Jane Powell to step down from role at England Lacrosse

England Lacrosse Head of Talent and Performance, Jane Powell will be stepping down from her role with the organisation as she takes on a full-time position with England and Wales Cricket Board. Jane has accepted the role as the first performance manager for England disability cricket.

 Jane has been an integral part of the England Lacrosse team since she joined us in 2013.  She has been instrumental in transforming the talent pathway system, the performance squad structure, and has had a major impact in the sport across so many other areas.

 Jane’s appointment from outside the sport as head of performance for England Lacrosse set a worldwide precedent in performance lacrosse. Her knowledge and skills, combined with a wealth of experience in cricket and hockey, has revolutionised the performance environment of EL.

 Since Jane’s appointment, the EL talent identification pathway has grown to comprise over 1000 athletes from U13 upwards in a structured, modern performance environment. Jane has also overseen reforms in EL’s elite performance squads which have resulted in World Bronze Medals and Gold Medals for all our teams in Europe.

 Jane has focused on improving the culture of our talent and performance programmes and this coupled with her leadership legacy in the talent performance area will stand the sport in good stead on the international stage for years to come.

 Jane has built a strong talent and performance team within the EL staff structure who will now step up their responsibilities to allow for a seamless transition as Jane leaves the organisation.

 Jane's knowledge and experience has also assisted in developing the strategic direction of the governing body and her invaluable contribution to lacrosse will continue to shape our sport into the future. 

 Mark Coups, England Lacrosse Chief Executive, said: “I want to thank Jane for all her work over the last nine years on behalf of the sport in England and worldwide.

“Jane has overseen a complete transformation in our talent and performance programme, improving every aspect of what we do in this key area. 

“The Lacrosse family in England are very grateful for all that you have achieved in revolutionising the performance system and modernising the sport. Jane’s fingerprints on our talent and elite system will remain for years to come. 

 “Personally, I would like to thank Jane for all the hard work and dedication she has shown, setting the highest standards of professionalism for us to follow.  I would also like to thank her for the friendship, compassion and kindness shown to the EL team and myself, we will miss you.

 “Jane’s appointment with the ECB to be the first performance manager for disability cricket is extremely exciting for her.  She is incredibly well respected in the world of cricket with vast knowledge of the game, and I have no doubt that she will excel in her new role.

 “Thank you, Jane, for all that you have achieved and good luck in your new role.”

Schedule set for 2022 National Club Championships

The schedule is now set for the 2022 National Club Championships as we are able to crown the champions of England for the first time since 2019.

The winners of the Men’s and Women’s National Finals will also be selected as the English representatives at the European Club Championships in Barcelona later this year.

The 2022 National Club Championships will be played at Moulton College, Northampton, with all welcome to attend for a bumper day of action now featuring four matches.

The day gets underway with the Women’s Division 1 final with South West Women’s champions Bristol Bombers meeting Blues 2s, winners of the SEWLA Division 1, that will be the first of two appearances for the South London-based club.

Blues Women 1s will compete in the Women’s National final for the first time after a 9-9 draw against 2019 National Champions Centaurs last week was enough to secure them the South East Premier League title and complete a double for both their women’s teams.

Meanwhile in the North Women’s league, Stockport ended Oxton’s run of league wins to book their place against Blues in the Women’s final.

In the men’s final, Spencer also ended Hampstead’s run of league titles to top the SEMLA table for the first time since 2016, which they also combined with a flags double, and are now looking to add the national title.

In the NEMLA Premier, it’s Cheadle who finished top of the tree and will look to pick up the national title which they last won back 2017, again facing-off against Spencer.

The National Club Championships will also feature a mixed lacrosse final at the event for the first time, Oxford City Lacrosse and Cambridge University meeting each other in the final as the respective winners of the South and Midlands leagues.

11:00 Women’s Div 1 Final

(SEWLA Div 1 Champions) BLUES 2s v BRISTOL BOMBERS (SWWLA Champions)

12:45 Mixed National Final

(SE League Champions) CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY v OXFORD CITY (Midland Champions)

14:30 Women’s National Final

(SEWLA Prem Champions) BLUES v STOCKPORT (NWLA Champions)

16:15 Men’s National Final

(SEMLA Prem Champions) SPENCER v CHEADLE (NEMLA Prem Champions)

Spectators: Spectators are welcome to attend the event, there is no charge.

