Volunteer at 2021 School Challenge Cup

England Lacrosse is looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to volunteer as Table Officials or Event Stewards at the School Challenge Cup 2021.

The annual competition, which was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is due to take place on Sunday 14 November in Aldershot.

Table Officials will be required to keep the official timing and scoring for each game and ensure that each match runs smoothly. They will also ensure match statistics are called and entered.

Event Stewards will be responsible for ensuring all spectators and participants attending the School Challenge Cup have a positive and memorable experience. They will help at the entrance point, giving out wristbands and collecting Fan Membership information, and make sure spectators are seated in the correct areas of the venue.

Eight teams have qualified for this year’s School Challenge Cup, with reigning champions from 2019, Guildford High School, looking to make it two wins in a row.

But the competition is tough and Berkhamsted Girls’ School, Benenden School, Caterham School, Lady Eleanor Holles School, Downe House School, St Catherine's School, and St Mary’s Calne will all be looking to take the trophy home themselves.

After a year off, this year’s competition is sure to be bigger and better than ever so don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get involved!

England Women's World Cup Training Squad Announced

England Lacrosse is pleased to announce the England Women’s senior training squad selected for the forthcoming World Lacrosse Women’s World Championships 2022.

Following a series of trial weekends, a 32-player training squad has been put together by Head Coach Phil Collier and his team of backroom staff.

This squad will be whittled down and eventually make up the team heading to Towson, MD, USA for the 2022 Women’s World Cup in July, looking to build on their third place finish on home soil in 2017.

Since that famous win against Australia in the bronze medal match at the last World Championships, the England women’s senior team have gone on to win gold at the 2019 Women’s European Lacrosse Championships as well as overcoming the competition and finishing top at the inaugural Home Nations Sixes event.

Over the next nine months or so, the squad will meet for monthly training weekends in addition to practice fixtures, vying for a place on the final 18-player World Cup team.

The England women’s senior squad announcement comes at the same time as the unveiling of the England women’s under-23 squad for the 2021/22 season and both squads can be viewed in full below.

Senior Squad

Goal
Emilie Chandler
Lucy Grant
Katie Greenwood
Brittany Read*

Defence
Emma Adams
Emma Brown
Chloe Chan
Samantha Cock-Le Dore*
Anna Featherstone
Emma Oakley
Freya Savage
Charlie Wilson

Midfield
Laura Beaman
Claire Faram
Tilly Foster
Emily Gray
Camilla Hayes
Laura Merrifield
Anna Saunter
Tilly Shires
Ruby Smith
Olivia Thomas
Olivia Wimpenny

Attack
Torz Anderson
Ella Cohen
Alex Drewe
Milly Home
Olivia Hompe*
Jenny Simpson*
Georgie Southorn
Megan Whittle*
Julie Wise

*Overseas-based players

U23 Squad

Goal
Lexi Reynard
Maddy Sketchley
Dylan Whittington

Defence
Juliet Banks
Emily Beazley*
Tara Dempsey
Anya Devon-Berry
Issie Edwards*
Lottie Paterson
Alice Ripper
Lizzie Rutherford
Ellie Simpson

Midfield
Miranda Bate*
Anna Boyne
Isabelle Brand
India Chadwick
Lucy Devine
Zoe Lovibond
Minty Loxton-Barnard
Ella Malik
Anna Neville
Emma Savage
Jasmin Sharpe
Sofia Wise

Attack
Bex Ailles
Alex Cant
Isobel Devine
Emma Eastwick-Jones
Cece Green
Molly Marvin
Mia Rogers
Harley Tideswell
Zimeng Wu
Chloe Wyner

Awaiting Re-Trial
Bella Bowater
Millie Hughes

*Overseas-based players

More Camps Added to 2022 Triple Arrow Schedule

England Lacrosse are delighted to announce four more camps to our 2022 Triple Arrow Camps schedule set to begin in Easter next year!

An extra Easter camp has been added to the schedule taking place at St George’s School, Harpenden, on Tuesday 12 & Wednesday 13 April.

And three more camps have been added in summer with Caterham School, Surrey, St George’s School, Harpenden, and Abbot’s Hill School, Hertfordshire, hosting on Tuesday 26 & Wednesday 27 July, Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 July, and Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 August 2022 respectively.

