JK ROWLING has added a touch of magic to the Scotland Rugby team – using the power of fiction.
The celebrated author posted a tale on her website in which she claims three existing members of the Scotland squad have links to the wizarding world.
In her tongue in cheek tale, Rowling suggests that Kelly Brown, Jim Hamilton and Stuart Hogg are linked to characters from her award-winning Harry Potter series.
She wrote that Brown was thought to be a cousin of witch Lavender Brown while Hamilton bore a “strong resemblance” to the much loved giant Hagrid.
The author believed she didn’t need to give a reason for the suspicion of Stuart Hogg, simply saying “enough said”.
Rowling apparently hopes her fable will win the worldwide backing of Potter fans for Scotland ahead of today’s Six Nations clash with Italy.
The 48-year-old posted the story on her Pottermore website, telling how a failed wizard from the 19th Century Scottish Borders turned to his hand to rugby instead.
Rowling’s story tells how Angus Buchanan was born to two magical parents in the Scottish Borders but was actually a “squib” – a wizard with no magical powers.
But after being outed as non-magical, he used his spell dodging skills on the rugby field instead, leading Scotland to victory over England in 1871.
The Wizarding Supporters of Scottish Rugby Union (WSSRU) fan club was set up in Buchanan’s memory, according to Rowling.
The magical men and women of the WSSRU back their favourite “muggle” side without raising suspicion.
“They meet on the eve of every Scottish International match to toast Angus’s memory and anticipate a happy eighty minutes of watching muggles trample each other into the mud,” she writes.
However Rowling joked that the supporters club was persistently forced to deny rumours they had ‘fixed’ the team.
She wrote: “The WSSRU has often had to deny the persistent rumour that its secret mission is to smuggle a talented Squib on to every Scottish team.
“Current suspicions include Kelly Brown (possible cousin of Lavender’s), Jim Hamilton (strong resemblance to Hagrid) and Stuart Hogg (enough said).”
Rowling also took to Twitter to ask her fans to support her native team tomorrow.
She wrote: “Wizards worldwide support the Scottish rugby team. It’s an old magical tradition.”
She added: “Please help keep this noble tradition alive by tweeting wizards4scotlandrugbyteam before #6nations Scotland v Italy tomorrow!”
Fan Spellcharm 106 wrote: “Fantastic. But I’m sorry – I’ll support my own country. IRELAND.”
“This is awesome,” wrote Hallowlse5404.
Scotland will face Italy tomorrow at Stadio Olimpico in Rome where both teams will battle it out having not secured a victory in the 2014 Six Nations.
