Tom Roche becomes England's most capped box player in defeat to Haudenosaunee

Captain Tom Roche became the most capped England box lacrosse player in history and bagged himself a first major tournament goal in England’s 18-2 defeat to Haudenosaunee in their final pool stage match at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Tuesday.

Roche earned his 36th cap of an illustrious box career that has so far seen him compete in three World Championships and two Euros competitions as England took on Haudenosaunee in their own back yard at the Mary C Winder Community Center in the Oneida Indian Nation.

To cap it all off, Roche scored only his second England goal and first at a major tournament after a quick transition saw Tom Hallam feed Roche who was one on one with the Haudenosaunee goalie.

Roche composed himself and slotted into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal from the edge of the crease, much to the delight of Roche, his teammates and the England fans in the arena.

Live on ESPN in the United States and Canada, the Haudenosaunee started quickly against England, finding themselves a goal up after just over a minute through Tehoka Nanticoke.

England were tight defensively after this and were able to pull themselves level with five minutes gone when Jack Royer let rip with England on a power play.

It would be two minutes before another goal was scored but Haudenosaunee eventually broke England down, scoring another three goals before quarter-time.

Another two goals after the break saw Haudenosaunee pull into a 6-1 lead before Roche claimed England’s second five minutes before half-time.

From here, Haudenosaunee showed why they’re one of the best teams in the world as they went on a 12-goal scoring run without reply from England to see the game finish with an 18-2 scoreline.

England will now take on Czechia in a quarter-final match on Thursday with England fans able to watch live on WL TV or follow live updates on the England Lacrosse Instagram page from 6pm (UK).

England 2-18 Haudenosaunee (4-1, 4-1, 5-0, 5-0)

England scorers: Tom Roche (1G), Jack Royer (1G), Tom Hallam (1A), Ben Page-Laycock (1A).

North masterclass as England taste defeat to USA in final pool stage match

Lacrosse legend Charlotte North scored six as her USA team defeated England 28-2 in their final pool stage match at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships on Tuesday.

Despite the result, England secured a third place finish in Pool A and a quarter-final match on Thursday against Australia.

England’s two goals came through Iandra Lamplugh and Lauren Lewis, Lamplugh scoring to make it 5-1 in the first quarter and Lewis to make it 18-2 just before the half-time break.

USA started fast, showing all their quality, and that continued throughout the game but a blistering second quarter where they scored 12 goals, as they looked to increase their goal difference to avoid any chance of meeting Canada again until a potential final match, blew England away.

Head Coach Rob Clark will be pleased with his team’s grit and determination throughout the four quarters which will be a huge positive heading into Thursday’s quarter-final match-up with Australia.

Australia finished second in Pool B, one point behind a Canada team who are yet to lose or even concede a goal in the competition.

England fans can follow live updates from England v Australia on the England Lacrosse Instagram page or watch live on WL TV from 4:30pm (UK) tomorrow.

England 2-28 USA (6-1, 12-1, 6-0, 4-0)

England scorers: Lauren Lewis (1G, 1A), Iandra Lamplugh (1G), Davina Emetulu (1A), Ellie Racle (1A).

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),

University Aspire Programme | Sean Paton

With the second year of the England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme due to begin with two assessment days in October and November, we’ve spoken to some of the players who took part in the inaugural year of the Programme.

Sean Paton first picked up a lacrosse stick after starting his studies at the University of Plymouth two years ago when he was searching for a fast-paced physical game to get involved in.

Previous to this, Sean was an accomplished inline hockey player, representing Great Britain at under-19 level, something he says helped him to take to lacrosse with ease.

“I found the transition between the two stick skills a lot smoother than I had thought. In my first BUCS game for Plymouth, I scored a hat-trick in the first 10 minutes showing how transferrable the skills I had learned in inline hockey were. Through meeting people from all different sporting backgrounds, I have realised that lacrosse is one of those sports that has something for everyone. Since starting, I haven't looked back.”

Sean was part of the first cohort of players to take part in the England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme that included several training sessions with the other members of the Programme throughout the year as well as an end of season tour to Portugal; Sean says his experience was entirely positive and has helped him grow as a sportsperson.

“The University Aspire Programme was really amazing throughout the year! Seeing myself and other players who attended the training sessions grow and develop our skills was awesome. I grew into the sport really fast compared to people at my university lacrosse club who weren't members of the Programme.”

