Russian National Quidditch Team

The Russian National Quidditch Team represents the nation of Russia in international Quidditch competitions. While not mentioned in the original novels, the team is noted for its strong performance during the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, where it reached the semi-finals amidst a controversy surrounding its Seeker. The team also features as a playable national team in the * Quidditch World Cup* video game.

The team's most significant known appearance was in the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Their journey through the tournament was marked by a series of decisive victories before they were ultimately knocked out by Bulgaria in a closely contested semi-final match. All information regarding this tournament comes from Ginny Weasley's and Rita Skeeter's reports for the Daily Prophet (Pottermore). The team's path through the 2014 Quidditch World Cup was as follows:

1. First Round: Defeated the Haitian National Team, 210-100.
2. Second Round: Defeated the Dutch National Team, 330-140.
3. Quarter-Finals: Defeated the Luxembourgish National Team, 450-200.
4. Semi-Finals: Were defeated by the Bulgarian National Team, 180-270.

Little is known about the team's overall playing style, though its performance in 2014 indicates a strong and effective squad.

• 2014 Team Roster and Controversy (Pottermore):
  • The team's Chasers were described as being “highly rated”.
  • The team's Seeker, Ivan Volkov, became the subject of a major controversy. He was accused by rival teams of being a “ringer”—an unregistered Metamorphmagus—due to his seemingly different facial structure in each match. The Russian Ministry of Magic was forced to hold a press conference to deny these “scurrilous allegations,” insisting that Volkov had simply had a series of fashionable haircuts.
• Video Game Representation (video game):
  • In the * Quidditch World Cup* video game, the Russian team wears red robes and uses an emblem of a golden double-headed eagle, a traditional symbol of Russia.
  • The known players from the game are:
    • Seeker: Vasili Dimitrov
    • Keeper: Pyotr Vulchanov
    • Chasers: Alexi, Ivan, and Lev
    • Beaters: The names of the Beaters are not specified.

The Russian National Quidditch Team is never mentioned in the seven original *Harry Potter* novels. All canonical information about the team comes from J.K. Rowling's “History of the Quidditch World Cup” series of articles, which were published on the Pottermore website in 2014. The team's appearance in the * Quidditch World Cup* (2003) video game predates its inclusion in the wider canon via Pottermore. The player names and team details from the game are generally not considered part of the main book canon. Notably, the name “Ivan” appears for both a Chaser in the game and the Seeker in the Pottermore articles, though it is unclear if this is intentional or a coincidence.