Drewe downs Netherlands in over-time as England claim win

Alex Drewe hit a sudden death over time goal as England claimed their second victory at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships with an 11-10 win on Monday.

Leah Catton scored four and Laura Beaman grabbed herself a hat-trick as a determined England side came from behind to secure victory in a must-win World Championship match.

Knowing they most likely needed to beat the Netherlands to keep their hopes of heading straight into a first World Championship quarter-final alive, England started with purpose, despite falling to an early Netherlands goal from Delaney Keen.

Drewe, Beaman, and Catton eventually got England going in the first quarter as they stormed into a 3-1 lead at quarter-time.

England slowed slightly heading into the second quarter and a two-goal shutout from the Netherlands with goals from Ryley Black and Keen saw the teams go in at the half-time break level at three goals apiece.

The Oranje continued their momentum into the third quarter, netting a fourth through Evelien Copraij and taking the lead for the first time since the second minute.

Ellie Racle, who was excellent on the day, pulled a goal back for England before the Netherlands went on another scoring run, this time a three-goal shut out with strikes from Manon Loos (2) and Black.

With less than three minutes left in the third, however, something changed in England and they hit four quick-fire goals through that familiar trio of Catton (2), Beaman, and Drewe.

England took an 8-7 lead going into the final 15 minutes, but the Netherlands weren’t to be shaken off that easily and pulled themselves ahead at 9-8 after two goals from Hedwig Lambregts and a hat-trick strike from Black.

Catton pulled England level at 9-9 and with 59:04 on the clock and just 56 seconds left in the game Beaman scored her hat-trick goal to put her team ahead.

Just 11 seconds later, though, the Netherlands were back on level terms at 10-10 after Loos scored another for her team to send the game into sudden death over time.

Knowing that the first possession was vital, face-off player Catton secured the ball, evaded two Netherlands defenders, and skilfully fired an up-field pass towards the speedy Drewe who collected the ball, sprinted towards goal, and fired past the Netherlands goalie to secure a famous win.

England play their final pool stage match against USA on Tuesday at 6pm (UK) with live updates on the England Lacrosse Instagram page and live stream on WL TV.

England 11 (OT) 10 Netherlands (3-1, 0-2, 5-4, 2-3, 1-0)

England scorers: Leah Catton (4G, 1A), Alex Drewe (2G, 2A), Laura Beaman (3G), Ellie Racle (1G, 2A), Zara Russell (1G, 1A), Rosie Bathurst (1A), Georgie Rutter (1A), Laura Wright (1A).

England suffer first World Championship defeat to fiery Haudenosaunee

England suffered their first defeat at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships after a battling performance against Haudenosaunee that saw them lose 15-6 on Sunday.

England more than matched their fiery opponents for large parts of the game but a clinical fourth quarter from Haudenosaunee saw them clinch the victory.

In a game that saw a massive 23 penalties, England were forced to up their aggression level from their opening match against Hong Kong, China after falling two goals down early in the first quarter.

Lucy Ford got England off the mark after six minutes but a determined Haudenosaunee pulled into a 6-1 lead after hitting four without reply.

England were much improved in the second quarter and were able to come to within two of their opponents when Alex Drewe, Ford, Leah Catton, and Iandra Lamplugh all scored to put their team in an excellent position to challenge in the second half.

Despite a fast start to the third from Haudenosaunee that saw them pull further ahead through Lindsay John, England continued to push with Drewe hitting her second of the game, making the score 6-8.

From this point, Haudenosaunee were able to control the game, upping the aggression level to make it difficult for England to put any sort of run together; 14 of the 23 penalties happened in the second half.

A seven-goal shut-out for Haudenosaunee saw them pick up their first win of the tournament and left England defeated.

England continue their pool stage against Netherlands later today with coverage beginning on WL TV and the England Lacrosse Instagram page from 11:15pm (UK).

England 6-15 Haudenosaunee (1-4, 4-3, 1-3, 0-5)

England scorers: Alex Drewe (2G, 1A), Laura Beaman (3A), Lucy Ford (2G), Iandra Lamplugh (1G, 1A), Leah Catton (1G), Ellie Racle (1A)

Brindle shines bright as England suffer USA defeat

Debutant goalie Jacob Brindle secured an 80% save ratio as he played the second half of England’s 23-3 pool stage defeat to USA at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Sunday.

Making his first major tournament appearance for England, Brindle faced 25 shots during his second half performance, saving all but five.

Crediting Head Coach Walt Christianson and fellow England goalie Cam MacLeod, Brindle said of his performance:

“I’m very very chuffed but credit to the lads, they stop the ball first and then eventually it gets to me and they put in an absolute shift today.

“I really enjoyed the challenge and it hit me in the third quarter but I managed to reset, take a breath, and play my game in the fourth […] which I’m really pleased with.”

England had started the game brightly coming back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 after six minutes when Elliot Leonard and Corey Small fired home.

But USA were out for blood and showed their professional pedigree with six goals from Jack Hannah, four from Connor Kirst, and a hat-trick for Mac O’Keefe.

Small added a third for a determined England team just before the half but USA were ruthless in their delivery and secured the victory to go into their final pool stage match undefeated.

England take on the Haudenosaunee in their final pool stage match on Tuesday 24 September with live updates on the England Lacrosse Instagram page HERE and live stream on WL TV HERE.

England 3-23 USA (2-7, 1-6, 0-8, 0-2)

England scorers: Corey Small (2G, 1A), Elliot Leonard (1G), Ben Buchanan (1A).

England fall to opening game defeat to Canada at World Championships

England fell to a 19-4 opening game defeat against five-time world champions Canada despite a positive performance at the Utica University Nexus Center on Saturday.