Parking: Parking will be available at The John Ashby Sports Hall.

Food & Drink: There is a café on site at the John Ashby Sports Hall. This will be open from 09:30 for hot and cold drinks and snacks. Please note that alcohol is not permitted on site. 

Commentate at The Fly 2022

Are you looking to be the next superstar commentator calling matches across the world? Do you want to be a future sports presenter bringing live coverage into the homes of millions?

The Fly are looking for candidate(s) interested in pursuing their interest in sports broadcasting and sports media to deliver live commentary for The Fly 2022 from 3-5 June.

Working closely with The Fly In-House Team, the successful individual(s) will provide live commentary for our online streaming platform across the event, informing and engaging audiences, and providing a full experience for viewers watching the event online. 

The successful individual(s) will have a passion for sports with excellent communication and presentation skills, a clear, engaging voice and good pronunciation, confidence when talking to sportspeople and large audiences, good research skills, and the ability to react quickly to unexpected situations. 

A prior knowledge of Lacrosse and the rules of the sport would be advantageous but is not completely essential for individuals who can demonstrate past experience within sports media and broadcasting, and a willingness to spend time learning about the sport. 

Main Duties & Responsibilities

1. Provide commentary on matches across the competition to be broadcast on the event live streaming platform 

2. Complete prior research on participating teams and players and write scripts in preparation for the live event 

3. Complete prior research in becoming familiar with the rules of Sixes Lacrosse 

4. Work alongside and take direction from The Fly media team and broadcast production team when onsite at the event 

5. Liaise with The Fly media team during the event to add interviews, opinions, and statistics of the game into the coverage where required

6. Collaborate with staff across the different areas of the organisation 

A full job description for the role can be viewed HERE - This position is a voluntary role, although reasonable expenses may be considered

Application Process: For any questions regarding the role and to apply, please send a current CV highlighting any relevant experience and a short Cover Letter detailing your desire and suitability for the position to Abi Merrill at a.merrill@englandlacrosse.co.uk

Closing Date: Friday 6 May

Sheena Macrae guest column: Retention in senior women's lacrosse

As part of England Lacrosse’s monthly guest column, legendary volunteer at Cobham Lacrosse Club, Sheena Macrae, who has been involved in lacrosse for over 10 years now despite never having played the sport, speaks to us about player retention at club level.

Retention.

One of those words: with connotations of hospitals, sleazy contracts, and even cramming for an exam.

It’s fast become one of those areas in lacrosse too: angsty and antsy in the post-pandemic sporting world.

Retention.

Will my team survive? Will we have a league in which to play?

Across the board in post-COVID sport, it seems that many of us have found other ways of spending Sundays than on a pitch. 

Our Club is essentially a junior club, but we have a small Senior section, fielding a team in the South-East Women’s League Division I. Not bad, considering our players are mostly 16–18-year-olds.

However, and here we come to the dreaded word ‘retention’, some 16+ players simply give up (perhaps because of peer pressure, schoolwork or other interests) while some are attracted by clubs with a more elite pathway. While we do retain U18 Seniors as playing members, some choose to stay on as training members and junior coaches only, playing for other clubs in matches.

The Women’s Leagues, sadly, don’t permit players to play for more than one Club, unlike the Men’s where teams can play ‘unattached players’.

Retaining a viable Senior section is quite a headache. Yet, senior clubs would suffer somewhat without the junior clubs, and we love to have both sections. We nurture the ‘nursery’ pool of players, some of whom will go on to be elite and, while some may remain at ‘grassroots’, who knows which at age 16-18?

Success is ground-out from playing, training, playing, training - over and over. It’s not instant, it’s physical, it’s mental and it is formed on the field, match by match, with friends. And at least a decent part of retention is a Club grasping that playing a good match is downright fun (often irrespective of outcome).

