England Lacrosse to create England Women's Box Lacrosse National Team

England Lacrosse is excited to announce the creation of an official England Women’s Box Lacrosse National Team.

This decision has been made after conversations with various parties within the game who are developing our women’s box lacrosse offer combined with the announcement of a first ever Women’s World Lacrosse Box Championship to be held in 2024.

Although the women’s format is in its infancy, there is a very clear enthusiasm and energy for the further development of women’s box lacrosse in England and establishing a England Women's Box Lacrosse National Team is now an important next step in supporting its growth.

A small group has already been set up, led by box lacrosse players and enthusiasts Evie Stephens, Jane Lee, and Lizzie Bottrill, to assist with the formation of a National Team along with England Lacrosse staff.

During the summer period, we will start the process of appointing a Team Coach and Manager, while there is now also an open Expression of Interest form for any players interested in being involved, no matter their level of current box lacrosse experience, which can be completed below.

And, for more information about women’s box lacrosse and its place in England and the world, listen to our special women’s box lacrosse-dedicated episode of the Lacrosse Talk podcast HERE.

England Lacrosse CEO, Mark Coups, said:

“With regular women’s box lacrosse sessions now taking place around the country and the addition of several women’s players in Southern Box Lacrosse’s Winter Box League last year, it is clear there is an appetite for women’s box in England.

“With the recent announcement of the first ever Women’s Box Lacrosse World Championship, set to take place in 2024 alongside the men’s tournament, we are pleased to announce that England will now form an England Women’s Box lacrosse National Team aiming to complete in that World event. We look forward to starting the process of forming the team and engaging with the women’s box lacrosse community to further develop this format of the game.”

Vacancy | England Men's U20 Team Manager

England Lacrosse is looking for an experienced, committed, and enthusiastic Manager to support the running of the England U20 programme.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to manage the programme domestically and in preparation for international fixtures and tours as appropriate within the programme schedule.

The immediate remit will be to conclude planning and delivery of a development tour to Prague between the 18th-23rd August. Beyond this the role is to deliver an ongoing, long-term development programme to support players’ transition from high potential to high performing members of England Lacrosse’s Men’s Senior programme.

The Team Manager will work closely with the England Lacrosse National Performance Manager and Head Coach in overseeing the planning, logistics and financial sustainability of the programme and ensuring the overall culture of the programme is aligned with England Lacrosse’s vision and values.

You will be responsible for the planning, logistics and finances for the programme, whilst ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of individual players is managed to ensure they are prepared to compete on the international stage and perform consistently at the highest standards required to achieve sustained success.

You should be comfortable working with elite athletes and adept at managing and working collaboratively with a team of staff to achieve maximum output from available resources.

The successful manager will also be required to work closely with the Head Coaches of the other performance programmes in solidifying the synergy and clear progression pathway between the squads.

As with all Team Manager roles England Lacrosse will be holding a full, open application and interview process with all prospective candidates welcome to apply.

This is a voluntary role with reasonable and necessary expenses provided.

How to apply:

To apply please email the following documents to Abi Merrill at a.merrill@englandlacrosse.co.uk

· Cover Letter highlighting your motivation for the post and relevant experience.

· Up to date CV.

· Complete Equalities monitoring form – via this link. - Equalities Monitoring Form

Responsible to: National Performance Manager
Application closing date: Friday 2nd June 2023.

Book on an upcoming Level 2 Officiating course in June

England Lacrosse has a number of Level 2 officiating courses running throughout June, giving you the ideal opportunity to up your skills and move to the next level as we enter the summer months.

Level 2 Umpiring Webinars - online

Webinar 1
Thursday 8 June - 7.30pm
Monday 19 June - 7.30pm

Webinar 2
Thursday 15 June - 7.30pm
Monday 26 June - 7.30pm

The Level 2 Umpire award is perfect for those officials with an existing Level 1 certificate who would like to take the next step on their officiating pathway within the women’s game.

A Level 2 award also opens up a wide range of paid officiating opportunities throughout the year across the country.