Veteran Matt Marsh opened England’s World Championships account late in the second quarter before Jack Royer (2) and Corey Small hit three more as Canada eased the pressure late in the game.

Stand-out performer Cameron MacLeod in the England net faced an incredible 37 shots in total, saving 19.

Canada showed their wealth of talent on the floor with nine different goal-scorers and Wesley Berg hitting four as well as Robert Church, Tanner Cook, and Ryan Smith all netting hat-tricks.

England player Tom Bracegirdle said of the defeat:

“We knew that was going to be a tough fixture coming into it. We set ourselves targets to achieve in the game; we had spells of that and they showed their class, I think, in that fixture.

“We’ve got to re-set now, obviously, going into a tough game tomorrow and then take the little victories we can from that.”

England have less than 24 hours before their next Pool A game against USA at 6pm (UK) today with live updates on the England Lacrosse Instagram page HERE and the game streamed in full on WL TV HERE.

USA claimed a shock 16-9 victory over Haudenosaunnee in their opening fixture on Friday night.

England 4-19 Canada (0-5, 1-7, 0-4, 3-3)

England scorers: Jack Royer (2G, 1A), Lyndon Bunio (3A), Matt Marsh (1G, 1A), Corey Small (1G, 1A).

Excellent England score historic World Championships win over Hong Kong, China

Alex Drewe scored six as England claimed their first win in their first major tournament game against Hong Kong, China at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Friday.

Rosie Bathurst, Leah Catton, and Katie Greenwood scored a brace each while Laura Beaman, Ellie Racle, and Lauren Lewis all scored one to see England over the line and sit second in the group after the first round of fixtures.

The game started in a typically frantic fashion with Hong Kong, China drawing first blood after one minute thirty as Sumyuet Cheng put her side in front.

After two minutes, however, England were level as Beaman fired an historic first major tournament goal into the bottom right corner.

From here, England never looked back in the first quarter with Drewe (2), Bathurst, and Racle all scoring to see their team 5-1 up heading into the first quarter-time break.

Another fast start to the second quarter from Hong Kong, China saw them pull a goal back through Sally Tang but England’s defence ensured any potential comeback was short-lived and the women in white went on another scoring run.

Catton, Drewe (2), Lewis, and Bathurst all fired home as England scored five without reply in the second quarter to open up a commanding eight-goal lead at 10-2.

Hong Kong, China composed themselves with just under three minutes left in the quarter to grab a third goal through Tang.

After a dominant first half, England eased slightly in the third quarter allowing Hong Kong, China a sniff at an unlikely comeback.

Jane Ho (2) and Cheng brought their team to within four goals of England with four minutes gone in the third before two Drewe goals, either side of another Hong Kong, China goal from Cherry Hon, surely put the game beyond the team from East Asia.

As the game entered its fourth quarter, Greenwood, a goal-keeper in the field game, scored her first to put England 13-7 up.

Tang and Lon Szeto scored back to back goals for Hong Kong, China to bring their team back to within four but Greenwood and Catton finished the game with two more goals for England as they secured a famous and historic 15-9 win.

England take on the Haudenosaunne on Sunday (22 September) in their second pool-stage game. Follow live updates from 1:15am on the England Lacrosse Instagram page HERE or watch the game live on WL TV HERE.

England 15-9 Hong Kong, China (5-1, 5-2, 2-4, 3-2)

England scorers: Alex Drewe (6G, 1A), Lucy Ford (6A), Rosie Bathurst (2G, 4A), Leah Catton (2G, 1A), Laura Beaman (1G, 2A), Ellie Racle (1G, 2A), Katie Greenwood (2G), Lauren Lewis (1G), Sofia Best (1A),

Watch World Lacrosse Box Championships on WLTV

England fans can watch every game at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships live or on-demand on World Lacrosse’s new direct-to-consumer streaming platform, WL TV.

The 133 Championship games, including every England game, will be streamed on WL TV with spectators able to purchase a World Lacrosse Box Championships package for $49.99 (about £38).

Alternatively, women’s box fans can watch that tournament’s pool stage and play-in games with one $12.99 (about £10) pass with play-off games from the quarter-finals to the medal games available with a separate pass at $17.99 (about £14).

Similarly in the men’s competition, viewers can watch the pool stage and play-in games in that Championship with one pass costing $19.99 (about £15) and the play-off games from quarter-finals to the medal games with another $19.99 pass.

Placement games in both Championships will be streamed on the platform for free.

Launched ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship in Hong Kong, China last month, World Lacrosse TV has been designed as the “premier video platform dedicated exclusively to bringing you the very best of World Lacrosse championship content, both live and on-demand”.

Sign up to World Lacrosse TV and watch all the games HERE.

England Men’s Group A Fixtures (all times BST)

Saturday 21 September | Canada v England | 10:30pm
Sunday 22 September | England v USA | 6pm
Tuesday 24 September | Haudenosaunee v England | 9:30pm

England Women’s Pool A Fixtures (all times BST)

Friday 20 September | England v Hong Kong, China | 6:45pm
Sunday 22 September | England v Haudenosaunnee | 1:15am
Monday 23 September | Netherlands v England | 11:15pm
Tuesday 24 September | USA v England | 6pm

Tom Roche named England men's box captain ahead of World Championship

Defender Tom Roche has been named as the England men’s box lacrosse team’s captain ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships later this month.

Taking place from 20-29 September, the World Championship will be Roche’s third consecutive major tournament as England captain after previously helping his side to Euros glory in 2022.

One of England’s longest serving players with 33 caps, Roche made his international debut in a World Championship defeat to Haudenosaunee in 2015.

