THE sport typically features players flying around a field on magical broomsticks and was made famous in the Harry Potter series.

But for Jonathan Purvis, 21, of Yarnacott, Shoebury, Quidditch is more than just a fictional game but a real life contest as he prepares to enter the world cup as a seeker.

QuidditchUK, the national governing body of the sport, has picked Mr Purvis as one of the country’s best talent for the International Quidditch Association World Cup in Italy in June.

Mr Purvis, a history graduate from the University of Warwick, has been playing Quidditch since late 2014 when he was introduced to it at university.

Since then, his Quidditch talents have gone from strength to strength and he has never looked back.

He said: “While I was at university, my friend brought be along to a training session.

“The university had a Quidditch team and I thought it would be interesting to go along. It was a bit of a laugh and quite fun. In the end, I really enjoyed it.

“It is good exercise and it helped me stayed active. I graduated last summer but I still played.

“Usually, when you play for the university team, there are scouts that come to the matches.

“I got chosen to go along to training sessions with the national teams and was scouted for the national tournaments

“Yeah I’m really excited to go. I’ve never been to Florence before so it should be fun.

“I think we’ve got a very good chance. We will definitely take home a medal.”

Mr Purvis will represent the UK as part of a 25-player squad, and will compete against 31 other teams in Florence. The world cup, the fourth of its kind, will run from June 27 to July 2.

Mel Piper, President of QuidditchUK, said: “These are the best players in the country and we are happy to be representing the country this year.

“In 2016 we won bronze; in 2018 we’re going for gold.”

Quidditch is adapted from the Harry Potter novels and draws on aspects of rugby and dodgeball.