I believe that all clubs and the Leagues need to retain their U18 Seniors to ensure that young players of all standards keep playing and developing – whether the pinnacle of their eventual achievement is Olympic or a local league. Who knows what the end point for each player will be? She won’t know until she’s played as many matches as she can fit in a busy schedule – probably over time from the teenage years to the twenties and beyond.

My starter for 10, then: while I know that belonging to just one Club can deliver team spirit and team cohesion, I do think that U18 women’s players could be permitted to play in the Women’s Leagues for more than one Club. That could afford choice and greater playing bandwidth to U18 players and their supporting parents, allow competitive lacrosse a development strategy, and give young players the chance to play much more than they can do at present. A win-win for grassroots as well as elite – and a positive take on retention!

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.

England Lacrosse names Women's World Championship squad

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the Women’s National squad that will take to the field at the Women’s World Championship in Towson (Md.), USA this summer.

Following the recent Home Internationals series win, Head Coach Phil Collier has now named his final 18-player squad that will compete for the crown from 29 June - 9 July.

Nine of the 18-player squad have previously represented England at a World Championship, including Laura Merrifield who will compete at an incredible fourth senior World Championships.

Meanwhile, Georgie Southorn, Olivia Thomas and Charlie Wilson all make the step up to the senior championship after representing England at the 2019 U19 Worlds.

After a memorable bronze medal in 2017, Collier and his coaching staff will have eyes on putting together a side capable of repeating success at the 2021 Championship, this time looking to go even further.

And England will open up their Women’s World Championship campaign against Australia on 30 June in a rematch of that 2017 bronze medal game.

Following our opening game against Australia, England will play Scotland (2 July), Canada (3 July), and finally USA in an eye-catching fixture on America’s Independence Day (4 July) to round off the pool stages.

England Women’s World Championship squad

Goalie
Katie Greenwood
Brittany Read

Defence
Emma Adams
Chloe Chan
Emma Oakley
Emily Nalls
Charlie Wilson

Midfield
Claire Faram
Emily Gray
Laura Merrifield
Tilly Shires
Ruby Smith
Olivia Thomas
Liv Wimpenny

Attack
Torz Anderson
Olivia Hompe
Georgie Southorn
Megan Whittle

Travelling Reserves
Anna Featherstone
Tilly Foster

GK Reserve
Lucy Grant

Nick Kehoe International 2022 schedule released

The organisers of the annual Nick Kehoe International have released the schedule for the 2022 edition of the tournament.

The competition, which has been cancelled in the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held at Wilmslow Lacrosse Club, Cheshire, on Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May 2022.

Due to continuing concerns around COVID and international travel, the organisers have made the difficult decision to concentrate solely on the men’s competition this year.

Some 12 teams will be taking part across three divisions, including English Universities, a North-West regional team, Scottish Academy, and Wales U21 in the Conference A, Eire, England U21, a South regional team, and Welsh Dragons in the Conference B, and a Midlands regional team, Scotland, Wales, and a Yorkshire regional team in the Conference C.

The format follows that of previous years with each team playing every other team in their Conference league once as part of the preliminary round.

The top two teams in each Conference league will compete in the Championship Division while the third and fourth placed teams will compete in the Plate Division.

Results from the divisional games will determine the ‘Final Fours’ in the Championship, Plate, and Development tournaments with the winners of the Championship division winning the main Nick Kehoe International Trophy.

To view the full schedule for the tournament, click below:

To look at the competition rules, click below:

England Lacrosse complete UKAD Assurance Framework

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce its completion of the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies (NGBs) must fulfil to certify to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) that they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published the updated 2021 UK National Anti-Doping Policy (Policy) in April 2021, which all NGBs must be compliant with. This was the first update of the Policy since its implementation in 2009.

UKAD, which is responsible for ensuring that sports bodies comply with the World Anti-Doping Code through its implementation and management of the Policy, introduced the Assurance Framework for NGBs to be able to evidence their compliance with the Policy.

The introduction of the Assurance Framework is the most significant change in the Policy. It outlines a series of mandatory requirements which all NGBs must fulfil. These requirements include the creation of an education strategy and plan, the implementation of anti-doping rules and increased involvement of an NGB’s Board with clean sport.