In his nine years as an England international, he has played at four major tournaments (two World and two European Championships) helping his team to become the number one team in Europe and fourth in the world.

In 2023, Roche scored his first international goal for England in a 24-3 victory over Norway at the E-Box Invitational event.

During the 2024 World Championship, Roche is likely to become England’s most capped player and overtake goal-keeper Eliot Pugh (35 caps) who retired earlier this year.

Roche’s first foray into the world of lacrosse was at Mellor as a 10-year-old where he followed in the footsteps of his dad who was first team captain and won several trophies with the Greater Manchester club before taking up a coaching role that saw him nurture his young son.

After completing his journey at Mellor at the age of 18, Roche joined Loughborough University where he played for five years while studying.

Since 2014, Roche has played for London club, Spencer, where he has become an integral part of a team that has won three SEMLA Premier Division titles in the past 10 years.

For England, Roche was appointed as one of the assistant captains ahead of the 2017 European Championship in Turku, Finland where his side finished fifth.

Since then, Roche has been a part of the England leadership group and in 2019 he was voted to captain the team at that year’s World Championship, a role he has continued to do to this day.

With the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships just a matter of weeks away, Roche says he cannot wait to lead his team out as captain once again.

“Playing for my country was a dream of mine since I first found out that some of the Mellor first team players like Ben Macallister and Alistair Wallace represented England. I thought it was the coolest thing ever!

“I never dared to dream of captaining England, and it was a massively pleasant surprise to join the leadership group in 2017 for the first time.

“I am extremely proud to play alongside this group of players and to be a part of the box programme, and to wear the C on my jersey is the icing on the cake. I know that I'm not a player who scores lots of goals or does the fancy stuff, so being able to support my team-mates in a leadership position off the pitch, and by trying to do the dirty work on it, is my absolute pleasure.”

Roche will be assisted by Ben Page-Laycock, Luke Mills-Doig, Albert Whitehead, and Dan Watson who have been selected as assistant captains for the tournament.

Annabelle Akintoye named first Black Woman to captain England

Annabelle Akintoye has been named the first Black Woman to captain England in any format of lacrosse at a major tournament after being selected as the England women’s box lacrosse team captain ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

Taking place from 20-29 September, Akintoye will make history by leading England into the first ever Women’s Box World Championship, running concurrently alongside the sixth edition of the men’s competition, in Utica, New York, USA.

Akintoye, along with fellow defender Davina Emetulu, will also become the first Black Women to represent England at a major tournament.

Akintoye has been a part of the England squad since the very first 44-player training squad was announced back in November last year and featured for England in their first competitive games at the ShE-Box event in April.

During that event, Akintoye played three times before getting injured as England picked up four wins from their five games against Finland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Germany, and Canada (WGN).

After first picking up a lacrosse stick at Queen Anne’s School when she was just 11 years old, Akintoye had a successful playing career at school before playing for Swansea University  while studying for her undergraduate degree.

From Swansea, she moved further north to the University of York where she continued to play before moving into club lacrosse in 2020 when she joined Spencer.

After two years at Spencer, Akintoye hopped across London to Camden Capybaras and took up the captaincy for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons; ahead of the 2024/25 season, Akintoye has been appointed as the Camden Capybaras Vice Chair.

With less than three weeks to go until England take to the floor against Hong Kong, China in their first match at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, Akintoye says she cannot wait for the tournament to begin.

“It is an absolute honour and a privilege to not only be part of the inaugural women’s World Lacrosse Box Championships, but also to go as the first Black Woman to captain an England Lacrosse team in any format.

“It is no small feat being the first to do anything, but I can’t wait to step on the floor with Laura Beaman, Lucy Ford and the team, and show the world what we’re made of!”

Akintoye will be assisted by Beaman and Ford, who have been selected as captain alternates during the World Lacrosse Box Championships.

Dates for 2025 E-Box and ShE-Box Invitationals announced

The 2025 E-Box and ShE-Box Invitationals will take place from 2 - 5 May at LCC Radotin in Prague, Czechia, the event organisers have announced.

Taking place slightly later than usual due to the Easter bank holiday weekend (18 - 21 April), the 2025 E-Box and ShE-Box Invitationals will once again welcome teams from all over Europe to gain experience playing high-level box lacrosse.

Because of the Easter weekend, the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament that usually immediately follows E-Box/ShE-Box will also be moved, taking place the weekend before.

Founded in 2015, the annual E-Box Invitational aims to provide international box lacrosse teams with the opportunity to play full, competitive games against various opponents from across the continent outside of major international tournaments.

There are no winners, no points, and no trophies with the goal being the games themselves as well as gaining experience and making new friends.

England has entered a team into the E-Box competition at three of the past four editions (2019, 2023, 2024).

In 2022, a women’s event, entitled ShE-Box, was introduced with five teams from across Europe taking part and in 2023 the first ever English team, SBL Ravens, entered; 2024 saw England’s first ever women’s national side enter where they won four of their five games.

Previous editions of the event have been live streamed and can be re-watched HERE.

Knights and UK Lacrosse lift 2024 Tasko Cup

Knights and UK Lacrosse secured Tasko Cup 2024 success after final wins against Hornets in the men’s and women’s competitions in Macclesfield on Sunday.

SBL’s Winter Box League champions Knights came through an exciting final match in the men’s tournament to narrowly defeat Hornets 5-3 and win the trophy for a fifth consecutive time while in the women’s competition UK Lacrosse capped off a superb weekend with a 5-2 win over the same opponents.

Both Knights and UK Lacrosse remained unbeaten throughout the two day Tasko Cup 2024 held at the home of box lacrosse in the north of England, Macclesfield Rugby Club.