Each cohort of the University Aspire Programme will finish the season with a tour to Europe; this year’s tour took the squad to Portugal where they competed in the Lisboa Cup, facing teams from across Europe, eventually finishing fourth.

“The actual tour was such an enriching experience. It was organised and run very well and made me feel like an important part of the sport. Treating us as if we were a full performance team was a great feeling and really made me think about how I want to progress my skills so I can possibly play for the full performance team in the future.” 

Sean’s belief that he could possibly one day join the England Lacrosse Perform Programme is attributed to being a part of the University Aspire Programme and he says the coaching he received and experiences he’s had over the past year have helped him to develop as a lacrosse player and an athlete.

“I found the coaches to be very knowledgeable and fixed most of the bad habits I had picked up which has definitely made me a more efficient player.

“I developed throughout the year with advice that was given to me during the sessions, and the programme of activities I should do outside the University Aspire training sessions to help me to improve were invaluable. I used the advice they gave me to improve my own game but also improve my university team as a whole, passing the tips and skills onto my team-mates. I am now setting my sights for high performance using my knowledge and love for the sport.”

As the assessment days for the 2024/25 University Aspire Programme creep ever closer, Sean’s message to anyone considering applying for the Programme this year is simple.

“It is a really amazing Programme that will develop your skills and, even if you are only able to attend one session, it will be worth it.

“If you want to get better and meet a group of like-minded people, going to most sessions is completely the right thing to do. I learned a lot, it opened my eyes up to what I could achieve, and I enjoy the sport more now, having a huge amount of fun in the process!”

The England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme aims to identify athletes who are not currently a part of any England Lacrosse programmes but have the potential to progress into the England Lacrosse Perform Programme.

To identify possible 2024/25 University Aspire Programme athletes, England Lacrosse is hosting two assessment days: the first at Bath University’s Odd Down Sports Ground on Sunday 27 October and the second at Nottingham Trent University on Sunday 10 November.

Each assessment day will include men’s and women’s sessions lasting approximately two and a half hours each with lacrosse coaching from experienced coaches from within the England Perform Programme.

Assessment Days

Sunday 27 October
Bath, Odd Down Sports Ground
Men's Assessment | 12:00pm - 2:30pm
Women's Assessment | 3:30pm - 6:00pm

Sunday 10 November
Nottingham Trent University
Men's Assessment | 11:00am - 1:30pm
Women's Assessment | 2:30pm - 5:00pm

Mike Nicholls 1945-2024

England Lacrosse is saddened to learn of the death of Mike Nicholls on Thursday 15 August at the age of 79.

Born in Mellor, Mike began his Lacrosse career as part of the junior scheme created by Charles Middleton; one of Mellor’s founding members. This beginning would undoubtedly inspire Mike’s lifelong love of Lacrosse and the tough, no-nonsense player he developed into.

Mike enjoyed a long playing career moving for a period to play on Urmston’s 1st team where he would narrowly miss out on winning the Senior Flags before returning to Mellor, to become the Vice and then Captain of the A Team between 1965-1978, winning the Junior Flags and the 2nd division in 76/77.

Possibly his biggest contribution to Lacrosse was off the pitch and 1981 saw Mike transition into what would be many successful years of coaching starting with Mellor juniors and his son, Rob. His coaching style, as his playing style, was designed to build resilience and strength with little patience for those not giving 100%.

With his playing years behind him but the desire to contribute strong, he would continue to find ways to serve Lacrosse, becoming Mellor’s President between 1989-1991, sitting on several committees over the years that would help shape our game and regularly refereeing all levels of Lacrosse.

His love of the sport was not limited to the Men’s side, and he coached the girl’s game, supporting his daughter, Alex at Stockport Lacrosse Club and also coaching Cheshire teams to success.

Mike (Right) during his coaching days

Finding his niche, he then progressed to enjoy a period coaching Stockport Metros in the 1990s and then onto the first of several roles with England as he became the Assistant Manager to the U19s for the 1992 World Championship and the Men’s Senior team in 1998. 2003 would find him back with the U19s, with his experience in this role invaluable to Manager and friend Ravi K. Sitlani.

He is remembered as a determined, dogged competitor on the field who would give everything to the final whistle, but off the pitch, a true champion of the sport and an example of what giving back to Lacrosse looks like.