To attain the Level 2 Umpire award, participants must complete two online webinars with work to be completed between sessions.

Following the completion of the online webinars, participants will be emailed with assessment opportunities at regional events and tournaments around the country.

We also have places open on our Level 2 Refereeing course coming up in June, with the added benefit of the possibility of an immediate assessment opportunity at the upcoming BluesFest tournament across Sat 10 & Sun 11 June.

The Level 2 Refereeing course, covering men’s lacrosse, requires participants to complete an online webinar, followed by on-field practical assessments.

Level 2 Refereeing Webinar - online
Wednesday 7 June - 7.30pm

If you are unable to make the assessment opportunity at BluesFest, you can still sign up to the June webinar and alternative practical assessment dates will be arranged.

Please use the links at the bottom of the page to book on to the Umpire and Referee courses.

* Please note, officials must have a valid level 1 certification and England Lacrosse Membership to undertake the level 2 course.

For more information about officiating courses, please contact England Lacrosse Officiating Co-ordinator, Ryan Griffiths, on r.griffiths@englandlacrosse.co.uk

Meet the England Men's World Championship staff heading to San Diego

As we enter the final month of preparations before our opening fixture against Australia at the 2023 Men’s World Championship in San Diego, we take a closer look at the team behind the team, with the four-man coaching staff and Team Manager that will lead the squad out in the US.

Pat Scarpello – Head Coach

Head Coach Pat Scarpello has been Head Coach of NCAA DIII Farleigh Dickinson University (FDU) for the last 20 years, first taking up the role in 2001 after a season spent as Assistant Coach at University of Delaware and Head Coach at Cabrini University for four years.

In that time he has led the team to 15 play-off berths, four conference final appearances, and the MAC conference Championship in 2009 where Scarpello was named coach of the year.

Scarpello is also very familiar with the World Championships experience having coached Bermuda at the previous three world events; as Assistant Coach in 2010 and 2014 before advancing to the Head Coach role in 2018, ending with a 5-3 record.

Pat Scarpello - Head Coach

Mike Bartlett – Assistant Coach

Mike Bartlett has been part of the Senior England setup since 2019 and has grown a reputation as one of the most accomplished coaches in the UK particularly at club level where he has had significant success with Poynton LC.

He led the England side at their recent Home International success in Nottingham, and has previous international and World Championship coaching experience, leading the Spanish National Team as Head Coach in 2018, as well as extensive work throughout the England Lacrosse academy system.

Mike Bartlett - Assistant Coach

Ben McAllister – Assistant Coach

Ben McAllister is four-time World Championship representative, appearing for England in every tournament from 2002 through to 2014, before making the move to join the England coaching staff at the last World Championship in Israel back in 2018.

McAllister, who also won multiple European Championships as both a player and coach, is regarded as one of the greatest ever English goalkeepers and has continued putting those experiences towards coaching the next generation with England following 2018, and also at club level with Mellor LC.

Ben McAllister - Assistant Coach

Matthew Brancaccio – Assistant Coach

Matt Brancaccio is the Head Coach at DeSales University, completing eight seasons in charge of the Bulldogs after being appointed to the top job in 2015.

He led them to their best season in school history in 2019 when DSU posted a record of 17-2, settings numerous team records including a 15-game winning streak and advancing to the NCAA DIII Tournament for the first time in team history.

Brancaccio also played at DeSales and is the DSU all-time leader in assists and second all-time in points.

Matt Brancaccio - Assistant Coach

England begin their World Championship campaign against Australia on Thursday 22 June, before games against Haudenosaunee, USA, and Canada.

We’re part of the team, are you? England Lacrosse is ready to support UKAD’s Clean Sport Week

We all have a role to play in keeping sport fair and clean. England Lacrosse is proud to reaffirm our commitment to clean sport by backing UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign.

Clean Sport Week is UKAD’s national awareness week championing clean sport, education and anti-doping initiatives with sports across the UK.

This year’s Clean Sport Week takes place on 22 – 26 May 2023. The theme is “Teamwork in Clean Sport”.

