Refereeing Advisory Group Members Announced

England Lacrosse are delighted to reveal the names of the inaugural members of the new Refereeing Advisory Group (RAG), who will oversee refereeing for lacrosse in England.

The RAG, working under the guidance of the Officiating Advisory Group and National Lacrosse Committee, is responsible for leading on the strategy for the future of refereeing in England.

The Group provides guidance and expertise on the application of rules for the domestic game, works with regions to promote refereeing across the country, and acts as a point of contact for any relevant refereeing issues.

Teaming up with the Chair of the Group, Mark Buckley, who was appointed earlier this month, the new members of the RAG are as follows:

Andy Higginbottom, Harrysson Waldman, Wilf Seville, Dan Arnison, Hazel Wisby, Nick Flew, Phil Pearson, Michael Leahy, Rob Clark.

There will also be two honorary members sitting on the Group: Peter Davidson and Don Blacklock.

Chair of the Group, Mark Buckley, is delighted to welcome the newly appointed members, who bring with them such experience:

“I think we have selected a balanced group with a mix of experience and fresh ideas who represent the full spread of referees in the country.

“We had to make a few hard choices but this group is committed to developing refereeing in England from grassroots all the way up to international level. I’m excited to get started and look forward to the challenge”.

Due to the new members’ experience in Box Lacrosse, the Group will also look to form a sub-committee to oversee officiating Box Lacrosse in England.

Annual Rules Test for officials now available

The England Lacrosse 2020/21 Annual Rules Test (ART) is now available to be completed ahead of the upcoming season.

The ART is a mandatory requirement for all officials to ensure currency of the rules and any rule changes that may have been made.

We have completed an upgrade of our learning platform during the Summer which has now been synced with the membership platform, meaning you can access everything from one place with one set of login details.

The ART can now be accessed directly from your membership profile. Simply; login and view your profile, select Access Learning Platform from the sidebar menu and you should then be able to directly access the tests.

Both Referee and Umpire ARTs will be visible; please select the test relevant to your qualification(s).

The results of your ART will be presented straight away and once passed, please give up to an hour for this to be reflected on your profile and your qualification changed to current.

If you fail the test, you will be able to retake it immediately until you achieve a pass mark.

Thank you for your patience while we resolved the technical issues with the Annual Rules Test (ART) for this season.

If you have any further questions, please email Ryan Griffiths at r.griffiths@englandlacrosse.co.uk

Iroquois Nationals Set to Take Part in World Games 2022!

The Iroquois Nationals have accepted an invitation from World Lacrosse, in cooperation with the International World Games Association (IWGA) and The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee (TWG 2022, to take part in the World Games 2022.

This comes just a few days after Ireland Lacrosse announced they would be voluntarily withdrawing their participation in the competition to free up space for the Iroquois.

In a statement released last night, World Lacrosse announced the eight men’s teams who will be taking part (Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Iroquois Nationals, Israel, Japan, United States) and their President, Sue Redfern, said:

“This is a very good day, and outcome, for the sport of lacrosse.

“We have arrived at an outcome that will create a true showcase for lacrosse at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham.

“This was achieved by our organisations coming together, listening carefully and working constructively to reach a shared goal”.

World Lacrosse Chief Executive Officer, Jim Scherr, went on to say:

“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the leadership of the International World Games Association, The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee, Ireland Lacrosse and the Iroquois Nationals for their partnership and support in working toward an outcome about which we can all be pleased.

“International sport has the power to unite and that has never been more evident than in how our organizations and the lacrosse community came together to find a solution”.

In response to the exciting news, the Iroquois Nationals tweeted: “We’ll see you all in Birmingham. Let’s do this #TogetherAsOne”.

We'll see you all in Birmingham.
Let's do this.#TogetherAsOne https://t.co/VaV1nEaWCt

— IROQUOIS NATIONALS LACROSSE (@IRQ_Nationals) September 7, 2020

In their statement, World Lacrosse also confirmed that the top eight eligible women’s teams based upon final placement in the 2021 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship will be invited to participate in The World Games 2022.

They confirmed the women’s team representing the Haudenosaunee Nation will be eligible for selection.

The 2021 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship will take place July 7-17, 2021 in Towson, Maryland, USA.

Value our Volunteers for National Lacrosse Day 2020!