Mike passed away peacefully on 15th August 2024 aged 79 years. Beloved husband of Sue and devoted Dad of Rob, Stasia and Alex. He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends.

A funeral service will take place on Friday 20 September 2024, 2.30pm, at Rowan Chapel, Stockport Crematorium. Family flowers only, donations if desired to Cancer Research UK.

Anyone looking to make contact can email Mrs Alex Anderson at alex@adaptandimprove.com

England Lacrosse sends our condolences to Mike’s family and friends at this time.

Three English officials heading to Utica for World Lacrosse Box Championships

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce three English officials have been selected to officiate at the upcoming 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York, USA.

Taking place from 20-29 September, Michael Leahy, Emma Jones, and John Pordum will travel across the pond for the inaugural women’s competition as well as the sixth edition of the men’s and will take charge of games across both codes.

All three officials have extensive international experience with all having attended previous World and European tournaments across the box, field, and sixes formats.

In 2022, Leahy was the first person to be awarded World Lacrosse’s prestigious Level 3 Officiating Award and, until recently, he was the only official in the world to hold the award.

England Lacrosse would like to wish the three officials all the best over the next couple of weeks!

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

Rampant Rochdale win first Border 8s title

Rochdale secured their first Border Eights title on Saturday after defeating Leeds in the final and remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.

After an initial group stage, the top four teams progressed to the knockout stage with Rochdale (1st), Border City (2nd), Leeds (3rd), and Ashton (4th) all making it through to the semi-finals.

Leeds narrowly beat hosts Border City while Rochdale defeated Ashton meaning the final would feature two teams who had never lifted the trophy before.

After an enthralling final, Rochdale lifted the trophy and claimed their first Border Eights title at the fourth edition of the competiton.

Following the conclusion of the event, Border City thanked all the attending teams, officials, and volunteers for making the tournament the best it’s ever been and also confirmed the competition will return in 2025.

Places for the 2025 competition are extremely limited so expressions of interest should be made early by emailing cumbrialax@gmail.com.

British Lacrosse announce squads for USA Lacrosse Experience and Canada Super Sixes

British Lacrosse has announced its women’s and men’s squads to attend the inaugural USA Lacrosse Experience as well as a women’s squad to take part in the 2024 Canada Super Sixes event.

45 British players have been selected in total as British Lacrosse truly begins its journey towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games in four years’ time.

Taking place from 11-13 October at Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA, the first ever USA Lacrosse Experience will see British Lacrosse play USA, Puerto Rico, and Colombia in a round robin competition playing the Olympic sixes version of the sport.

Also taking place during the same time period, the Canada Super Sixes will see British Lacrosse take on some of the best sixes teams in the world in Vancouver.

Last year’s event saw USA defeat Canada 8-7 in the final to lift the title with Haudenosaunee picking up bronze after a 21-4 victory over Kenya.

The two events mark the first competitive outings for British Lacrosse teams since the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

British Lacrosse Men’s Head Coach Tom Wenham said:

“The USA Lacrosse Experience gives us an excellent opportunity to test ourselves against top-level opposition. We’re looking forward to the challenge and see this as vital stepping stone on our journey towards Olympic qualification.”

British Lacrosse Women’s Head Coach Phil Collier said:

“British Lacrosse is committed to developing a world leading sixes programme which is evident in the fact that we are able to send two equal strength teams to compete in two tournaments over the same weekend. We see the October Super Sixes tournaments as a key step in our preparations for the 2025 European Sixes Championships in March and The World Games in August.”

Men’s USA Lacrosse Experience Squad

Jack Allen
William Baxter
Drew Bickerton
Lyndon Bunio
Tim Collins
Hal Dwobeng
Ryan Hunns
Dan Jones
Tommy Kirkland
Luke Mills-Doig
Cole Paciejewski
Ben Page-Laycock
Mike Pomfret
Will Prescott
Tomos Rosser
Alex Russell
Will Shirt
Matt Tatton

Women’s USA Lacrosse Experience Squad

Torz Anderson
Jordan Carr
Lauren Hart
Anna Neville
Emma Oakley
Sienna Parekh
Alice Ripper
Lottie Robertson
Emma Savage
Tilly Shires
Georgie Southorn
Dylan Whittington
Liv Wimpenny
Sofia Wise

