Registration opens for 2025 National Schools Lacrosse Championships

Registration is now open for the 2025 edition of the National Schools Lacrosse Championships, England Lacrosse’s premier school lacrosse competition.

The Championships, taking place once again at the Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre are back for 2025 and scheduled to take place between 8-11 March.

The tournament has several age categories across Under-19, Under-15, Under-14, and Under-13 age categories and sees schools from all around the country battle it out to be crowned National Schools Lacrosse champions with Moreton Hall taking the prestigious U19A championship in 2024 for the first time.

The Championships is the highlight of the school sporting season for thousands of young players and gives them the opportunity to display their skills on the biggest stage in a festival of lacrosse.

Competition Dates:
Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 March - U19A & U19B
Monday 10 March - U19C & U15A
Tuesday 11 March - U14 & U13

Schools are able to register for the competition until Wednesday 11 December and more information about the registration process and the National Schools Lacrosse Championships more generally can be found below.

Should schools have any questions about entry, simply contact Abigail Merrill via email at a.merrill@englandlacrosse.co.uk.

Relive last year’s competition and watch the 2024 U19A Championship final below:

British Lacrosse score friendly wins over Germany

British Lacrosse men secured three friendly wins over Germany in Manchester last weekend as they continue to build with the 2028 LA Olympic Games just under four years away.

Three separate 12-player British Lacrosse squads competed in the games, with a development team match on Friday at Hough End Leisure Centre ending in a narrow 24-23 win for British Lacrosse.

Thom Gillbrook was a stand-out performer in that one with five goals and one assist during the game. Josh Clegg and Drew Wilkinson also showed their talents with eight goals and three assists between them.

In the two senior games at Belle Vue Leisure Centre on Sunday, British Lacrosse completed a clean sweep of victories over Europe’s fifth best side after 24-10 and 22-19 wins.

The ever-dependable Ryan Hunns hit five goals and five assists in the second of the two senior games with Nick DeCaprio also scoring five.

In the first senior game, Will Prescott, Alex Russell, and Tom Roper blew Germany away with four, three, and four goals respectively and scoring almost half of British Lacrosse’s goals in that match.

For more information about British Lacrosse, click HERE.

Development Game | British Lacrosse 24-23 Germany

British Lacrosse scorers: Thom Gilbrook (5G, 1A), Josh Clegg (4G, 2A), Drew Wilkinson (4G, 1A), Will Brown (2G, 2A), Josh Poke (3G), Ben Jackson (2G, 1A), Jim Hartley (2G), Jack Dearden (2A), Daniel Flisk (1G).

Senior Game 1 | British Lacrosse 24-10 Germany

British Lacrosse scorers: Will Prescott (4G, 2A), Alex Russell (3G, 2A), Tom Roper (4G), Drew Bickerton (2G, 2A), Lyndon Bunio (2G, 1A), Ryan Sweetman (2G, 1A), Ben Page-Laycock (1G, 3A), Tommy Kirkland (2G), Mike Pomfret (2G), Will Shirt (1G).

Game 2 | British Lacrosse 22-19 Germany

British Lacrosse scorers: Ryan Hunns (5G, 5A), Nick DeCaprio (5G), Tom Roper (3G, 1A), Dan Watson (3G), Tomos Rosser (1G, 2A), Tim Collins (2G), Dan Hilditch (1G, 1A), Jamie Powell (1G, 1A), Josh Simpson-Pink (1A)

British Lacrosse Squads

Development Team

Will Brown
Josh Clegg
Jack Dearden
Dan Flisk
Will Greaves
Jim Hartley
Elliott Hurry
Ben Jackson
Jamie Mochan
Josh Poke
Joachim Ruby
Drew Wilkinson

Senior Team | Game 1

Hal Dwobeng
William Baxter
Drew Bickerton
Tom Bracegirdle
Lyndon Bunio
Tommy Kirkland
Ben Page-Laycock
Mike Pomfret
Will Prescott
Tom Roper
Alex Russell
Will Shirt

Senior Team | Game 2

Hal Dwobeng
William Baxter
Tim Collins
Nick DeCaprio
Danny Hilditch
Ryan Hunns
Jamie Powell
Tomos Rosser
Josh Simpson-Pink
Ryan Sweetman
Matt Tatton
Dan Watson

Vacancy | England Lacrosse Aspire & Performance Administrator *APPLICATIONS CLOSED*

England Lacrosse is looking to appoint an Aspire & Performance Administrator to administrate and support the England Lacrosse Aspire, Performance, and Triple Arrow programmes.

Responsible to the Lead for National Aspire Pathway, the Aspire & Performance Administrator will answer emails and provide direct communications and customer support across the England Lacrosse Aspire and Performance programmes.

Other duties and responsibilities include:

• Tracking and recording player registration and coach information via the relevant data management systems, whilst also collating customer feedback.

• Supporting the coordination of coaching staff, facilities, and equipment for England Lacrosse’s Aspire, Performance, and Triple Arrow programmes.

