Vacancy: England Lacrosse Talent Pathway Administrator

England Lacrosse is seeking to recruit a Talent Pathway Administrator to administer and support the England Lacrosse Talent and performance programme.

The Talent Pathway Administrator will be required to:

• Administer England Lacrosse’s talent pathway e-mails and direct communications.

• Administer England Lacrosse’s national, regional and county academy training sessions and assessments.

• Administer England Lacrosse’s talent player feedback system

• Work with England Lacrosse’s communications team to produce information, website and social media updates.

• Support the administration of DBS certifications system.

• Support the administration and delivery of England Lacrosse’s priority events and England Lacrosse’s Talent and Performance programme competitions. 

• Assist with identified Head Office operations and administration projects.  

• Any other tasks that the line manager sees necessary.

• Support with the implementation of England Lacrosse Safeguarding policies and procedures. 

The ideal candidate for this role will have experience in all areas of administration and have confident communication, influencing, and negotiating skills, as well as a competent use of Microsoft Office and high level usage of Excel.

Location: Head office (Manchester) and some remote working.

Salary: £18,000 - £22,000 per annum.

Closing date: Friday 1 April.

For more information about the role, please click HERE.

To apply, please send a covering Letter and CV to Abi Merrill at a.merrill@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

Day 1 review: National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022

Moreton Hall (section 3), Queen Anne’s Caversham (section 6) and St George’s Harpenden (section 7) were the only teams to maintain a 100 per cent record at the end of day one of the National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022.

Putney, who top the U19A section 1 table after the first day of play, and School Challenge Cup 2021 winners, St Catherine’s (section 4), were the only other teams to remain unbeaten while Benenden and Wycombe Abbey sit at the top of the section 2 and section 5 tables respectively.

2020 winners of the U19A Championship, Wycombe Abbey, started off where they left off two years ago by defeating a very strong Bedford Girls’ team by two goals to one before succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bolton.

The rest of the day was fairly straightforward for the Wycombe Abbey team as they beat Godolphin 5-1, Cheltenham Ladies’ College 4-2, Uppingham 9-0, and Abbots Hill 7-0.

St Catherine’s, who won the School Challenge Cup last year after a narrow 6-5 victory over Caterham in the final, started their day with a 3-2 win over Withington before a 3-3 draw with St Mary’s Calne.

After a 2-0 win over Haberdashers’ Girls’, St Catherine’s grew into the first day of the competition, showing their attacking prowess with a 5-0 win against Fettes College before ending the day with a 9-0 and 10-0 thrashing of Heathfield and Malvern St James respectively.

Moreton Hall were extremely strong in their section as they overcame Guildford 3-2, Westonbirt 8-0, Claremont 6-3, North London Collegiate 7-0, Haileybury 11-0, and St James 9-0.

It was slightly less simple for Queen Anne’s Caversham but no less impressive as they defeated Shrewbury 2-1, Caterham 3-2, Monmouth 4-3, Marlborough 4-1, Birkenhead 3-1, and St Bartholomew’s 6-0.

The other team with a 100 per cent record after day one were St George’s Harpenden who were able to win 6-1 against Lady Eleanor Holles, 3-2 vs Downe House, 9-0 against Sherborne, 8-0 vs Queen Margaret, 11-0 against St Albans, and 10-1 vs St Helens.

Putney were able to defeat Berkhamsted 5-1 and draw 4-4 with St Helen & St Katharine before beating St Paul’s 3-2, Walthamstow 5-2, Harrogate 7-0, and Tudor Hall 10-0.

Finally, in section 2, Benenden finished top of the table after the first day of play despite starting the day with a 3-2 defeat to St Swithun’s; they were able to win their remaining games against St Albans 4-2, Stowe 6-0, St George’s Ascot 9-2, King’s 10-1, and Loretto 8-0.

Day 2 of the Championships begins tomorrow at 9am with the finals taking place in the afternoon.

To see the schedule for tomorrow and the rest of the tournament, please click HERE.

FirstPoint USA: Sky’s the limit for college lacrosse as America’s fastest growing sport shows no sign of slowing

Official Partners of England Lacrosse, FirstPoint USA.

The vast and expansive growth of lacrosse in England and the UK has been closely mirrored across the pond in America in recent years.