Women’s Canada Super Sixes Squad

Emilie Chandler
Ella Cohen
Lucy Devine
Chess Gray
Cece Green
Georgie Greenwood
Millie Hughes
Minty Loxton-Barnard
Loulou Rowlands
Anna Saunter
Livy Schellekens
Hannah Whiteley
Julie Wise

Mellor retain Bath Eights men's title; Cheltenham Cougars take home women's trophy

Mellor retained the Bath Eights men’s trophy after defeating Loughborough University Alumni 5-4 in the 2024 final on Saturday while Cheltenham Cougars picked up their first women’s title with a 2-1 victory over hosts Bath, maintaining the incredible record of no team having won the trophy more than once.

The 5-4 final win for Mellor means the Greater Manchester side have now claimed four Bath Eights men’s titles and sit third in the all-time list of winners after Cheadle and Wilmslow (both on six titles) and Sheffield and Timperley (both on five titles).

In the women’s competition, Cheltenham Cougars picked up their first title in the seventh edition of the tournament after a close 2-1 final victory over Bath.

That result means that no team has retained the Bath Eights women’s title or even won the trophy more than once since its inception in 2017.

By reaching the final, Bath’s women’s team became the first Bath team (men or women) in the history of the Bath Eights tournament to progress past the quarter-final stage; they reached the final by defeating 2023 winners Cirencester with a sudden-death over-time win after a 4-4 draw in regular time in the semi-final.

A total of 58 teams took part across the men’s and women’s competitions this year, making it one of the biggest editions of the event in its 37 year history.

England Lacrosse add to FREE 'Introduction to Lacrosse' video series

England Lacrosse is delighted to add six new videos to the FREE ‘Introduction to Lacrosse’ video series, offering simple tutorials highlighting the principles of the game, the technical skills involved, activities, and game-based practices for those teaching beginner lacrosse players.

The new videos are available on the England Lacrosse YouTube channel and take the number of ‘Introduction to Lacrosse’ videos to 14, alongside an accompanying 30-page ‘Introduction to Lacrosse’ resource pack.

New videos added to the series include 3v2 Keep Ball, Bench-Ball, Build-Up Match, Passing into 4v3, Pressure Box, and Stuck in the Mud.

Each video takes the viewer through, in a simple way, how to set-up, coach, and modify each activity or game-based practice.

The first eight videos in the series highlight the fundamentals of lacrosse, including Scooping/Picking up the Ball, Carrying or Moving with the Ball, Cradling, Changing Hands, Shooting, Dodging, Catching or Receiving the Ball, and Throwing or Passing the Ball.

Both the video series and resource pack are designed to be accessible to everyone looking to pick up the sport or teach beginners who are new to the game.

Registration open for 2024 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship

England Lacrosse is excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2024 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship to be held at Surrey Sports Park on Sunday 20 October.

Team registration opened today (Tuesday 10 September) at 2pm and will remain open until Thursday 3 October at 11:59pm with players able to join each team until 11:59pm on Tuesday 15 October.

The 2024 competition will be held at Surrey Sports Park after being hosted by Nottingham Trent University in 2022 and 2023.

The BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship marks the start of the domestic university season and is the largest university lacrosse competition playing the Olympic Sixes version of the sport.

Over 45 teams took part in 2023 with the University of Nottingham claiming both the men’s and women’s Championship titles after wins over Nottingham Trent University and Durham University respectively.

In the Trophy competition, Nottingham Trent University 2s secured the men’s title and University of Nottingham 2s claimed victory in the women’s final.

Please note, the cost per team is £178.50.

England Lacrosse relaunches partnership with FORZA

England Lacrosse is excited to relaunch our partnership with FORZA, a sub-brand of Net World Sports, ahead of the upcoming 2024/2025 domestic season.

Having signed a three-year contract extension with the sports equipment brand in February 2023 which saw FORZA become the England Lacrosse Official Match and Training Equipment Provider, we’re now relaunching the partnership to offer England Lacrosse members some exclusive offers, including a discount code to purchase lacrosse equipment ahead of the new season.

To take advantage of the exclusive England Lacrosse members’ discount, simply use the discount code found in this week’s England Lacrosse weekly newsletter, hitting your inbox this Friday (13 September).

In addition to the England Lacrosse members’ discount, FORZA will be offering our social media followers the opportunity to win prize bundles throughout the year through social media giveaways and competitions.

