A student had a magical time when she snaffled the snitch in her first muggle quidditch game.

Rowena Francis, who lives in Purley, was one of as number of Oxford students who took part in the Harry Potter-based sport.

The university has started inter-college games of Quidditch, which has been adapted from the novels in which wizards and witches fly around on broomsticks.

Instead, participants have a broomstick between their legs and use volleyballs to try and score goals.

Miss Francis, 19, said: “It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be but it was tough and there was a lot of one hand throwing and catching – and a lot of dropping the ball.”

The philosophy and German student found out about the game after seeing an advert in her college newspaper.

She said: “I saw the advert and decided to go along because I wanted to try something new just having started my first year.

“I am not obsessive but they are my favourite books.

“I knew the rules but they were really complicated and I was not sure if I would know how to play.

“But it went really well.”

The muggle version of the wizarding game sees a person with a sock in the trousers be the flying snitch, while opposing seekers try and capture the sock as the snitch runs around.

Miss Francis caught the snitch, winning the game for her team.

Games lasted 12 minutes and during the day she also got to play as beater and seeker.

She said: “Seeker was good because I caught the snitch but being a beater was better because you are more involved in the game.”

The games was organised by Angus Barry, founder of the first college team at Oxford.

He is hoping the sport will continue to grow and eventually become big enough for a varsity game against Cambridge, much like the growth of ultimate frisbee.