This takes the 2022 Triple Arrow Camps schedule up to 11 camps, including our very special Perform+ Camp at Cheltenham Ladies’ College from Tuesday 5 - Friday 8 April 2022.

Triple Arrow Camps are aimed at girls aged 10 and upwards who want to play lacrosse in a fun and friendly environment where they can be inspired by some of the top lacrosse coaches in the country, including many current and ex-national team players.

The ultimate aim is to ensure every child finishes their camp experience as a better lacrosse player than when they started and we want the girls to pride themselves in their progression.

With dedicated group leads, coaches have ample time to get to know the players and identify personal focus areas - each girl who attends a Triple Arrow Camp leaves with an individual feedback report noting girls highlight moments and action plans for them to work on.

In addition to our regular camps programme, this year sees the return of the Perform+ Camp which offers all the excitement, fun, and friendliness of a Triple Arrow Camp with added performance sessions covering Strength & Conditioning, nutrition, and recovery using state-of-the-art health and fitness facilities!

The Perform+ Camp, taking place at Cheltenham Ladies College next year, is for true lacrosse lovers who are looking to progress their game even further!

EASTER 2022

Cheltenham Ladies’ College - Perform+ Camp (5 - 8 April)
Charterhouse School, Godalming (7 & 8 April)
*NEW DATE* St George’s School, Harpenden (12 & 13 April)
St Swithun’s School, Winchester (13 & 14 April)
Queen Anne’s School, Caversham (19 & 20 April)

SUMMER 2022

*NEW DATE* Caterham School, Surrey (26 & 27 July)
*NEW DATE* St George’s School, Harpenden (27 & 28 July)
Charterhouse School, Godalming (2 - 5 August)
St Swithun’s School, Winchester (8 - 11 August)
Queen Anne’s School, Caversham (16 - 19 August)
*NEW DATE* Abbot’s Hill School, Hertfordshire (23 & 24 August)

PRICES 2022

2-day clinic - £130
4-day residential camp (day camper) - £320
4-day residential camp (residential camper) - £450

England Women's Squad to Host Train with Team England Sessions

The England senior women's squad are running two Train with Team England coaching sessions on Saturday 30 October to raise money ahead of the World Lacrosse Women's World Championships in the USA next summer.

Hosted by St Swithun’s School in Winchester, the coaching sessions are aimed at girls aged 10-16 and will be based around a fun day of lacrosse; developing skills, learning new tactics and getting the chance to meet and talk with England senior internationals.

The first coaching session is for girls in years seven and eight at school and will run between 9am-12pm while the second session of the day is between 1pm-4pm for girls in years nine and above.

The session will cost £50 per person with exclusive Team England merchandise available to buy on the day.

To book, simply head to the England senior women’s squad’s dedicated web page HERE

Brian Greenwood | Obituary

Brian Greenwood (front row, centre) with his England team-mates (circa 1967)

England Lacrosse is deeply saddened to hear of the death of former Leeds and Old Grovians’ player and all-round lacrosse stalwart, Brian Greenwood at the age of 94.

Brian was a staunch supporter of lacrosse, having started his playing career at Woodhouse Grove School in Yorkshire.

After sustaining a serious shoulder injury playing rugby, Brian took up his stick to join his brother Denis at Leeds Lacrosse Club.

The pair then moved the club to play at Woodhouse Grove School, becoming the Old Grovians Lacrosse Club.

While playing in NEMLA Division Two for Old Grovians, Brian helped to reinstate the Yorkshire County Lacrosse Association in 1955.

One of Brian’s proudest moments as a player was during his time playing for Yorkshire as his side defeated the old enemy, Lancashire, 9-5 in the 1961 county matches.

In the 1962 matches, Brian captained Yorkshire as they narrowly lost 8-7 to Cheshire.

After reintroducing lacrosse to Woodhouse Grove School in 1950s, Brian stayed involved in the game until the early 1980s, eventually becoming the School’s lacrosse coach and referee.

Unfortunately, the Grove ceased playing in the early 1970s due to difficulties getting matches.

As well as being accomplished players in Yorkshire, the Greenwood brothers also supported the England national teams with sponsorship and off-pitch wear through their Greenwood's Menswear business during several tours and World Championships.