Since 2021, FORZA has provided equipment for various England Lacrosse events, including lacrosse goals, ball stops and coaches’ clipboards at The Fly.

Based in Wrexham, FORZA has been a champion of designing and manufacturing the best quality sporting products since 2009 and houses more than 15,000 products, 95% of which are own brand, in their new 411,000 square foot warehouse.

They provide equipment for some of the biggest sports brands in the world, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Durham Cricket, and Leigh Leopards.

They sell equipment across a huge range of sports from archery and cricket to Gaelic football and pickleball and they stock a huge variety of high-quality lacrosse training equipment for everyone’s needs, whether you’re an individual practising in your back garden or a club coaching the next generation of talent.

Lois Jones, Partnerships Executive at FORZA said:

“We’re thrilled to be continuing our partnership with England Lacrosse. By leveraging the expert knowledge of the team at England Lacrosse, we’re excited to further enhance our range of equipment and support the growth of the sport across the country.”

Caroline Royle, England Lacrosse Head of Marketing & Partnerships, said:

“Our partnership with FORZA has been growing over the past three years and we’re delighted to be able to continue working with our Official Match and Training Equipment Provider into the future. Offering benefits to our England Lacrosse membership is high on our agenda and, with discount codes and prize giveaways throughout the year, we believe our continued partnership with FORZA delivers on this.”

Hampstead claim Men's European Club Championship crown

Hampstead LC claimed a second Ken Galluccio Cup win after defeating Hamburg Warriors 15-8 in the final in Barcelona to become European Club Champions.

The English national champions improved on last year’s third place finish, going unbeaten in their eight matches across the weekend and again picking up the title they first won back in 2019.

In the women’s competition, it wasn’t to be a third consecutive Club Championship for Blues Women as they finished third, missing out on the final after a tightly contested semi-final defeat to Rotterdam Jaguars, who went on to win the title.

Despite a final that at times was played in a complete downpour with playing conditions far from perfect, Hampstead weren’t deterred from completing the perfect weekend, laying down a strong performance against their German opponents to seal victory.

The London based side had comfortably moved through the group stages across Friday and Saturday, led by Owen Caputo’s huge tally of 26 points (23G, 3A) across the tournament, only being ran close in a 3-2 win against Oslo, Hampstead topped the round robin stage.

They then dispatched Olten Saints of Switzerland 9-3 in the semi-final, despite being 3-4 behind with 10 minutes to play, a five-goal run towards the final whistle secured their final place against Hamburg who beat Oslo in overtime.

In the final it was Carl Klepper who led the way for Hampstead scoring eight goals while Caputo chipped in with four as with Hampstead only leading by two going into the final 20 minutes, a 7-2 run saw them pull away and successfully claim the European Club crown.

In the women’s event, Blues were free scoring throughout their group stage winning 10-9 (vs Oslo), 18-0 (vs Wettingen) and 16-4 (vs Madrid) to top their group, Chloe Wyner tallying 15 points (13G, 2A) in leading the way for Blues in Barcelona.

Blues were then going well in their semi-final and, leading 8-5 with eight minutes to play, on track for another appearance in the final.

However, Rotterdam produced a storming comeback to score four answered goals to turn the tie around and end Blues’ winning streak at the competition with an 8-9 win.

They did though manage to swiftly put any disappointment behind them to come back on the Sunday to win the bronze medal game 6-1 against Oslo and end the weekend on a positive.

Blues have been the dominant force in women’s lacrosse in England across the last few years winning three straight national titles, while Hampstead have also now won two in a row and both teams will be looking for more success as they begin their respective league campaigns in a few weeks’ time.

Hampstead Results

Group Stage
Hampstead 10-0 Amsterdam Lions
Hampstead 7-1 Hamburg Warriors
Hampstead 3-2 Oslo
Hampstead 8-2 Olten Saints
Hampstead 9-1 Milano Painkillers
Hampstead 5-2 Madrid Osos
Semi Final
Hampstead 9-3 Olten Saints
Final
Hampstead 15-8 Hamburg Warriors

Blues Results

Group Stage
Blues 10-9 Oslo
Blues 18-0 Wettingen Wild
Blues 16-4 Madrid Osos
Semi Final
Blues 8-9 Rotterdam Jaguars
3rd Place
Blues 6-1 Oslo

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.