England Lacrosse are delighted to announce the theme for this year’s National Lacrosse Day is “Value our Volunteers” and will take place on Saturday 19 September!

We think it’s fair to say that this year has been a little different from other years and we’ve all been playing a lot less lacrosse than we’re used to.

But, despite such trying times, many dedicated volunteers up and down the country continued to work hard to ensure their local lacrosse clubs were able open after lockdown.

Throughout the four month lockdown period, many volunteers were keeping their club’s pitches and clubhouses in good nick, phoning club members to check on their wellbeing, delivering online lacrosse sessions perfect for back gardens, and much much more.

So, we think it’s only fair to dedicate National Lacrosse Day 2020 to all those volunteers who have helped to keep lacrosse going through the coronavirus pandemic!

As part of National Lacrosse Day 2020, we’re challenging every school, university, club, and individual involved in lacrosse to value your volunteers; those who have helped you and your club/team through this period and who are invaluable to the lacrosse community.

But before we flood social media with pictures of our wonderful volunteers, we want you to get in touch with us to tell us all about the volunteer/s you value most.

We’re going to tell the stories of these volunteers throughout National Lacrosse Day and really celebrate the fantastic people who keep lacrosse in England going.

To get involved, simply email j.naylor@englandlacrosse.co.uk with a picture of the volunteer you want to recognise and an accompanying story charting how they have helped you/your club during this difficult year.

Why not get the National Lacrosse Day 2020 word out on your social media channels? Download and share now!

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Facebook Cover Photo (Men)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Facebook Cover Photo (Women)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Twitter Header Photo (Men)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Twitter Header Photo (Women)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Instagram Photo (Men)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Instagram Photo (Women)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Logo (Men)

National Lacrosse Day 2020 Logo (Women)

Mark Buckley Appointed to Lead Refereeing Advisory Group

Mark Buckley has been appointed as the Chair of the newly established England Lacrosse Refereeing Advisory Group.

The Refereeing Advisory Group, working under the guidance of the Officiating Advisory Group and National Lacrosse Committee, has been created to lead on the strategy for the future of refereeing in England.

The new Group will replace the previous Referee and Rules Committee and will provide guidance and expertise on the application of rules for the domestic game, work with regions to promote refereeing across the country, and act as a point of contact for any relevant refereeing issues.

Mark is a highly experienced and well-respected official within the men’s game on a domestic and international level.

He began refereeing in 2011 and, since earning his Level 5 award, has officiated at two senior and one U19 level World Championships. In addition to his success in England, Mark has officiated on both MLL and NCAA in the USA.

Following Mark’s appointment, we are now looking for representatives from the sport in England to join the Advisory Group.

The Group is looking for members from across the wide range of sectors within the game to give the Group the widest spectrum of views possible.

Information on applying to be a part of the Refereeing Advisory Group can be found HERE.

England Lacrosse would also like to take this opportunity to thank Chair of the Referee and Rules Committee, Peter Davidson, for his hard work over the last 10 years.

Since 2010, Peter has been instrumental in the development of Refereeing in England and it would not be in the same position without his hard work and dedication to the cause.

England Lacrosse Girls National Academy Back with a Bang!

Last weekend marked the first Girls’ National Academy sessions since the country was put into lockdown due to coronavirus at the end of March.

Despite some players missing out due to the Government’s 14-day quarantine rules after returning from overseas, 58 girls were still able to enjoy a two-day COVID-secure session at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus.

With the usual residential side of the sessions being cancelled to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, many of the girls travelled from all over the country each day as they were so keen to get back on the lacrosse field!

Players were asked not to travel to the Academy sessions if they were feeling unwell and, upon arrival, they had their temperatures checked while their family members remained in their cars.

They were then placed into three discrete groups operating in their own ‘bubble’ and with their own coaches.

Further, clear protocols had been set up to help reduce the risk of transmitting the virus with numerous hand sanitising stations, regular breaks to sanitise equipment, and a strict no sharing of equipment policy.

After months being forced to improve their ‘wall ball’ skills in their own back gardens, the girls came to the sessions with enthusiasm and determination and were keen to impress after such a long time away.

One parent, whose daughter was taking part in the National Academy session, remarked how brilliant it was to see her daughter playing lacrosse again.