Knights claimed six wins from six games over Saturday and Sunday and UK Lacrosse picked up six wins in six on their journey to lifting the respective men’s and women’s trophies.

The Tasko Cup 2024 comes just under two months before the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s and Women’s Box Championships, taking place in Utica, New York, USA from 20-28 September.

30 England players who are due to head to the 2024 World Championships, including Rosie Bathurst, George Bascom, Laura Beaman, Tom Bracegirdle, Jacob Brindle, Ben Buchanan, Leah Catton, Alex Drewe, Davina Emetulu, Lucy Ford, Katie Greenwood, Tom Hallam, Taylor Harrison, Lauren Hurley, Rosie Jones, Elliot Leonard, Matt Marsh, Lucy Mayers, Fran Parshall, Tabby Podger, Helena Prettyman, Ellie Racle, Lexi Reynard, Tom Roche, Tom Roper, Zara Russell, Georgie Rutter, Ming Trinh, Dan Watson, Albert Whitehead, played in the Tasko Cup 2024 while Jane Lee and Lauren Lewis both assisted teams from the benches while they recover from injury.

Matt Tatton, Ollie Allsop, and Ben Page-Laycock are all currently in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada playing Senior B and Senior C lacrosse to get themselves ready for the World Championship..

All 23 games from the Tasko Cup 2024 can be watched on the Lacrosse Live UK YouTube channel HERE.

Tasko Cup 2024 Results

Day 1 | Men

Hornet 4-2 Brooklands
Capitals 3-3 Scotland
Knights 7-0 Scotland
Brooklands 0-2 Capitals
Knights 4-1 Hornets
Capitals 2-4 Hornets
Knights 9-1 Brooklands
Scotland 1-3 Hornets
Knights 6-1 Capitals
Brooklands 3-7 Scotland

Day 2 | Men

Brooklands 2-4 Capitals
Knights 10-1 Capitals
Scotland 2-4 Hornets
Brooklands 2-4 Scotland
Knights 5-3 Hornets

Day 1 | Women

UK Lacrosse 5-2 Netherlands
Hornets 7-1 Netherlands
UK Lacrosse 5-1 Hornets
UK Lacrosse 3-2 Hornets
UK Lacrosse 3-1 Netherlands

Day 2 | Women

Netherlands 2-5 Hornets
UK Lacrosse 4-0 Hornets
Hornets 2-5 UK Lacrosse

Hornets, Knights, and Edinburgh take part in Battle of the Borders this weekend

UK Lacrosse will host the “Battle of the Borders” at Macclesfield Rugby Club this Saturday as the best box lacrosse teams from the north of England, the south of England, and Scotland take each other on to be named champions of the UK.

Winners of the Macclesfield Box League, Heaton Hornets, winners of the Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) Winter Box League, London Knights, and winners of the Scottish Box League, Edinburgh City will play in a round robin competition on Saturday 6 July (12pm-4pm) with the winners being crowned Battle of the Borders champions.

Heaton Hornets come into the competition having secured the Macclesfield Box League title in style by defeating reigning champions Brooklands Badgers 11-4 in the final last weekend.

Winners of the SBL Winter Box League London Knights head to Macclesfield on the back of a narrow 7-6 victory over Heaton Hornets in the final of that competition in January.

While Edinburgh City make the journey south to Cheshire after overcoming Silver City and Glasgow City to top the Scottish Box League and secure the 2024 title.

The Battle of the Borders comes just over two months before the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York, USA that will see the first ever women’s tournament played alongside the sixth edition of the men’s competition as this indoor format of lacrosse continues to grow in the UK and around the world.

Fans of box lacrosse are welcome to attend the Battle of the Borders free of charge with doors open from 11:30am and the bar serving a range of refreshments.

Four players added to 2024 World Lacrosse Men's Box Championship squad

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce four overseas-based players have been added to the England 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship squad, taking the number of players to the maximum 23.

Cameron MacLeod, Lyndon Bunio, Corey Small, and Jack Royer will travel to Utica, New York, USA for the World Championship alongside the 19 domestic-based players announced in May.

24-year-old goalie MacLeod, who plays in America’s National Lacrosse League (NLL) for Panther City after twice being named a First Team All-Canadian for the University of Guelph (2021, 2022), and 28-year-old left-handed offensive player Lyndon Bunio, who also plays for Calgary Mountaineers, both rejoin the England team after being an integral part of the squad that claimed European Championship glory in 2022.

Box lacrosse veteran and left-handed offensive player Small, who plays for Toronto Rock in the NLL, has over 14 years of professional box experience and, at 37-years-old, brings a wealth of knowledge of the game that will be invaluable during the World Championship.

Queens University of Charlotte Junior Royer is a right-handed offensive player who has scored 111 points in just 40 games since starting university in 2022 and bolsters the England offence ahead of the World Championship in September.

England Head Coach Walt Christianson and his coaching team now have just under three months and five training sessions to fully prepare the team before the Championship begins on 20 September.

England has been drawn in Pool A where they’ll take on USA, Canada, and Haudenosaunee.

2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship England Squad

Oliver Allsop
George Bascom
Thomas Bracegirdle
Jacob Brindle
Ben Buchanan
Lyndon Bunio
Tom Hallam
Taylor Harrison
Elliot Leonard
Cameron MacLeod
Matthew Marsh
Luke Mills-Doig
Ben Page-Laycock
Jamie Powell
Billy Rawlins
Tom Roche
Tom Roper
Jack Royer
Corey Small
Matthew Tatton
Ming Trinh
Dan Watson
Albert Whitehead

A bumper summer of lacrosse with England Lacrosse!