Brian's memorial service was held at Woodhouse Grove School last week and England Lacrosse’s thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

Parents in Sport Week: 4-10 October

England Lacrosse is proud to be supporting this year’s Parents in Sport Week which aims to “empower parents with the confidence, knowledge and tools they need to identify and report concerns in their children’s sport.”

Now in its sixth year, the organisers of Parents in Sport Week 2021, the NSPCC, want to morph the week from a sport centric campaign, to something that focuses on reaching and impacting parents directly.

Several factors, including recent reports on child sexual abuse in sport, their recommendations and a lack of contact between parents and sport due to the COVID-19 outbreak has influenced this decision.

As part of the way the NSPCC hope to get the word out about Parents in Sport Week, they’re giving parents information on how to keep their child safe in sport through a range of different activities.

These include:

• Their new, free, e-learning course for parents; the course only takes 10 minutes and helps parents to understand poor practice, the signs of abuse and who to turn to for help.

• A new animation, aimed at parents, to help them understand how they can support their child if something is wrong.

• Their updated NSPCC CPSU Parents Hub where all of their new products will be hosted alongside a wealth of further information for parents.

• Widespread social media and press activity, providing parents with advice about playing their part in safeguarding children.

For more information about Parents in Sport Week, click HERE.

Alan Dyer | Obituary

England Lacrosse is deeply saddened to hear of the death of former Boardman and Eccles player, Alan Dyer.

Alan was a true lacrosse enthusiast and gentleman of the game and he will be sadly missed by everyone in the lacrosse family.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Alan played for Boardman and Eccles lacrosse club based in Salford and was a very good “first home” (a closer attacker in modern terminology), scoring heaps of goals for Boardman's A and first teams.

During his time at Boardman, he was recognised as a great believer and encourager of the young players who were playing at the club at the time.

Once his playing career came to an end, Alan turned his considerable talents to assisting with organising, managing and directing lacrosse at a local level for Boardman, at a Regional Level with the North West Lacrosse Association and at National level.

Alan's contribution was significant first as a member of the English Lacrosse Union's (ELU) executive committee, then as part of the amalgamation group which brought the ELU and the All England Women's Lacrosse Association (AEWLA) which formed the English Lacrosse Association in 1996.

Alan was especially involved in helping the new organisation in the late 1990s when he played a key role, along with Ron Balls, in managing the financial restructure after hosting the 1999 European Championships.

At this time Alan supported the CEO, David Shuttleworth, in restructuring the workforce and then securing the organisation with further structural reform.

As so many people have commented throughout all his volunteer work, he was a true gentleman, an intellectual, a pragmatist and a supporter of all in lacrosse.

He will certainly be remembered with affection by all who played and worked with him.

His family has requested privacy at this time and to respect their wishes we will not be publishing details of the funeral arrangements.

Lax is back: National Lacrosse Weekend 25-26 September

Lax is Back: National Lacrosse Weekend 25-26 September

Across the weekend of 25-26 September we will be celebrating National Lacrosse Weekend the annual landmark occasion to welcome the start of the new lacrosse season!

And this year, the weekend will have the theme Lax is Back as we celebrate the return of the sport after the disruption caused over the last 18 months.

With all our grassroots league campaigns getting started this weekend and all sections of our sport getting out on the field, it is the ideal weekend to champion everything great about the game.

National Lacrosse Weekend: Lax is Back is a chance for all of us showcase our sport, appreciate everything we’ve missed, and generally shout about what makes lacrosse great!

And to get as many people involved as possible, we’ve extended the usual day, to cover the whole weekend, so everyone can get involved no matter what day you’re playing.

We want you to be a part of the conversation online, using #NationalLacrosseWeekend and #LaxIsBack to let us know what you’re up to, what playing lacrosse means to you, and why others should get involved!

You can also use the various social media graphics linked below, or add the templates to your own images to celebrate National Lacrosse Weekend!

England Lacrosse AGM - Sunday 10 October

The England Lacrosse Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled to take place on Sunday 10 October 2021, beginning at 12 noon.

After much internal deliberation and conversation and with attendees’ health and safety in consideration, the board has, once again, decided that the AGM be held ‘virtually’ with the meeting taking place through the Microsoft Teams platform.

The board has discussed the limitations that come with holding the AGM online and in a review of the articles of association has agreed the following processes to conduct the required business in line with our rule structures.

Attending the AGM

The AGM will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and we request that each affiliated member (organisation/institution) submit the details of one representative who will attend the AGM on behalf of your organisation prior to the AGM being held.