“My daughter returned home exhausted but full of enthusiasm - it was nice to see that again.

“During the past five months, she has been working for our care home business and we are super proud of her, but is was tough on a 16 year old, so it was great to see her fired up and enthusiastic again”! 

England Lacrosse National Performance & Talent Development Manager, Jane Powell, hailed the first Academy session after lockdown a huge success.

“It was great to see the Talent Pathway restarting and the level of skill and ability that we have in the girls ‘ game has continued to develop in lockdown thanks to individual motivation but also a physical programme that was sent out and had obviously been followed by the majority of the girls”.

A number of the girls are now moving on to University and England U23 Team Assessments and we wish them well as they enter the next stage in their lives and continue to play lacrosse.

Sienna Parekh & Paul Bibby Discuss their New Umpiring Advisory Group Roles

View fullsize

View fullsize

Last week, the members of the new Umpiring Advisory Group (UAG) were announced; the Group, working under the guidance of the Officiating Advisory Group and National Lacrosse Committee, is responsible for leading on the strategy for the future of umpiring in England.

It provides guidance and expertise on the application of rules for the domestic game, works with regions to promote umpiring across the country, and acts as a point of contact for any relevant umpiring issues.

One of the newly appointed members, 16-year-old Sienna Parekh, told England Lacrosse that it’s important to have a diverse range of people in the Group.

“The rule changes affect my game directly, so I feel as though I can provide a first-hand account on the game at a school/club level where there may be less representation in the Group”.

Sienna first started playing lacrosse after one of her teachers suggested she attend a summer camp and she hasn’t looked back since!

“One of the PE teachers in my school had a summer camp where we could try out lacrosse, so I joined in year five.

“Funnily enough, I tried out being a goalie in that camp too. Six years on and I still play in goal for this club, at my school and on the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway”. 

It is quite unusual for someone so young to want to become an official but Sienna says it’s all about her being able to understand the game in a more nuanced way.

“Lacrosse has become such a big part of my life and I have a great passion for playing the sport; I wanted to start umpiring in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the game (but also to find another excuse to be on the pitch 24/7!)”.

She says that being a member of the new Group will allow her to showcase her communication skills as well as change the game of lacrosse for the better.

“Being one of the youngest members of the Group, I hope to gain experience in communicating in a professional setting with others as well as gaining a deeper knowledge of the game”.

In reaction to the appointment of the new members, the Chair of the Group, Paul Bibby, who was appointed last month, said:

“Members of the Umpiring Advisory Group are directly involved with clubs, schools and universities across the regions. The umpiring experience within the group ranges across all five levels of qualification.  

“The Umpiring Advisory Group provides the opportunity for people from all regions and factions of the game to receive information from and provide information and feedback to it”.

For more information about the new Group and its members, click below:

Return to Play guidance update - 27 August

England Lacrosse Return to Play Guidance Update 27.08.20

England Lacrosse would like to issue an update to our Return to Play (RTP) guidance, including play within local lockdown areas, frequency of participation, match protocols, and indoor lacrosse.

Local Lockdowns

After seeking clarification regarding play within areas under local lockdowns, lacrosse within most of these areas should be permitted to move to Phase 4 of the RTP guidance.

Only if a lockdown restricts the movement or meeting of people, or specifically mentions sport, would the circumstances change from the national picture.

Therefore, those in local restriction areas can progress to Phase 4 – We would like to remind all in the community that participation under Phase 4 guidelines should only take place once all relevant RTP protocols are in place.

Please remember to fill in an Intent to Train form and complete your risk assessment. As a club, make sure you keep all contact details for three weeks, to comply with NHS track and trace.

In the event of a new lockdown scenario, we recommend that clubs check with England Lacrosse covid@englandlacrosse.co.uk and we will advise as soon as the Government advice has been presented.

Frequency of Activity

FAQ: “I’ve read the rules on leaving 72 hours between each instance of participating in lacrosse (whether playing, coaching, umpiring), but they don’t work for me. What should I do?”

The guidance set out by England Lacrosse regarding frequency of participation is our best practice recommendation.

We urge all participants to follow it but acknowledge that in some exceptional circumstances this may not be possible.

The key point is that all players, coaches, officials should take every possible step to minimise their contact with other people each week.

Meeting with multiple groups of people significantly magnifies the risk of transferring the virus, and may cause significant disruption should a participant within one of those groups contract the virus.