UKAD’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Nisha Dutt, said:

“I’d like to congratulate England Lacrosse for completing the UKAD Assurance Framework, which demonstrates a commitment to clean sport. England Lacrosse can now fully show that it is meeting its anti-doping responsibilities.”

For more information on the Policy and Assurance Framework, visit the UKAD website.

About UK Anti-Doping

UK Anti-Doping is responsible for ensuring sports bodies in the UK are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code through implementation and management of the UK National Anti-Doping Policy.

UK Anti-Doping’s functions include an education and information programme, athlete testing across more than 40 Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports, intelligence management and exclusive results management authority for the determination of anti-doping rule violations. For more information on UKAD, please click HERE.

England teams in pole position at Home Internationals

England are well set for a clean sweep across all competitions at Home Internationals after another successful day in Edinburgh.

Wins for both women’s senior A and B teams, and the Junior B side, in addition to the senior men winning their Saturday double-header to take the men’s competition, leaves England atop all the respective divisions.

The senior women A put up an impressive 19-4 win against Czech Republic, with Olivia Hompe starring, scoring four goals including two behind-the-back efforts and Georgie Southorn bagging another four.

The Czechs got the opening goal of the game, but England didn’t let that phase them and soon went to work scoring six unanswered goals before the ¼ time.

Czech Republic again then starting Q2 quickly, scoring twice in a row to make things 6-3, but that was then followed by another five goal England run spanning the half-time break.

England were then in cruise control and won the second-half to an aggregate 9-1, as England began to stretch their legs, Hompe saving the best until the 4th quarter when she took a feed from Anderson and finished from a tight angle with the BTB effort.

Tomorrow will be rounded off by a huge ‘winner takes all’ contest between England and Scotland in the senior women’s A competition after the hosts completed a stunning comeback victory against Wales to join England with a 2-0 record.

The senior B side will also have a defining match-up versus Germany after their 18-0 shut-out win against Scotland.

Germany beat Wales B later in the day to also go 2-0 and the winners of Sunday’s match will take the B championship.

On the men’s side, England seniors opened with a highly competitive fixture against England U21s, racing into a 4-0 lead early on, but then made to fight hard as the game wore on.

At times the U21s closed the lead to just one goal as they hustled and harried; but ultimately age and experience told and the seniors emerged victorious 10-7.

Then later in the day, the seniors quickly regrouped to face Scotland and produce a highly accomplished team performance to win 16-1 and finish as Men’s Home International champions.

England were at it from the off, taking a 10-0 lead into the half-time, and then were in cruise control during the second-half managing the game well to see things out and claim an impressive win.

England Results

England Senior Women A 19-4 Czech Republic
England Senior Women B 18-0 Scotland B
England Senior Men 10-7 England Junior Men
England Senior Men 16-1 Scotland Senior Men
England Junior Women A 8-10 England Junior Women B

Oxford City Lacrosse Club crowdfunding for B-Oxford conversion

Oxford City Lacrosse Club is looking to crowdfund over £6,000 to support the installation of four box lacrosse substitution gates and appropriate netting to surround the indoor turf at The Oxford Academy’s indoor dome.

The Oxford Academy is the home of Oxford City Lacrosse Club and its facilities include an outdoor astro-turf with lacrosse markings, grass pitches, and an indoor dome with 3G turf; the indoor dome is now used regularly by national teams, elite representative squads, and external lacrosse camps.

The Club's leaders, David Brucie Morris and Annabel Campbell, have strived to develop community lacrosse for juniors based at the school with Oxford City hosting weekly training sessions and termly community outreach programmes which culminate in a junior community tournament at The Oxford Academy.

The school has recently begun to introduce more curriculum and after-school lacrosse for year seven and year eight pupils and are looking to introduce box lacrosse to their older boys and girls in 2022.

Thanks to the progress of Oxford City Lacrosse Club, the opportunity for junior box lacrosse, the location of the school in the south, and the potential for the indoor dome to become an excellent venue for box lacrosse, the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA) would like to ask for the lacrosse community’s support to fund further work to improve the venue.

Sport England will match all funds raised so the Club is seeking a minimum of £3,050.