Voting at the AGM

The AGM voting process will also be carried out online using a secure voting platform and will be open from Friday 1 October until Friday 8 October.

The results of the vote will be announced at the AGM and then published on our social media platforms.

The relevant documents related to the AGM are now able to be viewed on the governance section of the England Lacrosse website.

Each affiliate organisation should have received email information relating to registering for AGM attendance and AGM Voting through their nominated club contact.

If you do not think your organisation has received this information, please contact us at info@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

If you have any other questions relating to the AGM, again please email info@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

First Germany Lacrosse Convention to Take Place in 2022

The very first Germany Lacrosse Convention will take place from May 20-22 next year, alongside the Box Lacrosse Nations Cup and the Sixes Nations Cup, Germany Lacrosse has announced.

Dubbed the “largest lacrosse event in Europe”, the Germany Lacrosse Convention 2022 will take place at the Energieverbund Arena in Dresden and will include workshops, clinics, and training sessions delivered by and for professional coaches, players, and officials from all over Europe.

There will also be a series of lectures and courses on topics related to lacrosse, social topics, and professionalisation in sport.

It’s not all serious though as the convention also want to promote the community aspect of lacrosse with fun competitions such as fastest shot and trick shot challenges in which attendees can take part.

The Germany Lacrosse Convention 2022 will be the largest platform for lacrosse in Germany and there’ll be a platform for equipment manufacturers, sports equipment suppliers, sports associations and other partners for the presentation of products and unique networking opportunities.

The Box Lacrosse Nation Cup and the new Sixes Nations Cup will also offer top international lacrosse at the event and bring together the lacrosse family from all over Europe.

For more information about the event, click HERE.

England Box Lacrosse Team to Host Trials Next Month

The England box lacrosse team are holding trials next month with a view to getting a squad together to compete at next year’s European Box Lacrosse Championships in Hannover, Germany.

The trials will be split over two weekends at the end of October, with Head Coach Walt Christianson attending both sessions and coaching/assessing players.

A former teacher and Canada national team player, Christianson, who only began playing lacrosse at the age of 19, has three Mann Cups (arguably the most prestigious trophy in lacrosse) on his CV which he won as both a player and coach for Victoria Shamrocks.

The England box lacrosse trials represent a unique opportunity for players to learn from a truly professional lacrosse coach, who has been, and continues to be, at the very top of the game.

The trials, taking place on 23/24 & 30/31 October, will be largely drill-based and end in a game each day; it is also the first time the England box team will be using the new, exciting, full-size, 3G venue in Oxford.

In order to be considered for a spot on the European Box Lacrosse Championships training squad, players will be required to attend both trial weekends.

Each day will cost £20 per person and will add up to £80 in total.

Interested players will have to hurry though as there are less than 20 spaces remaining!

You can sign up and read more information about the trials and upcoming England box lacrosse training sessions HERE.

World Games 2022 Schedule Revealed

The full schedule has been released for next year’s The World Games, taking place in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

There will be 34 sports taking part at next year’s 11th edition of the Games across six different categories: Artistic & Dance Sport, Ball Sports, Martial Arts, Precision Sports, Strength Sports, and Trend Sports.

Lacrosse will be in the Ball Sports category and both women’s and men’s six-a-side versions of the game will be featured.

This comes after women’s lacrosse made its World Games debut at the 2017 edition of the competition.

At that Games, Great Britain women finished fourth behind winners USA, runners-up Canada, and bronze medal winners Australia.

Men’s lacrosse will make its World Games debut next year, initially taking part as an invitational sport.

The World Games was first staged in 1981 and is meant to highlight those sports that do not compete at the Olympic Games.

Many sports, such as badminton, beach volleyball, and triathlon have all been World Games events but have since been allowed to take part in the Olympic Games and so no longer compete.

The 2022 Games are due to start on 7 July and will run for ten days until 17 July with the men’s lacrosse competition running from 8 to 12 July and the women’s tournament from 12 to 16 July.

Check out the full lacrosse schedule HERE and the whole World Games 2022 schedule HERE.

England Lacrosse to Host All-Game Webinar Ahead of New Season

England Lacrosse are excited to be hosting an all-game webinar on Thursday 23 September ahead of the start of the 2021/22 season on National Lacrosse Weekend (25/26 September).