At a minimum, you should ensure that every group you attend keeps a record of all attendees and contact details so that you and they can comply with NHS Track and Trace regulations. You should maintain social distancing whenever you can, especially when umpiring and coaching.

Protocols for Temperature Control

On arrival at a match or training, all participants should be temperature checked. If their temperature is 37.5˚C or above they should not be allowed to participate in the session and instead be advised to return home and, if their temperature remains high or other symptoms develop, register for a Covid-19 test.

They should not return to lacrosse until they are confident they have no symptoms or have had a negative test.

Participants may contest the validity of the temperature check. If they do so they can either return to their car or sit in a socially-distanced designated area for 5 minutes and then be checked again. If the result is still 37. 5˚C or above they should be sent home as above.

Use of Whistles

It has been identified that using a standard whistle can cause a potential increase in droplet transmission – we would therefore like coaches and officials to consider using electronic whistles. These can be easily accessed and range in price from £8.50- £20 and are highly effective and safe.

If you still use a standard whistle, then please make every effort to distance yourself from others.

Indoor Lacrosse

England Lacrosse has this week sent a request to DCMS for approval to commence indoor lacrosse.

As indoor facilities start to open, we would like to add indoor lacrosse to our guidelines and we now await confirmation that this complies with Government advice.

Please do not resume any form of indoor lacrosse until our request has been approved.

Finally, many thanks to each and every member of our lacrosse community who has helped in following our Return to Play guidance.

As part of our personal and collective responsibility to control the situation, your efforts to make lacrosse as safe as possible continue to allow us all to enjoy taking part in lacrosse again.

England Lacrosse Seek Members for New Refereeing Advisory Group

England Lacrosse are looking to appoint members to the Refereeing Advisory Group (RAG), overseeing refereeing for the sport in England.

The Refereeing Advisory Group, working under the guidance of the Officiating Advisory Group and National Lacrosse Committee, will be responsible for leading on the strategy for the future of refereeing in England.

The members will be responsible for, amongst other things, ensuring the group builds and maintains links with NLC, OAG, Regions, Talent and Performance and be a functional part of RAG meetings, reviewing all information on officiating development and performance in order to ensure sound decision making, effective monitoring and the provision of suitable advice.

A job description and person specification for the role can be accessed HERE.

To apply for the position please send your CV, a short cover letter detailing your suitably for the role, and the Equalities Monitoring Form found in the job description document to Officiating Coordinator, Ryan Griffiths, r.griffiths@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

This is a voluntary position with reasonable expenses paid.

Applications for the position close on Friday 11 September.

England Lacrosse COVID-Secure Summer Camps a Success!

The England Lacrosse girls’ summer camp programme for 2020 finished last week, with over 450 girls attending some 22 day camps across four weeks throughout July and August.

In mid June, we announced that we’d been working since the prevalence of the coronavirus outbreak to plan a summer camp programme which could be delivered with the Government COVID-19 restrictions. 

We decided that, with social distancing restrictions in place and in order to maintain a fun and engaging curriculum, camps would run on a 2-day programme schedule with no form of residential camp.

We gained approval to follow the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidelines that detail protective measures for out-of-school holiday camps and ensured all protocols were in place to keep our girls and coaches as safe as possible.

Upon arrival, girls were directed to our dedicated summer camps team who checked and noted everyone’s temperature.

As per the Government guidelines, the camps operated a ‘pod’ system with campers being allocated a ‘pod’ based on age, ability and friendship requests.

Campers remained in these ‘pods’ in their allocated pitch space for the two days and were overseen by their own pod-specific coach.

Time spent doing activities inside was kept to a minimum to further reduce the risk of possibly transmitting the virus.

One camp host, Charterhouse School, said they were delighted with the way the summer camps went ahead this year.

“Despite the inevitable concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, we were very impressed with the comprehensive measures put in place and the professionalism displayed by the team on the ground delivering the course.  

“There were plenty of coaches on hand to welcome the players and explain to them exactly what was expected of them from a social distancing and hygiene perspective, and as ever, the overall organisation was smooth and professional”.

England Lacrosse are extremely pleased that so many girls were able to get back onto the lacrosse field after such a long time away and delighted the guidelines in place were adhered to and kept everyone safe while at the camps!