In fact, in a recent study carried out by the NCAA, college sports’ largest governing body, lacrosse, both men’s and women’s, were officially recognised as the fastest growing sport in the country over the past 15 years and has been the focus of substantial investment at all levels, from the leading national governing bodies all the way down to local youth and community clubs.

Lacrosse has historically always been a prominent sport on the East Coast of the US due to its geographical Native American origins, but as the infrastructure at a grassroots level is developed and awareness of the sport builds across major media outlets, it has quickly become THE “in” sport of the times.

Part of the reason for lacrosse’s unprecedented incline towards mainstream popularity, not just in the US, but globally, is the inclusivity of participation. Much like football, the game doesn’t rely solely on physicality and athleticism, so can be played a vast spectrum of levels to suit the pace of the participants. It’s equal parts skill, finesse, intelligence, and excitement, which as a mixture will always go down well in engaging its audience.

For young men and women’s lacrosse players across the globe, the opportunities presented in the US are continuing to grow as the sport undertakes another exciting period of expansion and prioritisation within the college landscape. In 2019 alone, the NCAA added over 30 new lacrosse programs across its member colleges and universities, taking the total number of teams within the wider college sports landscape to well over 500.

This sustained period of exponential growth has naturally aligned itself with a sharp rise in demand for places in each team, which has eventually led to the expansion of both men’s and women’s squad numbers across the divisions, with NCAA Division 1 squads now carrying an average of 44 players, meaning more opportunities have opened up for men and women’s athletes to secure a lacrosse scholarship.

Former Stony Brook University Lacrosse star Kylie Ohlmiller, who set the NCAA record for both points and assists in a single season, recently spoke in an interview with Voice of Sport on the growth of lacrosse around the world:

“We wouldn’t have imagined the sport looking the way it does now five-to-10 years ago, and who knows what form it’ll take in five-to-10 years from now.”

One of the true great college lacrosse success stories, Kylie, since graduating has founded her own training company KO17 Lacrosse, which places a huge emphasis on pushing women’s lacrosse forward and opening up as many opportunities for young lacrosse athletes to break into the sport at a higher level.

With the recently introduced NIL Policy, which allows athletes competing in US college sports to earn money from things like endorsement deals and brand partnerships, there have already been a number of high-profile lacrosse moves announced, including UNC’s Jamie Ortega and Detroit Mercy’s Maddie Johnson – both representing another significant step towards a higher profile within the mainstream sporting landscape across the US and beyond.

The demand for international lacrosse players within the college sports system is growing and as the world’s leading sports scholarship consultancy and a proud partner of England Lacrosse, our objective at FirstPoint USA is simple: to provide life-changing opportunities to young men and women who wish to combine playing lacrosse at a high level with gaining a world-class education.

FirstPoint USA has an athletic and academic partnership network spanning over 2,000 colleges and universities overseas and has already provided over 80,000 student-athletes with a dream move overseas to live, study and play in the USA.

For more information on the life-changing opportunities for young men and women that a lacrosse scholarship in the USA can provide, you can schedule a call with one of our specialist consultants today HERE.

National Schools Lacrosse Championships to take place this weekend

After a break of more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships returns this weekend (19-22 March).

The annual tournament, which has been running for almost 80 years, will take place, once again, at the Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, Aldershot, and will see over 3,000 girls playing for almost 200 teams in eight divisions across three age groups!

Reigning U19A Championship champions, Wycombe Abbey, who overcame Benenden 4-0 in the 2020 final, have been drawn in section five of the competition along with Bedford Girls, Godolphin Girls, Bolton, Abbots Hill, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Uppingham.

Elsewhere in the competition, the 2020 U19A Division 1 champions, St Paul’s Girls, will take on Berkahamsted, St Helen and St Katharine, Putney High, Harrogate Ladies’ College, Tudor Hall, and Walthamstow in section one.

Marlborough College, who were crowned U19A Division 2 winners last time out, find themselves in section six alongside Caterham, Queen Anne’s, Monmouth, Shrewsbury, Birkenhead, and St Bartholomew’s while the 2020 U19A Division 3 winners, Queen Margaret’s, are in section seven with Lady Eleanor Holles, Downe House, St George’s, Sherborne Girls, St Helen’s, St Albans, and Rendcomb.

Last week, the full schedule for the 2022 National Schools Lacrosse Championships went live and can be viewed HERE.