The webinar will take place at 5pm and will last approximately one hour.

It’s open to anyone involved in lacrosse in England and will cover the current England Lacrosse COVID-19 regulations, a medical update, the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), Sport England, and how people can get involved in National Lacrosse Weekend.

The webinar will conclude with a short Q&A.

All-Game Webinar Schedule

• Welcome

• 2020-21 Thank-you/Review

• COVID update

  • Info as of now
  • Assistance available
  • Looking ahead winter 2021

• Medical Update
  • Injury survey

• AGM
  • Notification and online documentation access
  • Attendance and Voting registration

• Sport England
  • Ongoing SE support

• Lax is Back
  • Season starting

• Q & A via chat facility

Please note, the webinar has finished but you can now watch it for free by clicking the button below.

Stockport Men & Oxton Women Win Inaugural Stockport September Sixes

Stockport and Oxton won the respective inaugural senior men’s and women’s September Sixes competition in Stockport over the weekend.

The brand new tournament, hosted by Stockport Lacrosse Club, welcomed over 40 teams across seven ages groups to their two-day festival of lacrosse.

An impressive 26 teams took part on Saturday, the first day of the competition, with Mellor, Norbury, Cheadle, Mersey, and Stockport taking home the trophies in the U12 boys’, U13 girls’, U14 boys’, U15 girls’, and U16 boys’ tournaments respectively.

And in the headline events on Sunday Timperley won the U18 women’s category while Stockport and Oxton came out on top of the senior men’s and women’s competitions.

It was a steep learning curve for everyone involved as they came to terms with the new proposed Olympic 6-a-side version of the game, but that simply added to the excitement with a golden goal victory in the U16 boys’ tournament!

Stockport hope to make the September Sixes an annual event and if this inaugural edition is anything to go by, then we look forward to what’s in store over the coming years!

On their club website, Stockport took the opportunity to thank “all the parents for stepping up, the coaches for the work they do with the children, [groundsmen] Barry and John for creating four lovely pitches, and the referees, Dean, Lara, and Pete, and James Bramwell who stepped in at the last minute to help.”

Stockport September Sixes Winners

U12 boys - Mellor
U13 girls - Norbury
U14 boys - Cheadle
U15 girls - Mersey
U16 boys - Stockport
U18 women - Timperley
Senior men - Stockport
Senior women - Oxton

EP Sports Looking for Lacrosse Category Manager & Rep!

Leading American Sports Specialist in the UK, EP Sports, is recruiting a lacrosse category manager & rep as they look to develop beyond their successful American Football, Baseball and Softball areas.

The main purpose of the role is to work with the EP Sports’ sales team to head the lacrosse department and be the main point of contact for any lacrosse teams or leagues.

The ideal candidate will have at least 2-3 years of experience within lacrosse but does not necessarily need to be an elite level, or performance level player/coach.

EP Sports has been supplying US sports equipment and apparel across Europe for 15 years.

Until now their main focus has been American Football, Baseball and Softball but they are excited to be expanding into lacrosse.

They are lucky enough to have a great team working across their website, shop, events and apparel decoration.

Their focus is getting the best equipment and team wear in the hands of the players who need it, whether they are elite national team players or it is their first session.

EP Sports’, Joe Black, says lacrosse is the perfect fit for their company as they look to grow into new and exciting markets.

“We like to focus on sports that are high paced and exciting; smaller sports that could benefit from what we already offer to our existing sports - great service, premium equipment and five-star team wear.

“A key aim for us is finding sports where we can give back and have a positive impact - supporting their growth and development.

“Lacrosse fits both of those points perfectly, and so we think it is a great fit.”

The lacrosse category manager & rep will act as an anchor for EP Sports as someone who loves the sport and everything about it.

They will take ownership of their lacrosse offering, working with brands to create a range, helping teams get what they need, and running pop-up events at tournaments - all with the support of the experienced EP Sports team.

At its most basic level, this role is a chance to work every day in a sport you love, talking to others who also love it; what could be better than that?

It is also an opportunity to work as part of a fun young team (who also love sport) and, with their support, develop your skills.

