados: An English team from Tutshill, whose supporters include Cho Chang. They wear sky-blue robes.
• Wigtown Wanderers: A Scottish team founded by the seven children of a wizard butcher.
• Wimbourne Wasps: An English team with striped yellow-and-black robes. The famed Ministry of Magic official and former Beater Ludo Bagman played for them.

The League is a constant presence in the background of the Harry Potter series, serving to build the world and provide a sense of normalcy and culture outside of the struggle against Lord Voldemort. It is primarily seen through the eyes of Ron Weasley, whose bedroom at The Burrow is covered in Chudley Cannons posters and memorabilia. His passion for the team and his discussions about their performance provide insight into the everyday life of a young wizard. The League is also a source of shared cultural knowledge, with many characters having a favorite team. Cho Chang's support for the Tutshill Tornados is a point of conversation on her date with Harry, and Horace Slughorn boasts of his connection to Gwenog Jones, the captain of the Holyhead Harpies. The fame of league players like Ludo Bagman demonstrates that Quidditch stars are major celebrities in the wizarding world.

The definitive and most comprehensive information about the Britain and Ireland Quidditch League, including its history and the complete list of all thirteen teams, comes from the supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages, written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Kennilworthy Whisp. The events and details from this book are considered canonical within the franchise. Additional stories about league matches have occasionally been published on the Wizarding World website (formerly Pottermore), such as reports from the Daily Prophet's sports correspondent, Ginny Weasley. (Pottermore)