As well as the excellent lacrosse that will be on show, there will also be several food, drinks, and lacrosse equipment vendors on site, including Happy Herefords, Tribal Taste, Crepe Royal, Tom’s Coffee, UK Lacrosse, Northern Soul, Pulse Lacrosse , Oarsum (Saturday only) and the official tournament photographers, DE Photos.

If you’d like to watch the 2022 National Schools Lacrosse Championships in person as a spectator, then the ticket prices are as follows:

• England Lacrosse Member - £5 - 1 Day Entry

• Non-Members - £10 - 1 Day Entry

• England Lacrosse Member - £10 - Weekend ticket

• Non-member - £15 Weekend ticket

Please note, under 16s can access the event FREE of charge.

Any non-members can sign up to be an England Lacrosse Fan member for just £5 to access a member ticket and a discount of £5 as well as many other benefits.

To sign up for a Fan membership, click HERE.

You can find more information about the tournament and how to follow live updates across the weekend HERE.

2020 National Schools Lacrosse Championships: recap

As the National Schools Lacrosse Championships returns this weekend after an absence in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, we take a look back at the 2020 competition.

Wycombe Abbey produced the perfect day’s performance at the 2020 National Schools Lacrosse Championships to storm to victory in the U19A Championship.

They defeated Benenden 4-0 in the final to claim their first U19 Championship since 2015 when they beat Lady Eleanor Holles.

All the sides competing had been raring to go after persistent poor weather cancelled play on Day one of the competition.

But Day two saw glorious sunshine and despite the wet ground around the site, the pitches held up fantastically well to ensure a full day of high level action.

Wycombe Abbey came through their pool section with a 2-1 record in the morning matches, overcoming St Swithun’s and Lady Eleanor Holles, but losing out to Downe House to set up a Last 16 match with St Helen & St Katharine.

They came through that 3-1 before seeing off 2019 finalists Guildford High 4-0 in the quarter-final to advance to the semi-final.

After coming through their close semi-finals (Benenden beating Berkhamsted 2-1 and Wycombe Abbey scraping past St Catherine’s 3-2), the stage was set for a tense finale.

But Wycombe Abbey took their momentum from their final four victory to blow Benenden away in the showpiece contest.

Their shooting was deadly accurate, and Emily Wallace, named goalie MVP, produced a perfect display to record a clean sheet when it mattered most.

It was also a particularly special moment for Wycombe Abbey coach, Ruby Smith, who won the Championship in 2010 as a player for Godolphin school.

The final score reflected Wycombe Abbey’s dominance and they claimed a deserved title to take back to High Wycombe for 2020.

U19A Division 1 Winners: St Paul’s Girls 3-2 Putney High
U19A Division 2 Winners: Marlborough College 3-2 Queen’s Chester
U19A Division 3 Winners: Queen Margaret’s 3-2 Harrogate Ladies College

MVP Awards

Goalie: Emily Wallace (Wycombe Abbey)
Defender: Honor Gibbs (Benenden)
Midfielder: Alex Cant (St Catherine’s)
Attacker: Mia Rogers (Wycombe Abbey)

Vivien Jones Memorial Award: Bryony Bovell (St Catherine’s)

England Lacrosse partners with Sport England

England Lacrosse is among the first group of over 40 organisations working in partnership with Sport England to receive funding from its new funding model.

England Lacrosse has a foundational role in the sport and physical activity sector and is therefore well placed to help level up access to sport and physical activity across the country.

England Lacrosse will receive an investment of government and National Lottery funding from Sport England. England Lacrosse has been awarded long-term funding because it has committed to co-deliver change at a national and local level, to help more people enjoy the benefits of playing sport and being active.

All partner organisations were selected by Sport England due to their ability to influence positive change and improvement throughout the sector, their own networks, and beyond. This is the first step on a journey to revolutionise Sport England’s approach to long-term partnerships which will see it build new relationships with innovative organisations, as well with existing partners, local partners and delivery partners to further the Uniting the Movement strategy.

Sport England research shows that some groups are typically less active – like women, people with long-term health conditions, disabled people, people from ethnically diverse communities and lower socio-economic groups. Right now, the opportunities to get involved in sport and activity – and reap the rewards of being active – depend too much on your background, your gender, your bank balance and your postcode.