Working alongside and reporting to the Team Leader the main duties involve:

· Point of contact for teams and leagues

· Developing customer base for teams, leagues and institutions

· Overseeing of product range and purchasing

· Overseeing the sales process

· Running pop up events at tournaments etc

· Assisting with marketing plan

· Overseeing partner relationships

Salary: £19,500.00-£23,500.00 per year

Additional pay: Commission pay

For more details, click HERE.

CIMSPA and Sport England to Launch New Digital Marketing Hub

The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), in collaboration with Sport England, are launching a brand new Digital Marketing Hub on 14 September to help those involved in the delivery of sport and physical activity gain more confidence and skills in digital marketing.

CIMSPA, formerly known as the Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, is the professional body for the United Kingdom's sport and physical activity sector and it is hoped their Digital Marketing Hub will aid a growth in participation, engagement and income.

The Hub is perfect for lacrosse clubs, teams, coaches, and players all around the country and will contain a number of different ways to learn including on-demand content, a certified learning course, a webinar series, one to one mentoring, and opportunities to network via sharing challenges or best practice on digital marketing with people in similar roles.

CIMSPA will be sending out log-in details over the coming days to thousands who have already registered their interest in the Digital Marketing Hub and for anyone who wants to sign up but hasn’t already can do so HERE.

To officially launch the Digital Marketing Hub, CIMSPA will also be hosting a webinar event, presented by TV and podcast presenter, Jake Humphrey.

The event will feature a panel of digital champions from London Sport, Our Parks, Digital Marketing Institute and Google and will introduce what the Hub has to offer, as well as explore digital marketing opportunities.

The webinar will be fully accessible, with captioning and BSL, and you can sign up HERE.

Funding and Content Partners for the Digital Marketing Hub include Digital Skills, Sport England, The National Lottery, D2L | Brightspace, and Digital Marketing Institute.

Stockport Lacrosse Club Set to Host First September Sixes this Weekend

Stockport Lacrosse Club are hosting their first ever September Sixes tournament this weekend, with over 40 teams set to take part.

The new competition, which Stockport hopes will become an annual curtain-raiser for the regular lacrosse season, will be one of the first opportunities for both junior and senior teams to play the proposed Olympic 6-a-side version of the game.

The September Sixes will contain seven knockout competitions featuring different ages groups, including U12 boys, U16 boys, U13 girls, U15 girls, U18 women, senior men, and senior women.

Each competition will start with an initial round robin-style first round, after which the teams will be split based on their performance and semi-finals and a final will be played with an exclusive September Sixes trophy in each age category up for grabs!

Stockport’s Craig Davy thinks it’s a great opportunity for clubs to get involved in the new format of lacrosse.

“After 18 months without much competition, we’re really excited and feeling extremely positive to be hosting the September Sixes competition.

“We’re so keen at Stockport to bring more juniors into the game and exposing our existing juniors to this brand new, quick, and tough format will undoubtedly have a lasting impact and benefit on them, the club, and the game as a whole.”

There will be some slight changes to the official rules during the junior competitions with shot clocks being absent from their matches.

Although not a bona fide fundraiser for the club, Stockport are welcoming spectators to head to their ground to watch the September Sixes with the clubhouse (including bar and refreshments) open from 1pm.

If your team wants to sign up, please send an email to stockportlacrosseclub@gmail.com and you’ve got until 7pm today (9 September)!

Schedule (subject to change)

Saturday 11 September

9:30am - U12 boys
10am - U13 & U15 girls
12pm - U14 boys
2:30pm - U16 boys

Sunday 12 September

9am - U18 women
11am - Senior men & senior women

First Ever Borders Eights to Take Place this Weekend

Photo: Paul Grindley

On Saturday, Border City Lacrosse Club, based in Cumbria, will host their first ever Borders Eights competition as part of a drive to provide more high level lacrosse competition in the north of England.

Despite the congested lacrosse calendar with Bath Eights having taken place last weekend and Stockport and Spencer hosting their own competitions this coming weekend, at least five teams will take part in the new Borders Eights.

Teams from Huddersfield, Newcastle, Border City, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are confirmed while they’re still hopeful for another couple.

Border City will be accepting entries right up until Saturday and are happy to try to accommodate any England Lacrosse and Lacrosse Scotland registered individuals who fancy a game!

The competition will take a round robin format with everyone playing everyone to determine a play-off position which will then lead to a final match with a winner being crowned on the day.

Border City Lacrosse Club Coach, Dan Clements, says the idea behind the competition is to get as much lacrosse played as possible after a such a disrupted year. 