The days are getting longer, the sun’s starting to peek through the clouds (finally), and there’s a general election around the corner but what we’re most excited about is a huge summer of lacrosse in 2024!

No less than five major tournaments featuring England teams and seven Triple Arrow Camps will be keeping us busy throughout July, August, and September and we’ve got all the information you need to know ahead of such a momentous few months.

10-20 July | ELF Women’s Lacrosse Championship

The England senior women’s team are back in action at a major tournament in July for the first time since winning bronze at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship as they look to win their eighth European title and lift the trophy for the fourth competition in a row.

Taking place in Braga, Portugal, the 2024 ELF Women’s Lacrosse Championship is the 12th edition of the tournament that first began 28 years ago in 1996.

England have been drawn in Group A alongside Netherlands, Italy, Finland, and Belgium and begin their campaign against Finland on 11 July.

Check out the full squad HERE.

19-27 July | ELF Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship

The England U20 men’s team will travel to Wroclaw, Poland in July as they take part in the 2024 ELF Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship.

At the last and inaugural edition of this competition in 2019, England lifted the trophy after an enthralling 9-8 victory over Germany and they’ll be looking to put in a good performance this year too with a brand new squad full to the brim with some of the most exciting young talent England has to offer.

Taking on Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark in Group A, the tournament will be the first opportunity for many of the selected players to showcase their talents on the international stage.

Check out the full squad HERE.

Summer 2024 Triple Arrow Camps

Summer means a long break from school for young people all over the country and what better way to spend that time than by playing some lacrosse, learning from some of the best coaches in England, and making a few new friends along the way?

Well, that’s exactly what’s on offer at Triple Arrow Camps this year with seven scheduled to take place throughout August hosted by schools all around England.

If you or your child is aged between 10 and 16 of any lacrosse-playing ability, Triple Arrow Camps are the best way to keep up with those lacrosse skills during the summer break.

Book your spot on one of our seven Camps HERE.

15-25 August | 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship

Hot off the back of an U20 European Championship victory last year, the England U20 women’s team will head to Hong Kong, China full of confidence ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship.

Following pre-tournament wins over Scotland, Germany, and Wales, England will take on Ireland, Jamaica, and hosts Hong Kong, China in Pool D with their first game against Jamaica taking place on Friday 16 August.

The last iteration of this competition in 2019 saw England finish fourth and you can check out the full 2024 squad HERE.

20-29 September | World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship

The England men’s box lacrosse team are back in action this year at the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship in Utica, New York, USA where they’ll take on Canada, USA, and Haudenosaunee in Pool A.

In 2022, England secured a first ever European Championship trophy after a final win over Germany and they’ll be hoping to put in another good showing at the World Championship after 2019’s fourth-place finish.

With a squad that boasts an all-domestic defensive unit for the first time, the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship is set to be the most exciting one yet.

Check out the full squad HERE.

20-29 September | World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship

As the very first England squad heads to the very first World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship in Utica, New York, USA in September, the 23-players will go down in lacrosse history without even throwing a ball.

They’re not just there to make up the numbers, however, with the competition truly wide open in its inaugural year and England playing in Pool A alongside USA, Haudenosaunee, Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China.

England’s first competitive fixtures earlier this year saw them win four out of five games at the annual ShE-Box tournament in Prague, Czechia.

Check out the full squad HERE.

2024 Summer Schedule

10-20 July | ELF Women’s Lacrosse Championship
19-27 July | ELF Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship
5-8 August | Charterhouse School Triple Arrow Camp
12-15 August | Queen Anne’s School Triple Arrow Camp
14 & 15 August | St Swithun’s School Triple Arrow Camp
15-25 August | World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship
20-21 August | Cheltenham Ladies’ College Triple Arrow Camps
27 & 28 August | St George’s School Triple Arrow Camp
27 & 28 August | Withington Girls’ School Triple Arrow Camp
20-29 September | World Lacrosse Men’s & Women’s Box Championships
Dates TBC | Haberdashers’ Girls’ School Triple Arrow Camp

Tickets on sale for 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships

Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Box Championships taking place from 20-29 20-29 in Utica, New York, United States. 

The historic double championship will feature the best men’s and women’s lacrosse athletes from around the globe competing for world titles. Ten nations, including England, will compete in the first ever women’s box championship, while 28 national teams, including England, make up the field for the men’s box championship. 

Event passes (starting at $310) will include assigned seating to games played at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, and general admission entry to games played at the Utica University Nexus Center.  

Event passes will be valid from 20-23 and 25-29 September, providing access to more than 120 games, including the semi-finals and medal games of the men’s and women’s tournaments. 

Special activities being planned for games on 24 September will be announced at a later date.  

Event passes can be purchased here. 

The field for both championships can be found here, with the men’s field split into seven pools of four and the women’s field split into two pools of five.  

The Adirondack Bank Center will host a full slate of games, including the opening night and medal matches, while the Nexus Center will feature three competition rinks. The two venues are connected via skyway. 

 The Adirondack Bank Center has a capacity of 3,500+, while the Nexus Center has a capacity of 1,200. 

The full schedules for both championships – which feature a combined 133 games – can be found here. 

England announce 23-player World Women's Box Championship squad

England Lacrosse is excited to announce the 23-player squad heading to Utica, USA, in September for the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship.

The players, who have been selected from the wider England training squad, represent the best of the best in box lacrosse talent in the country and head to the World Championship later this year off the back of a successful first competitive tournament at the ShE-Box event in Prague last month.

During that competition, England came away with four wins in five games against Finland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and the Women’s Global Network team.

21 of the 23 players selected as part of the World Championship squad attended the ShE-Box event.

