VIDEO: School pupils get a flavour of Hogwarts - with Harry Potter inspired Quidditch sessions

A Quidditch team brought a little magic to pupils at Ackworth School.

Members of the Leeds Griffin Quidditch Team taught youngsters at the Pontefract independent school how to play with a sport taster session this week.

Real life Quidditch is inspired by the game in the Harry Potter book and film franchise.

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The 'muggle' version, invented in the United States in 2005, combines elements of dodgeball and rugby and is now played all over the world.

Helen Batty, a member of staff at Ackworth who organised the session, said: “I know that we have many Harry Potter fans at the school, who were very keen to try Quidditch, but one of the things that attracted me to the sport was how inclusive it is.

"Quidditch is played in mixed gender teams. It's a combination of tag rugby, dodgeball, and basketball, so there's a position on the pitch for everybody.”

Head girl Victoria Patel attended the session. She said: “We didn't quite know what to expect when we signed up, but it was an amazing experience. The combination of sports meant we learnt a lot of new skills, and even those who would normally say they hate sport really enjoyed it.”

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The Leeds Griffins, based at the University of Leeds, ran the trial in the hope of attracting more younger players to the sport.

A spokesperson said: “We at the Griffins feel that not enough people know of the wonders of this inclusive sport.

"Many different universities are trying to get together with schools, up and down the country, in order to introduce it to a wider audience.

"We believe it has great potential for a whole range of people, especially those who feel daunted by the more traditional sports."