Athletes are central to the team, responsible for making sure they compete clean – it's their body, their responsibility. Coaches, doctors, medical staff, parents, and us as the National Governing Body for lacrosse. We are all part of the team and play a vital role in supporting athletes. Collectively, we need to stay educated, inform athletes of their responsibilities, and create a positive culture that gives athletes confidence to win well, without doping.

In support of UKAD, we’re getting behind Clean Sport Week. We challenge all athletes, coaches, and athlete support personnel to show your team player credentials and work together with athletes to fulfil their anti-doping responsibilities.

We are also proud to be working with UKAD on the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies must complete to show they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities. As part of this, we’ve been creating an Education Strategy to support athletes early on in their career.

We encourage anyone in our sporting community that would like to learn more about anti-doping to sign up to UKAD’s Clean Sport Hub where there are free education courses for athletes, students, coaches and practitioners.

Follow @ukantidoping on social media to see a range of educational and exciting content throughout the week.

To find out more about UKAD’s Clean Sport Week initiative click HERE.

Triple Arrow Camps return for summer 2023 programme!

Triple Arrow Camps has announced it will return with six camps around the country as part of its summer 2023 programme.

Charterhouse School, St Swithun’s School, Queen Anne’s School, Worth School, Withington Girls’ School, and St George’s School, Harpenden will all host a Triple Arrow Camp in summer 2023.

There’s a mixture of four-day residential and two-day non-residential camps starting from 1 August at Charterhouse School and concluding on 30 August at St George’s, Harpenden.

Prices start from just £140 for a two-day camp and £335 for a four-day camp and campers can expect a unique lacrosse experience designed by some of the best coaches in the UK.

Triple Arrow Camps provide a great environment for all girls to flourish whether they’re just starting out in the game, or looking to get a head start before the new season gets underway.

A week at camp also allows girls to develop their independence and form new friendships with plenty of time for campers to interact outside of lacrosse.

To read more information about Triple Arrow Camps, click HERE.

Triple Arrow Camps Summer 2023 Schedule

Charterhouse School | 1-4 August
St Swithun’s School | 7-10 August
Queen Anne’s School | 15-18 August
Worth School | 21 & 22 August
Withington Girls’ School | 21 & 22 August
St George’s School, Harpenden | 29 & 30 August

Vacancies | National Academy Coaches & Team Manager

England Lacrosse is looking for experienced, committed, and enthusiastic individuals to support the running of the National Academy programme.

National Academy Coaches

Our National Academy Coaches will be excited to introduce athletes to a performance environment, setting the required standards and values for representing England Lacrosse on the world stage.

The successful candidates will have the opportunity to shape the Junior programmes and develop a pathway into the Senior programmes for the next World Championship cycle, European Championships, Home International Series, and other international fixtures and tours as appropriate.

The Coaches will work closely with the England Lacrosse National Talent Pathway Lead in overseeing the strategy, standards, and ongoing direction of the programme and ensuring the overall culture of the programme is aligned with England Lacrosse’s vision and values.

To read more about the role, click HERE and HERE.

Application closing date: Friday 19 May 2023

National Academy Team Manager

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to manage the programme domestically and in preparation for international fixtures and tours as appropriate within the programme schedule.

The Team Manager will work closely with the England Lacrosse National Talent Pathway Lead, the Talent and Performance administrator and Head Coach in overseeing the planning, logistics and financial sustainability of the programme and ensuring the overall culture of the programme is aligned with England Lacrosse’s vision and values.

You will be responsible for the planning and logistics for the programme, whilst ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of individual players is managed to ensure they are prepared to compete on the international stage and perform consistently at the highest standards required to achieve sustained success.

To read more about the role, click HERE and HERE.

Application closing date: Friday 19 May 2023

England squad announced for Women's U21 European Championship

England Lacrosse is pleased to announce the squad selected to compete at the 2023 Women’s Under 21 European Championship in Prague, Czechia

Head Coach Vic Alexander’s 18-strong squad will represent England in the 11 team tournament in the Czech capital from 2-9 July.