“We’re trying to grow lacrosse in Cumbria and South-West Scotland and the more games that are played up here the more exposure the sport gets locally. 

“Over the summer, we’ve been coaching children and this will be their first experience of watching in person which we’re all really excited about. 

“The Borders Eights will also help us with our constant fundraising efforts and any money raised will go towards developing both our ground and junior lacrosse programme.”

The event will be open to spectators and Dan would love to see as many lacrosse fans as possible at Border City Lacrosse Club’s Brampton ground in Cumbria on Saturday (there’s even catering on-site!).

As they don’t quite have the technology to live stream the event, heading to the ground in person will be the only way to watch. And who doesn’t want to watch a bit of live lacrosse after the 18 months we’ve all had?

If you’re unable to attend the competition but still want to contribute to Border City’s fundraising, they’ve set up a dedicated JustGiving page (click here) with the primary goal being raising funds for a container to store their lacrosse equipment safely and improve access for coaching and outreach programmes.

Dan’s final message was to those people in parts of the UK where lacrosse isn’t traditionally played.

“We believe in giving these things a go at Border City and starting lacrosse in a county not known for playing the sport has been a challenge, but it isn’t insurmountable and we hope others will also approach the game in a ‘give it a go’ fashion and produce their own home grown lacrosse scenes. Let’s hope from small acorns, mighty oaks grow.”

If you or your team wants to take part in Borders Eights, simply message them on Facebook HERE or Instagram HERE or get in touch with them via email at cumbrialax@gmail.com.

Team England Sport's Psychologist, Sally McGinn, Helps GB Athletes at Paralympics

Team England Sport’s Psychologist, Sally McGinn, helped Paralympics GB badminton stars, Dan Bethell and Krysten Coombs, to win silver and bronze medals respectively at the recent Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

An ex-competition rider and golfer, Sally has an impressive clientele, including our senior England women’s squad, Paralympics GB badminton, National League 1 RAMS RFC, Challenge and Europro Tour Golfers, a Junior Premier Tour Snooker Player, GB Aerobatic Pilots, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Motocross, Swimming, Triathlon and Equestrianism.

Sally helps athletes to, amongst other things, perform under pressure, be motivated and confident, deal with distractions and stress, and manage emotions and put them to good effect.

Both of Sally’s Paralympics GB badminton athletes were competing at their first Paralympic Games where Bethell, 25, eventually succumbed to India’s Pramod Bhagat in the Men’s singles SL3 final but took home the silver.

The SL3 classification is for players with movement moderately affected on one side of the body, both legs, or the absence of limbs.

They play standing on a half-width court and have reduced court movement but a full range of shots.

Coombs, 30, was able to overcome Brazil’s Vitor Gonçalves Tavares in his Men’s singles SH6 bronze medal match after previously losing to eventual gold medal winner Krishna Nagar (IND) in his semi-final.

The SH6 classification is for athletes with short stature.

To read more about Sally and what she does, head over to her website HERE.

Timperley & Godolphin School Win 2021 Bath Eights

Timperley Lacrosse Club and Godolphin School came out on top to win the respective 2021 men’s and women’s Bath Eights competitions on Saturday.

Going ahead for the first time since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic forced last year’s tournament to be cancelled, the 2021 Bath Eights saw 29 men’s and 13 women’s teams battle it out for the coveted title.

It was Timperley who finished as winners of the men’s competition after defeating Nottingham Trent University in the men’s final.

Timperley have now won the Bath 8s men’s title five times putting them in joint second just behind Sheffield Low-Profilers/Steelers (six) in the list of all-time winners along with close geographic rivals Cheadle and Wilmslow.

And, in the biggest women’s competition to date, Godolphin School were able to overcome 2019 winners Bath University in their final to secure the title and ensure that no team has won the trophy more than once since the women’s tournament was founded five years ago.

England Lacrosse Official Partner, Net World Sports, attended the Bath Eights after donating some of their equipment to Bath Lacrosse Club for use in the competition as well as gifting a free coaching folder to each team taking part.

Check out their lacrosse equipment online HERE.

Next year’s Bath Eights tournament has already been given the green light and will go ahead on Saturday 3 September 2022.

More details about how to sign up will be released in due course over on Bath Lacrosse Club’s website HERE.