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

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 — 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.

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 “Wizard” by a teammate — in reference to the Harry Potter character in J.K. Rowling’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.

“It’s a good challenge for journalists to see if they can think of a unique or original Harry Potter pun,” Potter said at the time.

“It’s been 26 years of it, so it’s pretty funny, I reckon. And yeah, tip my hat if you think of something original.”

Potter was born in London in December 1997 — six months after “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first of Rowling’s series of world-famous novels, was released. He moved to Melbourne at the age of 10.

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“I was (in Australia) for school,” 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. I’m speaking with a more Aussie than English accent, which doesn’t make you feel too English to be honest.

“It’s a pleasure to be with the Wallabies and certainly I feel very Australian.”

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 “Grand Slam” 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 — and the 989th player to feature for the Wallabies in their proud history — 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 — who switched from rugby league last month — 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 Sua’ali’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, ⁠Isaac Kailea, Zane Nonggorr, ⁠Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, ⁠Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen.

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