The team will be out to retain their Junior European Championship title after winning the gold medal in the inaugural competition back in 2018 in Poland, defeating this year’s hosts in the final.

The team go into the Championship off the back of a successful Home Internationals campaign in April with victories against Wales (19-4) and Scotland (14-2).

While an 18-player squad has been selected for the Championship, a wider training group will continue to train together in the two months leading up to the event, with a further 14 reserves listed to also be available to step up into the squad if required.

The schedule for July’s Championship is yet to be confirmed but you can get all the updates in relation here at England Lacrosse and through the event website at www.ec23lacrosse.com

See the full squad and reserve list below:

England Squad

Goal
Kennedy Buntrock
Sienna Parekh

Defence
Honor Ashby
Grace Davison
Ana Green
Ailsa Scott
Jemma Thomson

Midfield
Millie Cant
Ella Dimbylow
Habi Littlehales
Emma Pearce
Lara Renders
Sofia Wise

Attack
Rachael Ball
Charlie Bell
Carys Johnson
Molly Light
Annie Mather

Reserves
Genevieve Alcock
Lucy Evans
Martha Halford
Amy Ivey
Georgina Lewis
Fiona MacLean
Ellie Martin
Kitty Marvin
Ellie Pobjoy
Sophia Rodzianko
Bonnie Russell
Nina Sherwen
Amelie Spooner
Harley Tideswell

Border City's Border Eights returns in September

Border City Lacrosse Club will host their third annual Border Eights competition this September after a hugely successful event in 2022.

Taking place on Saturday 9 September 2023 at the Cotehill Sports Ground in Brampton, Cumbria, the Border Eights tournament is part of Border City’s drive to provide more high level lacrosse competition in the very north of England.

Last year the event welcomed six senior men’s teams from across England and Scotland culminating in a second successive win for Edinburgh City after defeating Aberdeen’s Silver City in a dramatic one-goal final.

Carlisle’s first lacrosse club, Border City, was founded in 2019 and has grown from humble beginnings to where it is today, supporting a men’s, a women’s, and a junior team.

The club was set up by a group of ex-players who became frustrated by the lack of opportunities to play lacrosse in Carlisle and across Cumbria as a whole.

Teams wanting to take part in the second annual Border Eights competition can register by emailing cumbrialax@gmail.com and entry per team costs £100; there is also the option to camp on site for those travelling from afar.

Keep up to date with all things Border Eights and Border City Lacrosse Club by following them on Facebook and Instagram. 

English champions to be decided at National Club Finals

Schedule - Sunday 7 May, Moulton College, Northampton

12:45 Mixed Final - Oxford City x Cambridge University

14:30 Women’s Final - Blues x Oxton

16:15 Men’s Final - Hampstead x Stockport

Sunday sees the crowning of our 2023 English champions with the annual National Club Finals featuring our league champions from across the Men’s, Women’s and Mixed games in competition at Moulton College.

Blues are back to defend their Women’s National crown from last year following victory against Stockport, and a 2022/23 season that has included a 100% record in the SEWLA Premier and a European Club Championship crown back in September.

A side featuring England internationals Claire Faram, Emilie Chandler, Laura Beaman and Emily Gray will prove hard to beat as they showed last year, although this year’s opponents Oxton have their own internationals experience that should prove stiff competition.

Milly Home, who picked up the MVP award at last month’s Home Internationals, as well as England’s Anna Boyne and Scotland’s Lottie Robertson will all present tough opposition for the Women’s Final.

Meanwhile, the men’s final features two new teams for 2023 - Stockport winning the NEMLA Premier for the first time since 2016, and Hampstead pipping Spencer to the SEMLA Premier title by the tightest of margins with both teams level on points and Hampstead coming out on top on GD in the games between the two sides.

Hampstead feature an internationally packed roster, featuring past England internationals Zac Guy and Will Hardy, in addition to Australian Will Pickett, New Zealander James Devine, and Irishman Dara McCreary to name but a few of their formidable squad.

However, Stockport bring a squad no less impressive, with their own string of England representatives in what promises to be a formidable Men’s Final.