Head Coach Rob Clark and his coaching team now have just over four months to get the squad ready for their first major tournament that begins on 20 September.

England have been drawn in Pool A alongside USA, Haudenosaunee, Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China.

Read more about the World Championship schedule here.

2024 World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship England Squad

Annabelle Akintoye
Rosie Bathurst
Laura Beaman
Sofia Best
Esme Breach
Leah Catton
Alex Drewe
Davina Emetulu
Lucy Ford
Katie Greenwood
Lauren Hurley
Rosie Jones
Jane Lee
Lauren Lewis
Lucy Mayers
Francesca Parshall
Helena Prettyman
Tabitha Podger
Ellie Racle
Lexi Reynard
Zara Russell
Georgina Rutter
Laura Wright

Reserves

Heather Cegla
Hannah Foxcroft
Steph Grimes
Iandra Lamplugh
Claudia Lane
Katya Smith

England Men's World Box Lacrosse Championship squad announced

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the 19 domestic players to compete at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championship in Utica, USA, in September.

The 19 players, who have been selected from the wider England training squad, will be joined by four overseas-based athletes, to be announced soon, including one goal-keeper and three offensive players.

Significantly, for the first time at a World or European Championship, the England defensive unit comprises entirely of domestic players, demonstrating the progress made in growing the box game since the last World Championship in 2019.

England will be hoping to continue their good form after a fourth placed finish at that last World Championship was followed up by a first European title in 2022.

In September, England will play in Pool A and take on three of the strongest box lacrosse-playing nations in the world in Canada, USA, and Haudenosaunee.

2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship England Squad

Oliver Allsop
George Bascom
Thomas Bracegirdle
Jacob Brindle
Ben Buchanan
Tom Hallam
Taylor Harrison
Elliot Leonard
Matthew Marsh
Luke Mills-Doig
Ben Page-Laycock
Jamie Powell
Billy Rawlins
Tom Roche
Tom Roper
Matthew Tatton
Ming Trinh
Dan Watson
Albert Whitehead

2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship England Schedule

Saturday 21 September | Canada vs England | 17:30 (22:30 UK time)
Sunday 22 September | England vs United States | 13:00 (18:00 UK time)
Tuesday 24 September | Haudenosaunee vs England | 16:00 (21:00 UK time)

Two wins in three at E-Box 2024 as England continue World Championship preparations

England men claimed two victories in their three games against international competition at the annual E-Box event in Radotin, Czechia over the weekend.

With just five months to go until the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship in Utica, USA, the E-Box event was an excellent opportunity for Head Coach Walt Christianson and his coaching team to assess the players as they continue to prepare for the biggest competition in box lacrosse.

England’s opening game saw them take on Europe’s fourth placed team, Finland; England started strong with a high pressure defence, great foot speed, and high-quality shooting seeing them open up a 9-4 lead towards the end of the first half.

Several England penalties in the second half allowed Finland to get back into the game (they scored six goals and only conceded two between the 26th and 37th minutes) and, with the score 13-12, another England penalty with nine seconds remaining gave Finland the opportunity to force a penalty shootout but the defence held firm to see out the game.

A highly anticipated game on Sunday had England face the hosts, Czechia, in the two sides’ first meeting since England’s famous 13-12 semi-final victory at the Euros two years ago.

On home soil, Czechia were always coming into the game as favourites but England held resolute, conceding just three goals in the first quarter.

In the offence, England had lost the spark seen in their opening game and could only score once, late in the second quarter, as the teams went in for their half-time break.

Early in the second half, the home team hit the gas to jump to a 10-1 lead but England rallied, found their offensive mojo, incurred no penalties, and went on a run of goals to bring the score back to 8-12 with eight minutes remaining.

It proved to be too big of a mountain to climb for England, however, and Czechia scored two late goals to see the game out.

England's final game on Monday morning was against the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLL) representative team. Like England, they had won one and lost one of their first two games.

More superb defence from England, a theme throughout the E-Box event, saw the game tied at 3-3 with one quarter down.

The England offence then kicked into gear with powerful outside shooting and precision passing around the crease allowing England to jump to a 9-3 lead.

CLL pulled a few back but England were now in control, scoring on transition as their opposition tired and, crucially, stayed out of the penalty box as the game finished 13-9 to England.

Watch all the action from ShE-Box 2024 HERE.

England (m) 13-12 Finland (5-2, 4-4, 1-3, 3-3)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G), Oliver Allsop (2G), Silas Burke (1G), Jamie Powell (1G), Elliot Leonard (1G, 2A), Luke Mills-Doig (1G, 1A), Sam Perry (1G, 1A), Ming Trinh (1G, 1A), Taylor Harrison (1G), Albert Whitehead (1G), Ben Buchanan (3A), Tom Hallam (1A), Ben Page-Laycock (1A)

Czechia 14-8 England (m) (3-0, 4-1, 4-3, 3-4)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G), Ben Page-Laycock (2G), Jamie Powell (2G), Elliot Leonard (1G, 3A), Oliver Allsop (2A), Sam Perry (1A), Ming Trinh (1A)

CLL 9-13 England (m) (3-3, 1-6, 3-3, 2-1)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G, 1A), Elliot Leonard (3G), Ben Page-Laycock (2G), Jamie Powell (2G), Silas Burke (1G, 1A), Tom Roper (1G), Matt Tatton (1G), Ben Buchanan (2A), Ming Trinh (2A), Oliver Allsop (1A), Tom Roche (1A)

