Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) has this week announced the names of the four teams competing at this year’s first Winter Box League, along with the selected Head Coach and Team Manager pairings.
London Knights, Steelheads, Thundercats, and Heaton Hornets will all be taking part in the inaugural competition that takes place on Sunday 18 December, Sunday 8 January, and Sunday 15 January.
The London Knights will be led by two England legends and European Championship winners, Tom Roche and Eliot Pugh, who will take on the Head Coach and Team Manager roles respectively.
Roche will be Head Coach in a non-playing capacity while he recovers from a pre-existing knee injury while Pugh will be the Knights’ first-choice goalkeeper.
Steelheads, who finished third at this year’s first ever Box Fest in Oxford, will be headed up by England Assistant Coach, Rob Ingham Clark, and England offensive star, Matt Marsh, who will both take on the Head Coach and Team Manager roles as co-coaches; both are expected to suit-up and play at certain points during the League.
Retired England attacker, David ‘Wavey’ Leach has been selected as Head Coach of Box Fest runners-up, Thundercats, and will team up with Primal ‘Nando’ Fernando as Team Manager.
Leach and Fernando have over a decade of international box experience between them and they’ll be leading their Thundercats team both off and on the floor.
The final team to take part in this year’s Winter Box League is Heaton Hornets who will be led by England Head Coach, Andy Downing, as Head Coach; he’ll work alongside SBL Executive Committee member, Brucie Morris, as his Team Manager.
The Heaton Hornets identity first took the floor at the first ever Tasko Cup in 2014 and will make its return to the box lacrosse scene when the Winter Box League finally begins in December.
While the coaching teams have now been announced, applications to enter the player draft remain open HERE with a discounted rate of £60pp available until 1 November after which the price increases to £75.
Applications to join the player draft will close at midnight on Sunday 13 November with the opening game day on Sunday 11 December at the 3G Dome at Oxford Academy School.