Three of the Stockport team; Andrew Baxter, Danny Hilditch, and Mike Pomfret, will all suit up for England at the upcoming Men’s World Championship, while the blend of youth and experience of four-time World Championship representative Sam Patterson, mixed with the upcoming talents of Hugo Peel and Dan Flisk should make for compelling viewing.

In the Mixed Final, we have a repeat of last year’s fixture after our 2022 winners Cambridge University beat Surrey University 9-6 and runners-up Oxford City squeezed past London City Panthers 9-8 in their respective Mixed League semi-finals.

It is the second year of the Mixed Lacrosse final being incorporated into the National Club Finals following last year’s successful inaugural staging and the mixed league has proven hugely competitive this year giving the promise of another cracking final to begin the Club Finals day.

Unfortunately, our Women’s Division 1 Final, which usually pits the South West Champions against the SEWLA Division 1 winners, will not be played this year as Central London are unable to field a team, meaning Cheltenham will automatically be awarded the Division 1 Final.

We would like to thank Moulton College for hosting the National Club Finals for the second year. Moulton College are part of the England Lacrosse Lacrosse Accredited Colleges Scheme (LACS), delivering the sport to pupils aged 16-18 as well developing leadership skills for the future.

Cambridge University Squad

Rupert Annison
Kit Baker
Kate Bassil
Federica Bonato
Millie Dinan
Jasper Federman
Nicki Fletcher
Annabel Gray
Ella Greensmith
Oren Hargreaves
Emily Jenkins
Faris Khan
Rob MacLennan
Emilie Pauwels
Katya Perry
Alexandra Shaw
Harry Walsh
Megan Wilson

Oxford City Squad

Patrick Wheeldon
Tom Muir
Caitlin Walters
Adam Low
Chris Brenchley
Talia Roche
Rob Conway
Sarah Haycock
Rob Ingham Clark
Abbi Willets
Bella Pickett
Emilie Ballard
Mark Swindell
Anna Jeffers
Harrysson Waldman
Meredith Atkinson-Wood
Chloe Brierley
Leo Goodall

Oxton Squad

Lucy Mayers
Molly Bryce
Emily Rossiter
Ellie Simspon
Sarah Gibson
India Chadwick
Ella Dimbylow
Anna Boyne
Annabel Noble
Phoebe Jones
Milly Home
Emily Kealy
Lottie Robertson

Blues Squad

Genevieve Alcock
Laura Beaman
Ria Burke
Emilie Chandler
Alex Drewe
Claire Faram
Emily Gray
Jane Lee
Annie Mather
Maeve McKenny
Rebecca Millard
Vix Peregrine
Ellie Pobjoy
Emily Thompson
Chloe Wyner

Stockport Squad

James Holt
Matthew Goddard
Andrew Baxter
Luca Schurink
Sam Patterson
James Thompson
Nick Bunbury
James Pomfret
Will Hodnett
Mike Pomfret
Tom Gosnay
Dan Flisk
Ed Hilditch
Dave Groves
Hugo Peel
Morgan Brown
Danny Hilditch
Dan Eckersall
Tom Patterson

Hampstead Squad

BRIAN VANDENBOSSCHE
VASILIOS FOKAS
BILLY RAWLINS
ZAC GUY
FREDDIE ATKINS
JOE PRIKHODKO
JOHN SIRISUTH
NICK DALY
MASON GORMAN
TOM GRAHAM
LUKE BABCOCK
JAMES DEVINE
WILL PICKETT
DARA MCCREARY
WILL HARDY
EDDIE ROBERTS
BRIAN POTTER
DANIEL SHUMAKE
JIM PARRY
CONNOR QUIMBY
MILES BLAIR
AIDAN TURNER
TJ SUMMERS

North West winners at Nick Kehoe International

North West won the 2023 Men’s Nick Kehoe International at Wilmslow Lacrosse Club, while North 1 also won the Women’s competition over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend event.

The North West retained the trophy, following their win in 2022, winning all their eight games across the weekend including their 12-6 defeat of Yorkshire in the final.