Over £193 million is being invested for this first group, with the 43 partners including England Lacrosse receiving funding for up to five years. This new funding model from Sport England provides longer-term financial security as organisations recover and reinvent from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said:

“Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy aims to help everyone play sport and get active– no matter who they are, where they live, or what their background.

“But we know that certain groups are more likely to be inactive and need targeted support and investment. We can only innovate and tackle these inequalities effectively with collective action, recognising that this is about long-term change.

“England Lacrosse is one of a huge number of partners we are looking to work with on exactly this over the coming years. They play a foundational role within the sport and physical activity sector and are therefore well-placed to create the conditions for change. They will also act as a resource for other innovative organisations with the same goals as we seek to create a more equal society with everyone benefitting from sport and physical activity.”

Legendary lacrosse coach and administrator, Tom Hayes, dies

England Lacrosse is saddened to learn of the passing of legendary coach and lacrosse administrator, Tom Hayes, yesterday (7 March), aged 82.

Tom was a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and instrumental in the growth of the international game. We would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, as well as to all in the lacrosse community affected by his passing.

Joint release below from World Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse:

Tom Hayes – a key figure in the growth of international lacrosse, a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the winningest coach in Rutgers University men’s lacrosse history – passed away on Monday. He was 82 years old.

“Our sport has lost a true legend. Tom’s vision from the beginning was to get lacrosse back into the Olympics and it was a real pleasure that World Lacrosse received full recognition from the IOC during his lifetime,” said Sue Redfern, president of World Lacrosse. “Tom’s lifelong leadership in developing lacrosse around the world coupled with his ability to enthuse, inspire and encourage those around him will last on. He will be significantly missed, but we are all grateful to have known him and for his immense contribution to World Lacrosse.”

Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989, Hayes spent 25 years at Rutgers, leading the Scarlet Knights’ program from 1975-2000 and registering 21 winning seasons. His teams were ranked in the top 20 every year from 1975 to 1998 and made five NCAA tournament appearances.

Hayes was also a pioneer in the development of international lacrosse throughout his coaching career. In 1974, he helped form a U.S. team to play in the Australia Lacrosse Association’s centennial lacrosse celebration and remained influential on the global lacrosse scene from that point onward.

Hayes served World Lacrosse’s predecessor (the International Federation of Lacrosse) as president (1994-2002), vice president (1974-78), secretary-treasurer (1978-82), and general delegate (1974-94), among other roles. Following his retirement from Rutgers, he then joined World Lacrosse’s board of directors as development director from 2008-15, before transitioning to Olympic vision director from 2015-19.

In recognition of his contributions to international lacrosse, World Lacrosse’s Men’s U20 Championship trophy is named in his honor.

“We have lost a legend in the world of lacrosse,” said Bob DeMarco, WL board development director. “Coach Hayes began his involvement in international lacrosse in 1974 when he led the formation of the men’s organization, and he was later instrumental in the merging of the men’s and women’s governing bodies. His outstanding work has helped our game grow into what it is today with 75 member federations and a vision to return to the Olympics, which was always a strong passion of his. His legacy of giving back to the game will live on through all of us.”

In addition to his international work, Hayes was also a member of the USA Lacrosse Foundation board of directors from 1985-87 and was president of the U.S. Lacrosse Coaches Association from 1990-94. He was the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Rules Committee chair from 1975-79 and USILA International Games Committee chair from 1973-94. Hayes served as general manager of the U.S. National Team for the world championships in 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1990.

In 2012, Hayes was selected as USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Person of the Year, largely due to his tireless efforts to champion the international growth of lacrosse. That year, he spearheaded World Lacrosse’s application and eventual admission into SportAccord, a key milestone in gaining IOC recognition.

“If you want to start lacrosse in a new country, you pick up sticks, find athletes and watch the joy of our sport take over. But if you wanted to organize lacrosse in that country in a meaningful way, you called Tom Hayes. He was the galvanizing force for the global lacrosse community for over four decades. Getting us a seat with SportAccord was huge. He did it,” said Matt DaSilva, editor-in-chief of USA Lacrosse Magazine at the time.

Among his many lifetime honors, Hayes was the USILA’s Man of the Year in 1974 and 1987, the USILA’s Frenchy Julien Service Award recipient in 2000, the New Jersey Lacrosse Man of the Year in 2000, and World Lacrosse’s Lifetime Achievement Award selectee in 2002.