Umpiring Advisory Group Members Announced

England Lacrosse are delighted to reveal the names of the inaugural members of the new Umpiring Advisory Group (UAG), who will oversee umpiring for lacrosse in England.

The UAG, working under the guidance of the Officiating Advisory Group and National Lacrosse Committee, is responsible for leading on the strategy for the future of umpiring in England.

The Group provides guidance and expertise on the application of rules for the domestic game, works with regions to promote umpiring across the country, and acts as a point of contact for any relevant umpiring issues.

Teaming up with the Chair of the Group, Paul Bibby, who was appointed last month, the new members of the UAG are as follows:

Annabell Campbell, Annabelle Stoney, Chloe Watterson, Fiona Gee, Giles Clark, Iona Westwood, Jude Rivis, Sara Benbow, and Sienna Parekh.

England Lacrosse Officiating & Competitions Officer, Ryan Griffiths, is delighted to welcome the newly appointed members, who bring with them such experience:

“The Umpiring Advisory Group marks a huge and important change in how decisions that affect umpires are made and I can’t wait to start working with such a talented group of individuals to improve the overall standard and experience of umpiring in England”.

Sallie Barker Elected as Finance & Governance Director on World Lacrosse Board of Directors

England Lacrosse are excited to announce that Sallie Barker has been elected as the Finance & Governance Director on the World Lacrosse Board of Directors.

Sallie received 60 per cent of the votes from the 42 eligible voting delegates (37 full members and 5 elected board directors).

She will serve a four-year term which will formally begin after the 2020 General Assembly but she will serve as a Director-elect until that time, “with voice but no vote on the World Lacrosse Board of Directors.

Sallie is well-known to those in the lacrosse community as she has been involved in the sport since the 90s!

She is the current Chair of Great Britain Lacrosse, England Lacrosse’s Grassroots & Events Committees, British Blind Sport, and the Safeguarding Adults in Sport Group as well as a co-opted board member of England Lacrosse.

In the past, Sallie has also chaired the 2017 Women’s World Cup Local Organising Committee and the amalgamation of the men’s and women’s lacrosse associations in England and was also a member of the Transition Committee that led to the development of FIL, now World Lacrosse.

Despite never having played lacrosse, Sallie is a knowledgable figure in the sport and simply cannot wait to get started on the World Lacrosse Board of Directors, telling England Lacrosse:

“I have been passionately committed to lacrosse’s development in England and internationally for over 25 years and I am delighted that I’m going to be involved in the next stage of WL’s development journey, as we seek our goal of Olympic recognition”!

England Lacrosse would like to place on record our congratulations to Sallie upon her election and wish her all the best in her new role.

Sheffield University Celebrates a Century of Lacrosse!

Sheffield University Lacrosse Club is gearing up to celebrate 100 years since the formation of its women’s team, a team that is still going strong today.

Lacrosse is one of 58 sports clubs at the university and it was founded just 15 years after the institution was granted royal charter in 1905.

Formed in time to participate in the 1920/21 season, they lost 23-0 to the Nottingham Ladies Lacrosse Team in their first match.

It wasn’t until a year later in 1921 that a Sheffield University men’s lacrosse team was formed and a lot has happened since then!

The club now has seven teams, including four British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) teams, a women’s and a men’s development team, as well as a mixed team.

It is believed the club may have stopped operating for a period because of World War II and Sheffield University Lacrosse Club Women’s Secretary, Isabella Harkin, says they only recently found out about the centenary.

“We weren't aware of how old the club actually is! This may have been due to its hiatus during and after WWII, meaning we don't have much information on what the club was like before. 

“Now knowing we are about to reach this milestone, it feels amazing to be part of a club with such a rich history and it’s so nice to look back at photos of past teams and read some of their accounts of their time in Sheffield. 

“It also feels great to be able to mark the centenary of the women's side in the confidence that we have managed to become a much more established side of the club, with two BUCS teams and a growing development squad”.

Before the coronavirus pandemic forced the whole of the UK into lockdown, the club were hoping to mark the centenary with a big charity tournament, involving both current and alumni players.

It is hoped the tournament will still go ahead either later in the year or at some point next year but, despite this, Isabella says they are “still looking forward to growing the Sheffield Lacrosse family in the coming season and we hope we can host a few friendly games before formal BUCS matches start up in the new year”.