North 1 were also winners across the Women’s tournament, recovering from a pool stage defeat to South England Royals to win the final against the same opposition 8-5 and take home the trophy.

South Men also took home silverware, downing Midlands in the Plate competition 5-3 in the final for an overall 5th place finish.

Nick Kehoe International Men’s Final Standings

Champions - North West
Runner-up – Yorkshire
3rd – Scotland Blue
4th – English Unis
5th – South (Plate Winners)
6th – Midlands (Plater Runner-up)
7th – Wales Dragons
8th – Scotland White
9th – Eire

Nick Kehoe International Women’s Final Standings

Champions - North 1
Runner-up – South England Royals
3rd – North 2
4th – Camden

Nick Kehoe International to take place this weekend

The annual Nick Kehoe International tournament returns this weekend as nine teams in three divisions from around the British Isles battle it out to win the prestigious trophy.

With an odd number of teams this year, the format has changed from previous years with three conference divisions of three teams each for the Preliminary & Divisional rounds on Saturday resulting in two final fours, one for the Championship title and one for the Plate, on Sunday.

North West, Scotland Blue, and Wales Dragons make up Conference A, Eire, Scotland White, and South are in Conference B and Conference C contains English Unis, Midlands, and Yorkshire.

Wilmslow Lacrosse Club will once again host the tournament across their astro-turf and grass pitches and spectators are welcome.

The Nick Kehoe International has been running every year for 26 years aside from a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event is named after former President of Yorkshire, Sheffield Steelers player, and medic on several England tours, Nick Kehoe, who sadly passed away in the 1998.

In honour of Nick’s death, the lacrosse-playing regions moved the men's regional championships from single games based on full international rules to a weekend tournament; this was a change Nick was passionate about and as such the trophy was named after him.

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

Two wins and a loss for England in Prague at E-Box 2023

England started their life as European Box Lacrosse Champions with two wins and a loss in their three games at the annual E-Box Invitational in Prague, Czech Republic this weekend.

A huge 24-3 victory over Norway, in which captain Tom Roche scored his first international goal, was followed by a narrow 13-8 defeat to Germany, who England famously beat to win the European Championship last summer.

On the final day of the competition, England bounced back with a 14-5 win over Switzerland to send the travelling fans home happy.

A squad filled with 10 England debutants mixed with several European Champions and England stalwarts travelled to LCC Radotín in Prague for England’s first competitive matches since the victory over Germany in the 2022 European Championship final almost nine months ago.

And they started with intent defeating Norway in spectacular fashion with Ben Page-Laycock, who was injured for a large chunk of last summer’s Championship, showing his hunger grabbing five goals and Ben Buchanan and Dave Groves, both European Champions, hitting four each.

The day belonged to England captain Tom Roche, however, who hit his first goal in an England shirt at the 28th time of asking.

On day two, England came up against a Germany side who had something to prove and came into the game off the back of a demolition of Czech Republic on day one.

A tough start that saw Germany go 5-0 up after 11 minutes gave England everything to do in the remaining three quarters and despite their best efforts, including braces from Buchanan, Groves, and Elliot Leonard, they fell to a narrow defeat.

Day three was England’s chance to bounce back against a Switzerland side who finished sixth at the 2022 European Box Lacrosse Championship last year.

England started in a steady manner but their undoubted quality shone through and another blistering performance from Page-Laycock, who added another five goals to his tally, ensured a comfortable 14-5 victory.

Watch all the games on LCC Radotín’s YouTube channel HERE.

England 24-3 Norway
England scorers: Ben Page-Laycock 5, Ben Buchanan 4, Dave Groves 4, Elliot Leonard 3, Silas Burke 2, Tom Roper, George Dury, Jude Krommenhoek, Jacob Nichols Cook, Sam Perry, Tom Roche

England 8-13 Germany
England scorers: Ben Buchanan 2, Dave Groves 2, Elliot Leonard 2, Sam Perry, Will Walker

England 14-5 Switzerland
England scorers: Ben Page-Laycock 5, Will Walker 2, Ben Buchanan, Silas Burke, Dave Groves, Jude Krommenhoek, Elliot Leonard, Sam Perry, Tom Roper

Oxton, Cheadle, & Spencer take home top prizes at Northern & Southern Flags Festivals

Oxton, Cheadle, and Spencer Lacrosse Club’s came out on top in the respective Women’s Senior Northern, Men’s Senior Northern, and Senior SEMLA Flags Finals over the past two weekends.