Originally from Floral Park, New York, Hayes was an outstanding midfielder who led Sewanhaka High School to consecutive championships in 1956, 1957 and 1958. He went on to Penn State University, where he earned All-America honors twice and led the Nittany Lions to the conference championship in 1962 before beginning his coaching career.

Prior to Rutgers, Hayes coached two seasons at his alma mater, Penn State, and five years at Drexel University (1969-74). Hayes’ overall coaching record was 243-162 over 32 seasons, including 194 victories at Rutgers.

In addition to his induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, he is a member of the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1989), the Sewanhaka High School Hall of Fame (1996), the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1997), the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame (2017) and the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2017).

Registration open for Bath Eights competition

Bath Lacrosse Club has opened the registration for the 2022 edition of their annual Bath Eights tournament, taking place on Saturday 3 September.

Held at Odd Down Sports Fields, the Bath Eights tournament is the traditional lacrosse season opener and dates back to 1986 when Low Profilers (Sheffield) won the men’s competition.

A women’s six-a-side version of the tournament is now into its fifth year having been won previously by Stockport, Bristol Bombers, Bath University, and most recently Godolphin School.

Timperley Lacrosse Club are the reigning men’s champions, winning their fifth title at last year’s competition, and all funds raised from the event go towards the club development fund at Bath Lacrosse Club, which continues to help grow the sport in the local area. 

After the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bath Eights was back with a bang last year and this year’s competition is sure to be another fantastic occasion.

For more details on how to register for the 2022 Bath Eights, click HERE.

England Lacrosse launches university lacrosse players survey

England Lacrosse is delighted to, once again, launch our bi-annual survey for all university lacrosse players designed to monitor and measure the personal well-being and social outcomes of lacrosse participants at university.

The survey will enable us to evidence the impact lacrosse participation has on students' well-being, mental health and future prospects.

The information provided by players who complete the survey will help England Lacrosse to understand the impact participating in lacrosse has on an individual’s well-being and social outcomes in the university environment and how we can adapt and develop the lacrosse offer at university to better serve the university lacrosse community.

England Men's U21 World Championship squad announced

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the Men’s Under 21 squad for the upcoming 2022 World Championship in Limerick, Ireland. 

Head Coach Ryan Garnsworthy has selected a 26-man squad to go forward towards this summer’s tournament from which the final playing squad will be chosen.  

The Junior World Championship was originally scheduled to be played in 2020, but has been delayed for the last two years due to the pandemic.  

Reflecting on his squad selection and the process up to this point, Garnsworthy said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the squad of 40 over such a tough drawn out time, but everyone has remained focused on our goal. 

“It's such a shame to have to cut some committed players and we wish those leaving us all the best.  

“Congratulations to the remaining squad, the hard work will continue to ramp up from here and we look forward to finally playing in the World Championships in Limerick in August!” 

GK

Jack Allen (Cambridge University Lacrosse Club)
Samuel Rogerson (Brooklands Hulmeians Lacrosse Club)
Joachim Ruby (Heaton Mersey Lacrosse Club)

Def

Jacob Brindle (Brooklands Hulmeians Lacrosse Club)
Alexander Davidson (Cheadle Hulme Lacrosse Club)
Oliver Lee (Timperley Lacrosse Club)
William Locker (Sheffield Steelers Lacrosse Club)
Joshua Poke (Mellor Lacrosse Club)
Luca Schurink (Stockport Lacrosse Club)
Tom Whitehead (Heaton Mersey Lacrosse Club)

Mid

Morgan Brown (Stockport Lacrosse Club)
Brandon Challinor (Cheadle Lacrosse Club)
Daniel Flisk (Timperley Lacrosse Club)
Dan Jones (Mellor Lacrosse Club)
Edward Loveland (Timperley Lacrosse Club)
Daniel Madeley (Rochdale Lacrosse Club)
Sam Mottershead (Cheadle Lacrosse Club)
Hugo Peel (Stockport Lacrosse Club)
Will Shirt (Cheadle Lacrosse Club)
Josh Simpson-Pink (Mellor Lacrosse Club)
Nathan Wilkinson (Sheffield Steelers Lacrosse Club)

Att

Oliver Allsop (Brooklands Hulmeians Lacrosse Club)
Drew Bickerton (Mellor Lacrosse Club)
Elliott Bickerton (Mellor Lacrosse Club)
Will Goodwin (Cheadle Lacrosse Club)
Daniel Hilditch (Stockport Lacrosse Club)

Torz Anderson guest column: Will the future of our sport destroy or develop its heritage and heartland?

