Just received a clipping sent by Nikkei, Japan’s biggest newspaper (also the world’s biggest, with a daily circulation of 4 million), of coverage of the World Cup.

Some of the best lines from the full article (they sent a paper copy of the translation):

“The team from Middlebury College, having come from behind to defeat the University of Florida, celebrated on the field as their fans jumped from their seats and cheered. The athletes from Florida stood frozen in shock. The winning and losing teams’ expressions were filled with the same overflowing emotion you’d expect in baseball or soccer.” 

“Teams are mixed-sex, another way in which Quidditch stands apart from the average. This feeling of freshness and uniqueness seems to have captured the hearts of young people.” 

And very interestingly:

“Whether or not Muggle Quidditch succeeds in really setting down roots in the sports world depends on whether college students who have grown to love the game in college can continue to play once they graduate.”