Oxton overcame a tough Mellor side 14-10 to win the Women’s Senior Flags Final and Cheadle showed their quality by defeating Brooklands 10-6 in the Men’s Senior Flags Final at the Northern Flags Festival at Rochdale Lacrosse Club on Sunday.

Last weekend, a Spencer side full of England international quality beat Hampstead 13-9 to take home the SEMLA Senior Flags title.

Spencer also lifted the SEMLA Intermediate Flags title with their second team who were able to beat Reading, who squeezed through their semi-final against Bristol Bombers by a single goal, 11-3.

Completing the SEMLA Flags Festival was Exeter who defeated Stoke 14-7 in the Minor Flags Final.

With 13 finals over two days at Rochdale Lacrosse Club, the Northern Flags Festival is a huge event with finals taking place from under-12 right up to senior level across both the men’s and women’s formats of the game.

The big winners of the weekend were Heaton Mersey who swept up two titles, including the U12 Onondaga Cup and the U14 Centurion Cup.

10 of the 13 cup finals were streamed live on Lacrosse Live UK and can be re-watched HERE.

Full Results

SEMLA Flags Festival

Senior Flags Final | Spencer 13-9 Hampstead
Intermediate Flags Final | Spencer 2 11-3 Reading
Minor Flags Final | Exeter 14-7 Stoke

Northern Flags Festival

U12 Onondaga Cup | Stockport 9-16 Heaton Mersey
U14 Boys’ Plate | Brooklands 8-17 Timperley
U14 Centurion Cup | Stockport/Sheffield 12-13 Heaton Mersey
David Beesley Cup | Cheadle B 19-5 Cheadle C
Lancashire Cup | Timperley A 7-12 Wilmslow
Men's Junior Flags Final | Rochdale 12-10 Sheffield
U15 Girls’ Cup | Timperley 9-10 Brooklands
U12 Boys’ Plate | Brooklands 12-4 Timperley
U16 Boys’ Plate | Sheffield 4-7 Stockport/Poynton/Brooklands
Women’s Junior Flags Final | Sheffield 11-12 Liverpool
Women’s Senior Flags Final | Mellor 10-14 Oxton
U16 JSN Cup | Heaton Mersey/Norbury 8-9 Timperley
Men’s Senior Flags Final | Cheadle 10-6 Brooklands

Northern Flags Festival schedule announced

Cheadle will take on Brooklands in the Men’s Senior Flags Final at Rochdale Lacrosse Club on Sunday as part of the annual Northern Flags Festival.

Traditionally the event that closes the domestic season in the north of England, the Northern Flags Festival will see 13 cup finals across the two-day event featuring men’s and women’s teams from under-12 right up to senior level.

In the Women’s Senior Flags Final, Mellor will play Oxton at 1:30pm on Sunday for the chance to be crowned champions of the north.

Spectators are being welcomed to Rochdale Lacrosse Club on both days of the Festival with entry costing £8 for adults, £5 for OAPs, and £2 for juniors (age 12-16) with free entry for under 12s; there is a car park on site with a £2 charge and refreshments will be available from the clubhouse throughout the day.