As part of England Lacrosse’s new monthly guest column, The Fly winner, World Championship bronze medallist and multiple European Championship gold medallist with the England senior women’s team, Torz Anderson, talks us through her thoughts about the new sixes format.

Since first playing lacrosse in games lessons at school when I was 11, I’ve witnessed first-hand the metamorphoses the sport has undergone and continues to undergo. From running around our playing field with no pitch boundaries, to shrinking from 12 to 10 players, embracing self-start and free movement and more recently experiencing a six-a-side format with shot clock and more, the sport has been on a journey, which in recent months has become more exciting than ever. 

With all sights set on the 2028 Olympics and the hope of inclusion at the LA games looming, there has been widespread debate around the new kid on the block: sixes.

But how does this new format compare to the traditional one we all know and love?

For those of you who saw The Fly in 2021, you’ll have experienced this new, innovative, creative, and fast format in all its glory. The games are shorter, more physical and quicker paced, with no time to set up lengthy set plays, stall the ball or dwell on mistakes, all things which can feature heavily in the traditional 10-a-side game. There are also greater physical demands on the athletes, with coaches largely taking an approach that every player needs to be able to attack and defend instead of having specialists; meaning endurance, speed and agility are key all over the pitch. 

As an attacker in the 10-a-side game, featuring predominantly behind the goal, playing both ways was a welcome change for me and allowed me to develop a slightly different style – the meticulous feeds, calling plays and chasing shots, became big drives and shots from out front, experiencing the lung burn of midfield duties and learning zone defence principles in the blink of an eye.

Despite these pretty dramatic changes in player roles, I do believe that playing sixes will help develop any women’s 10-a-side player’s game. Learning to play both ways is crucial; straight defenders finding themselves over the once dreaded attacking restrainer are now empowered and confident to attack with purpose as they’ve been there and done it before; attackers riding hard can be more bold and aggressive in their defensive style as they aren’t as out of practice, and goalkeepers will more frequently consider the split second save-and-clear over the top to initiate a fast break. 

Playing competitively in an environment where creativity is encouraged and time pressure is real, allows for those ‘make or break’ moments in the game that can change momentum in an instant. With no time for ‘in the moment’ reflection in sixes, we learn as we play and adapt to our own boundaries of the risk-reward dynamic. With 50% possession almost guaranteed, due to the possession clock, having time to experiment, be creative and make mistakes allows for a much faster learning process and one so rich in opportunity when there is time to reflect, strategise and implement back into the more controlled and tactical 10-a-side format.

Although there is widespread debate across the globe on the new format of the game, and concern for losing the spark and love of our traditional game, I would strongly encourage every lacrosse player, fan, spectator or official to get involved with sixes, be that through playing, watching footage, helping at a tournament or simply talking to those who have experienced it first-hand.

For as long as I can remember, the lacrosse community has dreamt of Olympic inclusion and if we truly want our sport to be featured alongside the sporting superpowers of athletics, cycling, and rowing at the Olympics, and give the next generation a chance of becoming professional athletes, we must embrace the sixes format and allow it to open up the future for us; but in doing so, we can take immense amounts of learning, creativity and fun with us back to the 10s game, to further strengthen and improve our global position as number three in the world. 

We’re always on the look out for guest columnists from the lacrosse community to speak about a topic they’re passionate about. If you’d like to be featured, please contact j.naylor@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

Triple Arrow Camps 2022: Perform+ Camp

In just under two months’ time, the 2022 Triple Arrow Camps schedule will be underway, offering lacrosse-playing girls around the country the opportunity to play the sport they love during their school Easter break.

There’s five camps in five locations across April and while four of them will be our usual Triple Arrow Camps with high-quality coaching helping girls of any playing ability to thrive and grow as players, one is slightly different.

That camp is our Perform+ Camp hosted this year at Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

Taking place between Tuesday 5 and Friday 8 April, the Perform+ Camp allows every camper to train like a performance athlete and get an insight into exactly what it take to train at the next level, with some of the country’s best coaches as well as current England national squad members.