The cost to install substitution gates will be £5,663 and the remaining £437 will be spent on additional netting, supporting steel wire and to cover the Crowdfunder transaction costs.

Any further matched funding above £6,100 will remain with SEMLA for their support of box lacrosse in the south delivered by Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL).

Due to the financial pressures of the pandemic on core activities, Oxford City Lacrosse Club has decided to use Crowdfunding with Sport England to help fund this transformational development of the indoor dome.

Head Coach of the England Men’s Box Lacrosse National Team, Walt Christianson, has described the venue in glowing terms.

"I think the potential for the Oxford dome is great. It is fairly centrally located, the flooring is good, and the size, although it is a bit wide, works well. The square corners are a bit of a problem, but the positives far outweigh the problems."  

England men's Box Nations Cup squad announced

England Lacrosse team photo after the 2019 World Lacrosse Box Lacrosse Championship

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the England men's box lacrosse squad selected to play in the Box Nations Cup, a warm-up tournament in Dresden, Germany, leading into the 2022 European Box Championships in Hannover, Germany.

Head Coach Walt Christianson has selected a 21-man squad formed of domestic players and the tournament will be the last try-out to make the final 23-man squad for the Euros.

Up to six eligible Canadian-based players will be joining the squad from June, meaning competition will be fierce for final selection; some of the Canadian players will be familiar faces to the England box programme having played at previous European and World Championships.

Coach Christianson has been impressed with how the domestic box game has improved since the last major Championships back in 2019.

"We have come a long way since the Euros in Finland. The talent level of the players has increased dramatically with our program which made for some very tough decisions in the selection process. It is exciting to see the growth of box lacrosse in England!".

Goal
Eliot Pugh (Milton Keynes / London Knights)
Ben Stowe (Welwyn Warriors / SBL Capitals)

Defence
Will Allsop (Brooklands / Disley Dynamos)
Thomas Bracegirdle (Spencer)
Taylor Harrison (Spencer)
Luke Mills (Brooklands / Disley Dynamos)
Tom Roche (Spencer / London Knights)
Jamie Sutton (WACS / UKLacrosse)
Matthew Tatton (Brooklands / Disley Dynamos)
Ming Trinh (Heaton Mersey / Disley Dynamos)
Chris Wainer (Heaton Mersey / UKLacrosse)
Albert Whitehead (Spencer / London Knights)

Offence
Ben Buchanan (Spencer / London Knights)
Dave Groves (Stockport / Disley Dynamos)
Caius Jefferies (Heaton Mersey / Disley Dynamos)
Elliot Leonard (Norbury / Disley Dynamos)
Matthew Marsh (Mellor / London Knights)
Ben Page-Laycock (Brooklands / Disley Dynamos)
Sam Perry (East Grinstead / SBL Capitals)
Dan Watson (Mellor / London Knights)
Pete Wilson (Bristol Bombers / London Knights)

Germany Lacrosse Convention release preliminary programme

The very first Germany Lacrosse Convention, taking place from May 20-22, has released a preliminary programme, including a women’s box clinic, an introduction to wheelchair lacrosse, the Box Nations Cup, and the Nations Cup World Lacrosse Sixes.

The convention, the first of its kind and “the largest lacrosse event in Europe”, will be hosted by the Energieverbund Arena in Dresden.

Late last year, the German Lacrosse Association, as part of their preparations for the GerLaxCon, succeeded in crowdfunding €40,000 to help raise funds for the event.

And, now, a preliminary programme has been released which contains no less than 45 different events, workshops, clinics, and scrimmages across the three days of the convention.

In addition to the main convention, there will also be a variety of fixed programme items that will be made freely available throughout the weekend, including traditional stick-making and stringing with representatives of the Oneida Indian Nation, an exhibition of the traditions of lacrosse, a vendor village with lacrosse shops, a merchandise store, a shooting cage with fastest shot competition, and much more…

Tickets to attend the event are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.

The whole preliminary convention programme can be viewed HERE.