Schedule

Saturday 22 April

10am | Stockport v Heaton Mersey | U12 Onondaga Cup Final
11am | Brooklands v Timperley | U14 Boys’ Plate Final
12pm | Stockport/Sheffield v Heaton Mersey | U14 Centurion Cup Final
1pm | Cheadle B v Cheadle C | David Beesley Cup Final
2pm | Timperley A v Wilmslow | Lancashire Cup Final
3pm | Rochdale v Sheffield | Men’s Junior Flags Final

Sunday 23 April

9:30am | Timperley v Brooklands | U15 Girls’ Cup Final
10am | Brooklands v Timperley | U12 Boys’ Plate Final
11:30am | Sheffield v Stockport/Poynton/Brooklands | U16 Boys’ Plate Final
12pm | Sheffield v Liverpool | Women’s Junior Flags Final
1:30pm | Mellor v Oxton | Women’s Senior Flags Final
2pm | Heaton Mersey/Norbury v Timperley | U16 JSN Cup Final
3:30pm | Cheadle v Brooklands | Men’s Senior Flags Final

Final squad for 2023 Men's World Championship announced

England Lacrosse is pleased to announce the final 23-player England men’s squad ahead of the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship in San Diego, USA.

The coaching team have completed their evaluations following several training weekends throughout the year and have whittled their initial 46-strong group down to just 23 with two months to go until the tournament.

No fewer than nine players from the 2018 Championship squad that finished 5th in Israel return for 2023 with a strong defensive core retained, including both goalies Will Baxter and Hal Dwobeng, and four defencemen including Andrew Baxter who will play in his fourth World Championship.

Christian Scarpello also makes the squad again following his success with the Waterdogs in winning PLL Championship last year, while new recruit Sean Goldsmith is included on the back of a successful season at NCAA University of North Carolina.

There is also a fresh, youthfulness to the final 23, with five players from last year’s U21 World Championship present after impressing the coaching staff following their step up to the seniors.

Danny Hilditch top scored for England at the U21 Worlds, with Drew Bickerton, Daniel Jones, Daniel Madeley, Josh Poke all also making the step up from the squad that competed in Ireland.

 England open their World Championship campaign against Australia on 22 June, before games against Haudenosaunee (23 June), USA (25 June), and Canada (26 June) in an always tough Blue Division Pool.

 The 2023 World Championship will take place between 21 June and 1 July at San Diego State University and England will be looking to build on their impressive fifth place finish at the 2018 World Championship.

England Lacrosse would like to congratulate everyone who’s been included in the squad and thank everyone who has been a part of the squad up until now.

Keep up to date with everything to do with the World Championship HERE.

Goal

Will Baxter
Hal Dwobeng

Defence

Andrew Baxter
Eric Coburn
Tom Hallam
Tommy Kirkland
Josh Poke
Daniel Smith
Jak Wawrzyniak

Midfield

Joe Baythorpe
Tom Bracegirdle
Tim Collins
Sam Dexter
Daniel Jones
Daniel Madeley
Cameron Major
Michael Pomfret
Christian Scarpello

Attack

Drew Bickerton
Nick DeCaprio
Sean Goldsmith
Danny Hilditch
Dan Watson

England to take on Norway, Switzerland, and Germany at E-Box 2023

England will take on Norway, Switzerland, and 2022 European Box Lacrosse Championship runners-up, Germany, at the seventh annual E-Box European Box Lacrosse Invitational this weekend.

The tournament, being held at the LCC Radotín outdoor arena in Prague, Czech Republic, marks England’s first competitive fixtures since they became European Box Lacrosse Champions in summer 2022.

England head into this competition looking to extend their six-game unbeaten run that saw them defeat Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Germany on their route to gold in Hanover last year.

The selected 19-player England squad contains a mix of experience and up-and-coming talent with seven of the squad having taken part in the European Championship last year, including captain Tom Roche; 10 of the England squad will be making their full international debuts at E-Box 2023.

Running alongside the E-Box men’s tournament will be the second edition of the She-Box women’s competition, featuring a UK-based women’s box lacrosse team for the first time in the SBL Ravens.

Games will be live streamed across the weekend on the LCC Radotín YouTube channel HERE.

For more information about the tournament, including the 19-player England squad, click HERE.

Schedule (UK times)

22 April | England v Norway | 11:50am
23 April | England v Germany | 7am
24 April | England v Switzerland | 10:15am

The lacrosse community continues to support ex-England forward David 'Wavey' Leach (11 caps, 15 goals, 11 assists) who suffered a life-changing injury playing lacrosse in December last year.

Find out how you can help HERE.