Using the state-of-the-art facilities at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, the Perform+ Camp will feature more than just the playing side of lacrosse with a big focus on those extra things a top level athlete must do to reach the top, including gym sessions, swimming pool recovery, nutrition and lots more!

The Perform+ Camp is the perfect Triple Arrow Camp for true lacrosse lovers with campers being immersed into a full lacrosse learning environment.

To find out more about the Perform+ Camp or to book, click below.

Barcelona to host Ken Galluccio Cup for next three years

The European Lacrosse Federation (ELF) has announced that the next three editions of the Ken Galluccio Cup will be hosted by Barcelona.

This year’s competition will mark the return of the Ken Galluccio Cup after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Running roughly on an annual basis since 2008, the Ken Galluccio Cup, also known as the KGC, is a men’s and women’s field lacrosse competition that gathers domestic champions from several countries, including Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden, to decide which team is Europe’s best.

Originally named the Champions Cup, the tournament was renamed the Ken Galluccio Cup as a tribute to its creator after his death in 2009 and it is the largest European lacrosse tournament with teams from over 15 countries taking part.

Barcelona will become the competition’s fifth host city after Hamburg (2008, 2010), Manchester (2011), Prague (2012), and Ghent (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).

English teams have traditionally performed well at the tournament, winning eight out of the 11 titles in the men’s competition, including the 2019 and most recent edition was won by Hampstead Lacrosse Club.

In the women’s competition, Oxton Lacrosse Club won the title in 2014 while Centaurs were runners-up and winners in 2018 and 2019 respectively!

Volunteer at National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022

England Lacrosse is looking for enthusiastic and passionate volunteers to help across a range of roles at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022.

Taking place from 19 to 22 March, this year’s edition of the National Schools Lacrosse Championships, often shortened to National Schools, will be the first to take place in over two years after the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to the 2021 competition.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to help out within three areas of National Schools, including competition (i.e. timing, scoring, pitch steward etc.), event (i.e. event support, hospitality, ticketing etc.), and social media.

There is flexibility for individuals to volunteer across one day, the full four days, or anything in between and, please note, a full competition day begins at approximately 8:30am and finishes around 5pm (there is flexibility within this).

National Schools is the largest schools lacrosse competition in the UK with the first iteration of the event pre-dating World War Two and we’d love to have you on-board as one of our dedicated volunteers!

To sign up to be a volunteer at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022, please click the button below and complete the form.

If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact England Lacrosse Competitions Officer, Helen Amos, via email at h.amos@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

50% off England Lacrosse membership until 31 July

The England Lacrosse Board has agreed to a 50% discount on EL membership purchased between Thursday 10 February and Sunday 31 July.

The discount comes as England Lacrosse seeks to acknowledge the changes in the traditional lacrosse calendar with more activities taking place in the summer months than previously.

Any membership bought within the discount period will give the holder England Lacrosse membership for the remainder of the 2021/2022 season (until 31 August 2022) after which membership for the 2022/2023 season will be available to purchase.

England Lacrosse membership allows the holder to:

• Compete in any England Lacrosse sanctioned event, league, or competition

• Gain priority access to England Lacrosse events

• Access discounts with England Lacrosse partners

• Access additional funding

• Access the extensive England Lacrosse insurance package

You can read more about the benefits of England Lacrosse membership HERE.

Discounted Membership Prices

Senior - £16.50
Junior - £8.25
Student - £8.25
Armed Forces - £8.25

Please note, the England Lacrosse Fan Membership is not included in the 50% discount and, as such, will remain £5.

School Challenge Cup 2022 date confirmed

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the School Challenge Cup 2022 will take place on Sunday 20 November in its regular home at Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, Aldershot.

The School Challenge cup features the country’s best young talent, pitting the top eight schools at U19 level against each other in a straight knockout tournament.

Reigning champions, St Catherine’s School, defeated Caterham School in the final of last year’s tournament to take home the trophy, with Berkhamsted, Benenden, Guildford High, Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, and St Mary’s, Calne completing the eight team line-up.

After a slight change in the way teams qualified for the 2021 competition due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the School Challenge Cup 2022 will revert back to offering a place to the eight highest placed schools at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships 2022.

The National Schools Lacrosse Championships will this year take place between 19 and 22 March and will feature schools from all over the country in age categories from U13 to U19.

More details about the School Challenge Cup 2022 will be released in due course.