When asked why she thought lacrosse had been so popular at Sheffield University for such a long time and why it was important to keep the sport going and thriving in the Steel City, Isabella remarked:

“It's so important for the club to continue to grow so we can increase the sport’s popularity and the awareness of the sport in wider communities, where it isn't necessarily well known.

“We already try to do this through our amazing volunteering programme for school-aged children in the Sheffield area.

“Also, joining the lacrosse club at Sheffield is such a great opportunity to meet new people; we’re now a club of 130 members, with four BUCS teams, two development squads and a mixed session.

“Everyone is welcome, from current players to those who haven't picked up a stick before- you won't be alone!”

To keep up to date with the centenary celebrations and all the latest news from Sheffield University Lacrosse Club, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their website.

Haudenosaunee Nation Given Green Light to Compete at The World Games 2022

The International World Games Association (IWGA), World Lacrosse, and The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee (TWG 2022) have confirmed that the men's and women's teams representing the Haudenosaunee Nation will be eligible to compete in the TWG 2022 if they qualify to do so under the criteria set by World Lacrosse and approved by the IWGA.

The decision follows a formal request from World Lacrosse, which asked the IWGA Executive Committee for approval to invite the Iroquois Nationals, representing the Haudenosaunee Nation.

A statement released over the weekend went onto say:

“In making this request to the IWGA, World Lacrosse emphasised the position of honour held by the Haudenosaunee Nation, as the originators of the game.

“The IWGA Executive Committee, Coordinating Committee and Management Team, also recognised the strong desire from the international lacrosse community to see the Iroquois Nationals compete in The World Games 2022 and quickly reviewed the formal request from World Lacrosse and rendered a favourable decision.

“The IWGA confirmed that they would welcome any eligible, full member of World Lacrosse to compete in The World Games 2022.

“It is now up to World Lacrosse to put forward its eligibility criteria and the list of eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams that will compete in The World Games 2022, which could include the Iroquois Nationals.

“This will require further agreement from other organisations involved in international sport, which World Lacrosse will seek to obtain.

Upon release of the statement, World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern, remarked:

“On behalf of World Lacrosse, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the leadership of the International World Games Association and The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organising Committee for their favourable response to our request to allow the Haudenosaunee Nation to compete in TWG 2022.

“It is clear the leaders of these organisations are committed to upholding the highest ideals of international sport, and we are grateful.

“Though The World Games 2022 Birmingham are still two years away, we look forward to joining other sports for what we know will be an outstanding event and a memorable celebration of sport”.

England Lacrosse membership renewals for 2020/21 season

England Lacrosse membership fees frozen ahead of the 2020/21 season.

With the 2020/21 lacrosse season approaching, England Lacrosse has taken the decision in light of the current situation to freeze individual membership and club, school and university affiliation fees for the next 12 months keeping prices at current levels.

We have worked throughout this challenging period to do whatever we can to ensure that our membership has the opportunity to return to play in the safest possible environment and continue to work to reduce any negative impact affecting the sport.

However, we appreciate that members and clubs may well be feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, previously agreed 5% increases will be put on hold for this season.

As we have now been able to move into Phase 4 of our Return to Play in many areas of the country, teams can now get together for full training and take part in adapted matches, signalling the beginning of a welcome return to lacrosse.

We really appreciate your support during these difficult times and cannot stress the importance of it as we seek to put lacrosse in England on the best possible footing going forward.

2020/21 Individual Membership

Adult membership - £33
Concession membership - £16.50
Concession membership includes Juniors (U18), Students, and Armed Forces personnel
Fan membership - £5

Club Affiliation Fees

Club - £185
New Club (1st Year) - £0*
New Club (2nd Year) - £92.50
New Club (3rd Year) - £138.75

School (Two terms) - £168
School (One term) - £84
School (State) - £42

University - £185

*1st Year clubs from 2019/20, will be asked to pay the 2nd Year affiliation costs.

Letters will be sent out to clubs regarding affiliation for the 2020/21 season next week.

Membership Information

All current memberships expire after 31 August, and current members should look out for their reminder emails with information on how to renew their membership for the new season. Alternatively, members can login to their profile, select renew, and follow the step by step guide.