European Lacrosse: Spring in Poland will be marked with lacrosse

Wroclaw has already hosted more than one championship-level sports event, but such a tournament has not been held in Poland yet. We are talking about the European Qualifiers for the 2022 World Men's Lacrosse Championship, which will be played this spring in Poland. From 11th to 16th April, the city will be taken over by competitors from 22 European countries who will fight for promotion to the 2023 Lacrosse World Men's Championships in San Diego, USA. The competitions will be held in the complex of the Olympic stadium and Pola Marsowe, in the beautiful city of Wroclaw. There will be plenty of excellent, experienced players from the Czech Republic, Denmark and Finland, but also representatives of Portugal, Italy or Hungary. Of course, there will also be the Polish national team, which will play their first match against the Greece national team. 

Our players in helmets, with a stick in their hand and an eagle on their chests will give their best on the pitch. The plan is simple: playing at 100% is not enough - we will give 110%, and if necessary, we will play more. We hope that it will be a very successful competition for us, and there are several reasons: mainly we play at home. Wroclaw is the Meeting Place, but also the Polish capital of lacrosse. We have the opportunity to play in the exceptionally beautiful complex of the Olympic Stadium, and this is really the best place for a decent lacrossse and this is what the Polish national team is going to show - says Mikołaj Śmigiel, the Polish national team player. 

After Wroclaw qualifying rounds, 11 teams will be promoted to the World Championship in 2023. These will be: the winners of each group, the teams that will take second place and, additionally, the top three teams from the third place selected on the basis of a more favorable goal balance. 

It is less than a month that the heart of the European Lacrosse will beat in Wroclaw and will provide many unforgettable emotions to all fans of American sports. We have hope for a great sports spectacle, a lot of fierce matches and, above all, satisfied players, of whom we will have over half a thousand in Wroclaw. Of course, we also invite all fans to enjoy lacrosse with us - says Kajetan Statkiewicz, from organizing committee. 

The event will be available to fans from all over Europe here in Lower Silesia, Wroclaw and of course on broadcast on YouTube platform. 

More information can be found Facebook HERE.

You can also buy tickets online HERE.

See the full qualifying schedule below:

View fullsize

Hannah Royer guest column: My relationship with lacrosse as a player and volunteer

As part of England Lacrosse’s new monthly guest column, current Spencer Lacrosse Club player who has also had spells at Clapham and Hillcroft Lacrosse Clubs, Hannah Royer, speaks to us about her relationship with lacrosse and the organisational side of the game.

When I was asked to write a guest column for England Lacrosse, I wasn’t too sure what I could fit into the 300-500 word limit as I have a long list of things I could write for hours on end about. But, since I've joined a brand-new club this season, I thought it was fitting to talk about lacrosse from the perspective of a player and ex-club committee member, and the effect this has had on my relationship with the sport.

I didn’t start lacrosse – or even really know what it was – until my second year at university. As it turns out, lacrosse had been in my family a generation before me when my aunt played for the England Women’s team in the 1970s. She then went on to coach at various schools across the country, yet I had never focused on lacrosse as a sport that I might be interested in. At school we played hockey, netball and tennis, but never lacrosse.

Here in London where I live, there are a handful of women’s lacrosse clubs offering a variety of benefits depending on what you’re looking for. In the five years since I left Loughborough University, I have tried three of these clubs, captaining the first and being social media manager for the second. I left the first two clubs for different reasons, both being to do with the fact that I was a part of the committee helping to run the club, as well as a player trying to play enjoyable and competitive lacrosse.

In short, I didn’t enjoy the pressure that came with holding a position of responsibility within a club full of my friends and teammates who looked to me for answers on various issues. It seemed that nothing I did or said was right because it often meant a change within the club, and no one likes change. Playing took a back seat and being able to focus solely on having fun and playing my best just wasn’t achievable. It made me question whether I wanted to continue playing lacrosse at all. 

The #LAXISLIFE hashtag is thrown around a LOT in our sport because for many of us, lacrosse really is a huge part of our lives. It’s when the lines between our love of lacrosse and our personal boundaries for what we are willing to sacrifice for the sport become blurred that we all need to question whether we are sabotaging our relationships within and with lacrosse.

Since taking a step back from the organisational side of lacrosse and focusing solely on playing the game that I fell in love with eight years ago, I’ve found that I am genuinely enjoying playing lacrosse again which is a wonderful feeling.

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.