England Top Scorers

1. Matt Marsh | 10 (9G, 1A)

2. Elliot Leonard | 10 (5G, 5A)

3. Jamie Powell | 5 (5G)

4. Ben Page-Laycock | 5 (4G, 1A)

5. Oliver Allsop | 5 (2G, 3A)

6. Ming Trinh | 5 (1G, 4A)

7. Ben Buchanan | 5 (5A)

8. Silas Burke | 3 (2G, 1A)

9. Sam Perry | 3 (1G, 2A)

10. Luke Mills-Doig | 2 (1G, 1A)

11. Taylor Harrison | 1 (1G)

12. Tom Roper | 1 (1G)

13. Matt Tatton | 1 (1G)

14. Albert Whitehead | 1 (1G)

15. Tom Hallam | 1 (1A)

16. Tom Roche | 1 (1A)

England win four out of five at ShE-Box 2024 in first ever competitive international fixtures

England women secured four wins in five games in their first ever competitive international fixtures at the annual ShE-Box event in Radotin, Czechia.

Victories against Finland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and Canada (WGN) mean England are in a good position ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship in Utica, USA in September.

England took on Finland in their opening game and very quickly showed the amount of quality this fledgling side possesses as they overcame an early one goal deficit by hitting eight without reply to blow away the opposition.

Lauren Lewis, who had travelled to Czechia from England without using air travel, scored four goals and firmly established herself as one to watch on the international box lacrosse scene.

England field player and star of The Fly, Laura Beaman, scored two and Lucy Ford, Ellie Racle, and Laura Wright all grabbed one each to see the game out at 9-2.

Later on in a rescheduled match, England played fellow World Championship Pool A competitors Hong Kong and, despite a tough first half, came out on top with Lewis once again impressing, scoring six goals.

Beaman, Fran Parshall, Rosie Bathrust, Hannah Foxcroft, and Tash Gage got their names on the scoresheet too with one goal each.

Another Pool A opponent came up next in Netherlands where England stormed into a 7-1 half-time lead after goals from Ford (x2), Racle (x2), Lewis, Wright, and Bathurst.

England refused to slow in the second half and scored another seven goals to leave Netherlands battered and bruise; Katie Greenwood, Davina Emetulu, Lauren Hurley, Foxcroft, Zara Russell, Esme Breach, and Gage all hit the back of the Netherlands net as the game finished 14-3.

England’s biggest test came in the form of unbeaten Germany who had already swept aside Canada (WGN) and Ireland in their opening two games.

England more than matched their opposition in the first and third quarters but difficult second and fourth quarters saw them finish the game five goals behind, losing 11-6.

There was still chance for England to bounce back from that first defeat of the weekend the following day against Canada (WGN), however.

A tight first half, with England goals from Ford, Alys Johns, and Lewis, ended with Canada (WGN) two goals ahead and the score sitting at 5-3 but a dogged second half performance that saw Ford score her second of the match, Lewis hit two, and Racle add one more took the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Up stepped the unshakeable Beaman who ran direct to goal and feigned to shoot several times before firing into the bottom right-hand corner of the Canada (WGN) net.

The spotlight was on Lucy Mayers in the England goal as Erica Evans stepped up to take her penalty; Evans ran slowly towards goal and hit her shot direct at Mayers who stood firm to keep the ball out.

England’s second penalty was taken by Bathurst who confidently strode towards goal and slammed the ball past the Canada (WGN) goalie.

One final hurdle: if Mayers could keep Canada’s second penalty out, England would claim the victory.

Brianna Trembley headed towards the England goal, taking a wide run up. Mayers kept her body as wide as possible and forced Trembley into a tight angle; Trembley’s shot was fired wide, securing the win for England.

Watch all the action from ShE-Box 2024 HERE.

England Results

England (w) 9-2 Finland (5-2, 4-0)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (4G), Laura Beaman (2G, 1A), Lucy Ford (1G, 2A), Ellie Racle (1G), Laura Wright (1G), Esme Breach (1A), Katie Greenwood (1A)

Hong Kong 4-11 England (w) (3-3, 1-8)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (6G), Laura Beaman (1G, 1A), Fran Parshall (1G, 1A), Lucy Ford (2A), Ellie Racle (2A), Rosie Bathurst (1G), Hannah Foxcroft (1G), Tash Gage (1G), Katie Greenwood (1A)

England (w) 14-3 Netherlands (4-0, 3-1, 2-0, 5-2)
England scorers: Lucy Ford (2G, 1A), Ellie Racle (2G, 1A), Lauren Lewis (1G, 2A), Rosie Bathurst (1G, 1A), Laura Wright (1G), Katie Greenwood (1G), Davina Emetulu (1G), Lauren Hurley (1G), Hannah Foxcroft (1G), Zara Russell (1G, 1A), Esme Breach (1G), Tash Gage (1G, 1A), Laura Beaman (1A)

Germany 11-6 England (w) (1-1, 3-1, 1-2, 6-2)
England scorers: Laura Beaman (2G), Hannah Foxcroft (2G), Laura Wright (1G), Lucy Ford (1G), Ellie Racle (1A)

Canada (WGN) 7-8 England (w) (5-3, 2-4, 0-1)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (3G), Lucy Ford (2G, 2A), Ellie Racle (1G, 1A), Alys Johns (1G), Laura Beaman (1A), Katie Greenwood (1A)

Top Scorers

1. Lauren Lewis | 16 (14G, 2A)

2. Lucy Ford | 13 (6G, 7A)

3. Laura Beaman | 9 (5G, 4A)

4. Ellie Racle | 9 (4G, 3A)

5. Hannah Foxcroft | 4 (4G)

6. Katie Greenwood | 4 (1G, 3A)

7. Laura Wright | 3 (3G)

8. Rosie Bathurst | 3 (2G, 1A)

9. Tash Gage | 3 (2G, 1A)

10. Esme Breach | 2 (1G,1A)

11. Fran Parshall | 2 (1G, 1A)

12. Zara Russell | 2 (1G, 1A)

13. Davina Emetulu | 1 (1G)

14. Lauren Hurley | 1 (1G)

15. Alys Johns | 1 (1G)

England teams head to Czechia for annual E-Box/ShE-Box events

England’s men and women’s box teams take to the field over the weekend at the annual E-Box/ShE-Box events in Radotin, Czechia.

