Wing 'wizard' Harry Potter to play for Australia's rugby team. He knows the puns are coming

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PA Wire

Australia's Harry Potter during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington, Britain, Friday Nov. 8, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Australian rugby player Harry Potter has already heard all the puns. He better brace himself for a few more after being picked Friday to play for his country for the first time ā€” fittingly in the city where the famous books about his fantasy namesake were written.

Potter, a 26-year-old winger who was born in England before moving to Australia as a child, was selected to play against Scotland in a test match taking place in Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh on Sunday.

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When he was picked by the Wallabies last month for their end-of-year European tour, the 26-year-old Potter said he had been given the nickname ā€œWizardā€ by a teammate ā€” in reference to the Harry Potter character in J.K. Rowlingā€™s fantasy novels. Rowling has said she wrote most of the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh.

Potter then issued a test for the rugby media.

ā€œItā€™s a good challenge for journalists to see if they can think of a unique or original Harry Potter pun,ā€ Potter said at the time.

ā€œItā€™s been 26 years of it, so itā€™s pretty funny, I reckon. And yeah, tip my hat if you think of something original.ā€

Potter was born in London in December 1997 ā€” six months after ā€œHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,ā€ the first of Rowling's series of world-famous novels, was released. He moved to Melbourne at the age of 10.

ā€œI was (in Australia) for school,ā€ he said last month. "I watched the Wallabies play from Year 7 right up until now and I heartily feel like I was here for a more influential part of my life. Iā€™m speaking with a more Aussie than English accent, which doesnā€™t make you feel too English to be honest.

ā€œItā€™s a pleasure to be with the Wallabies and certainly I feel very Australian.ā€

Potter will bring his wing wizardry to an Australia team seeking a sweep of the rugby nations in Britain and Ireland for the first time since that end-of-year ā€œGrand Slamā€ was achieved by the Wallabies in 1984.

It's team in transition, too.

Potter will become the 18th player to make his debut for Australia in 2024 ā€” and the 989th player to feature for the Wallabies in their proud history ā€” as coach Joe Schmidt continues to bring in new faces in search of greater squad depth.

Potter is one of six changes to the team that started the 52-20 win over Wales last weekend, including captain Harry Wilson returning at No. 8 and Joseph Sua'ali'i ā€” who switched from rugby league last month ā€” is back at outside center for his second start for Australia.

Sua'ali'i also started the 42-37 victory over England that kicked off the Wallabies' end-of-year European tour. It ends in Dublin with a test against Ireland, when Australia will be hoping to clinch a first Grand Slam since 1984.

Samu Kerevi is missing because of suspension after being sent off against Wales.

Scotland No. 8 Matt Fagerson will play his 50th match for his country.

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Scotland: Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jamie Ritchie, Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist, Zander Fagerson, Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman. Reserves: Dylan Richardson, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Alex Craig, Josh Bayliss, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe.

Australia: Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Joseph Suaā€™aliā€™i, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini, Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Allan Alaalatoa, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell. Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, ā Isaac Kailea, Zane Nonggorr, ā Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, ā Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby


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