Members who selected to ‘Auto Renew’ their membership will not need to do anything; your membership for the 2020/21 season will become valid on 1 September. These settings can be changed from within your profile.

Returning members will also soon notice a refreshed and updated look for the membership platform this year, however, all your profile and login information will remain exactly the same and the renewal process has not changed.

If you have any further questions regarding membership please use the support function within the membership portal and a member of our team will get back to you.

Lacrosse Clubs around the Country Enter Phase 4 in Return to Play!

On Saturday 1 August, lacrosse entered Phase 4 in its Return to Play Roadmap after proposals were approved by the Department for Culture, Media, & Sport (DCMS), meaning we can now play using modified rules for training and competitive play!

It is important to note that this is not a return to normal lacrosse activity, and there are a number of necessary modifications in place to mitigate the transmission risk of COVID-19; these modifications can be found HERE.

Official stuff aside, let’s take a look at what some teams have been getting up to over the past couple of weeks since the Phase 4 rules came into force!

SPENCER

Both the women’s and men’s teams at Spencer Lacrosse Club have started training again after over five months away!

ENGLAND SENIOR WOMEN

With just over 300 days to go until next year’s World Lacrosse Championship, the Phase 4 of Return to Play could not have come any sooner for our England senior women’s team. They enjoyed a huge training session at Surrey Sports Park as they formally began preparations to defend their bronze medal from 2017!

CAMDEN CAPYBARAS

Camden have had a couple of training sessions since we moved into Phase 4 of our Return to Play and they certainly know how to follow those Government and England Lacrosse guidelines: Face masks, temperature checks, and social distancing when not playing!

BRISTOL BOMBERS

Bristol Bombers had their first training session after lockdown over the weekend and it’s brilliant to see so many people enjoying a bit of lacrosse in the sun!

BATH

Suspiciously, we haven’t seen any pictures of Bath actually playing lacrosse since the new rules came into force. But we do have this lovely picture of some of the team enjoying a quiet pint in a local pub. After all, meeting up with our lacrosse mates is what we’ve all missed the most during lockdown (exquisite social distancing by the way!).

HARPENDEN

The players at Harpenden have been back playing lacrosse in one way, shape, or form for about four weeks now but, boy, were they excited to move into Phase 4 and actually start playing some games and training in slightly closer proximity to one another!

GUILDFORD GATORS

Well, the weather looks lovely in Guildford, doesn't it? Perfect for playing a bit of lacrosse! And the players at Guildford Gators couldn’t wait to get back on the pitch and playing with their friends again.

NUNEATON

Turns out it’s not just the south that gets nice weather! It looked pretty spectacular in the Midlands last night too as Nuneaton stepped back onto the hallowed turf once again for their first training session since we moved into Phase 4 of our Return to Play.

These are just some examples of what you’ve all been doing since the change of guidelines and we’re absolutely delighted that so many people have been able to get back out and play some lacrosse over the past couple of weeks, even if we’re not quite back to normal just yet!

The full supporting documents for Phase 4 can be found on the coronavirus section of the website. 

England Lacrosse Announces Plans for a "Playground to Podium" Lacrosse 6s Pathway

England Lacrosse are delighted to announce plans for a “Playground to Podium” pathway that will integrate the Olympic format of lacrosse 6s into the sport in England from “primary school playground to Olympic podium”.

This comes as we try to align our lacrosse 6s key objectives with the ones set out by World Lacrosse earlier in the year with the ultimate end goal being participation in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA.

England Lacrosse also sees this pathway as an integral way for lacrosse to continue its growth in England as we look to facilitate a more accessible and easier to play format of the game with increased opportunity for competition.

The pathway will also include the introduction of a “Summer Lax” programme which will have two branches to it: a formal tournament style format and a more relaxed turn up and play offering.

Under the proposed plans, a new National League would be introduced which would aim to, among other things, create a high-performance environment to identify, support, and develop future Olympic athletes.

Last week, we held a webinar attended by relevant people from the lacrosse community to begin a formal consultation process that aims to adapt and improve the plans for lacrosse 6s going forward.

The next stage of the process will be to hold further webinars with relevant stakeholder groups such as schools (state and independent), officials & coaches, regional associations, and universities/BUCS.

The initial consultation period will be completed by the end of September when we will be able to provide a further update on our “Playground to Podium” pathway.