The ShE-Box event will mark the first ever competitive fixtures played by the new England women’s box team as they take on Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, and a Women’s Global Network team made up of Canadian players.

25 of the best women’s box lacrosse players in the country will head to Radotin as part of England’s preparations ahead of the inaugural World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship in Utica, USA, in September.

At that competition, England will feature in Pool A alongside fellow ShE-Box competitors Netherlands and Hong Kong as well as formidable opponents USA and Haudenosaunee.

ShE-Box 2024 will give England Head Coach Rob Clark and his coaching staff an important look at the squad before he whittles the wider training squad down to just 23 players in the summer.

The men’s E-Box competition will see England take on Finland, Czechia, and Canada U20s as they also look to continue preparations ahead of the World Championship in September.

Head Coach Walt Christianson will want to look at his team in a competitive environment as he deliberates over his final 23-player World Championship squad.

His side will be looking to challenge at the top end of the competition after a fourth-place finish in 2019 that saw them push USA all the way in the bronze medal match and a first major title at the European Championship two years ago.

To watch some of the matches at E-Box/ShE-Box 2024, click HERE.

E-Box/ShE-Box Schedule

Friday 19 April | England (w) v Hong Kong, China | 8am BST
Friday 19 April | England (w) v Finland | 11:20am BST
Saturday 20 April | England (w) v Netherlands | 1:40pm BST
Saturday 20 April | England (m) v Finland | 6:30pm BST
Sunday 21 April | England (w) v Germany | 3pm BST
Sunday 21 April | England (m) v Czechia | 7pm BST
Monday 22 April | England (w) v Canada (WGN) | 9am BST
Monday 22 April | England (m) v Canada U20 | 9:50am BST

European Championship winner Eliot Pugh retires from international duty after 11 years

Veteran England box lacrosse goalie, Eliot Pugh, has decided to call time on his international career after 11 years.

Pugh ends his England career after earning 35 caps and representing his country at four major championships including the 2019 World Championship and the 2015, 2017, and 2022 European Championships, the latter of which saw him win a gold medal after England stormed to the title.

Pugh’s box lacrosse journey started in 2013 when he first attended some England training sessions hosted by ex-England players Joe Darkins and Pete Dunits who were looking for the next generation of England goalies in the aftermath of the 2011 World Championship.

From those first England training sessions, Pugh got more involved in box lacrosse and took part in the Tasko Cup for the first time in 2014, playing for DreadLax.

After that, Pugh was thrown in at the deep end when he was selected as part of the England squad to travel to the Onondaga Nation, USA for the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship; at that tournament, Pugh played in two games, securing a 72% save ratio, as England finished fifth.

Pugh had firmly got the box lacrosse bug by now and was chosen to be part of the England squad competing at the 2017 European Championship in Finland where he played in five games (68% save ratio), helping England to another fifth place finish.

Alongside his role as goalie, Pugh also took on the England Team Manager job ahead of the 2017 European Championship with fellow player Dave Cluney, a job which he continues to do now alongside Rob Gooch. This job involves organising the team ahead of training sessions and tournaments and booking accommodation and travel for the players and coaches.

In 2018, Pugh joined London Knights as they played in, and eventually won, the Tasko Cup that year; Pugh has played for London Knights in every Tasko Cup since then, claiming six titles.

2019 saw Pugh once again selected to play for England at that year’s World Championship where he played in six games with a 72% save ratio as England pushed USA all the way in the bronze medal game but eventually finished fourth.

In 2022, Pugh played in his final major championship for England when he played two games with a massive 86% save ratio as England claimed their first trophy at the 2022 European Box Lacrosse Championship in Hanover, Germany.

The 36-year-old made his final three England appearances at his second E-Box Invitational event last year.

Outside of box lacrosse, Pugh first picked up a lacrosse stick in 2007 while studying at Swansea University where he played in the mixed team and joined Swansea Hawks shortly after. In 2008, he helped to found the first men’s team at Swansea University before moving to Reading in 2010.

While playing for Reading, Pugh played in two Flags Finals in three years, winning their player of year twice in a row before moving to Maidstone. After two years at Maidstone, Pugh played in the Premiership with Purley for one season and then moved to Milton Keynes where he retired as a field lacrosse player in 2022.

Now he has retired as an international box player as well, Pugh intends on becoming a mentor and goalie coach in the future as well as continuing his role as the England Team Manager heading into this year’s World Championship.

The English game hasn’t seen the last of Pugh between the sticks though as he hopes to play as and when domestically and socially for London knights and the South team in the Tasko Cup and annual North v South games; he also hopes to have the opportunity to play at the Alex Hebresky Memorial one day.

Pugh leaves behind a huge legacy as when he joined the England box lacrosse team in 2013, not many people had heard of, let alone played, this indoor version of the sport.

But he, alongside several other pioneers of the game in England, helped to slowly grow the format and he leaves the England team, and box lacrosse in England more generally, in a much better place than when he started.

Indeed, box lacrosse in England is now attracting the attention of many of the best lacrosse players in the country and an annual domestic league now takes place every winter.

Thanks for everything, Eliot!