• Supporting the administration and delivery of England Lacrosse’s priority events, Aspire, Performance, and Triple Arrow programmes.

• Working with England Lacrosse’s communications team to produce information for the website and social media channels.

• Supporting the administration of DBS certification.

• Supporting with the implementation of England Lacrosse safeguarding policies and procedures.

• Assisting with identified Head Office operations and administration projects.

• Providing support for the Senior Management Group, remote workers and relevant England Lacrosse committees as requested.

Salary: from £23,000.

To read a full job description for the role, click HERE.

How to apply:

To submit an application for this position, 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.

• Completed Equalities Monitoring Form, found HERE.

Application closing date: Wednesday 4 December.

Interviews to be scheduled w/c Monday 9 December.

England Lacrosse to support Stonewall's 2024 Rainbow Laces campaign

England Lacrosse is delighted to be supporting Stonewall’s 2024 Rainbow Laces campaign that aims to make sport safer and more inclusive for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Taking place from Saturday 16 to Wednesday 4 December, the annual campaign, now in its 11th year, will this year focus on making sure sport is safe and welcoming for all when taking part or watching in the crowd.

Since the campaign was started in 2013, over one million people have laced up to show that sport should be everyone’s game but for all the progress that has been made there are still those who discriminate against and exclude LGBTQ+ people in sport.

Many LGBTQ+ people continue to feel unsafe at live sporting events and Stonewall along with England Lacrosse believe people shouldn’t have to make a choice between taking part in sport and being their authentic selves.

By lacing up and taking part in the Rainbow Laces campaign this year, you can send a powerful message: your club is a safe place where everyone can be themselves.

There are many ways to support the campaign but the most prominent is to wear a pair of Stonewall’s laces which now come in the traditional rainbow colours as well as a variety which support specific branches of the LGBTQ+ umbrella including the lesbian, trans, bi, non-binary, pan, and asexual flags.

To take part in this year’s campaign, grab your own pair of Rainbow Laces HERE.

For more information about the Rainbow Laces campaign and the important work Stonewall do, click HERE.

England's top school teams compete at 2024 School Challenge Cup

England’s top eight school teams compete to be named the best in the country at this weekend’s 2024 School Challenge Cup at St Swithun’s School, Winchester.

Moreton Hall (1), Godolphin (2), St Catherine’s (3), Guildford High (4), Queen Anne’s (5), St Swithun’s (6), Haberdashers’ Girls’ (7), and Westonbirt (8) will take part in the annual competition after qualifying by finishing in the top eight in the U19 competition at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships earlier this year.

Reigning School Challenge Cup champions Guildford High return as they look to claim their third consecutive title, and fourth title in total, following a dramatic 6-4 comeback win over Moreton Hall in 2023 and a 6-3 victory over Putney High in 2022.

After claiming their first National Schools Lacrosse Championships title in 2024, Moreton Hall will be back at the School Challenge Cup looking to go one step further than last year and lift their first School Challenge Cup trophy.

Previous winners of the competition include Guildford (2019, 2022, 2023), St Catherine’s (2021), and Berkhamsted (2018).

The first round of fixtures gets underway at 10.30am all leading through to the final scheduled for 4.45pm.

Spectators are welcome to attend, with parking and a kiosk serving hot and cold drinks, burgers, and hot-dogs available on-site throughout the day.

Game 1 | Moreton Hall v St Catherine’s | 10:30am
Game 2 | Godolphin v Guildford High | 10:30am
Game 3 | Queen Anne’s v Haberdashers’ Girls’ | 11:20am
Game 4 | St Swithun’s v Westonbirt | 11:20am

Game 5 | Winner G1 v Loser G4 | 12:10pm
Game 6 | Winner G2 v Loser G3 | 12:10pm
Game 7 | Loser G1 v Winner G4 | 1pm
Game 8 | Loser G2 v Winner G3 | 1pm

Semi-Final 1 | Winner G5 v Winner G8 | 2pm
Semi-Final 2 | Winner G6 v Winner G7 | 2pm

7th Place Game | Loser G5 v Loser G6 | 2:50pm
5th Place Game | Loser G7 v Loser G8 | 2:50pm
3rd Place Game | Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 | 3:45pm

Final | Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 | 4:45pm

Apply for a free defibrillator for your community courtesy of BHF

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has opened its 2024/25 applications for a funded defibrillator for community groups around Great Britain.

A limited number of funded defibrillators are available in each annual funding cycle with community groups able to apply until 5pm on Friday 28 February 2025 (please note, applications may close earlier depending on the volume received, so applying early is advisable).

Applications will be reviewed monthly against a set of criteria so awards can be made to communities that need them most.

Areas prioritised include those with fewer registered defibrillators and communities where local health needs indicate a higher risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 

Community groups such as church organisations and other places of worship, social clubs, parish councils, local social enterprise organisations, and community centres are encouraged to apply.

Each year, there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK with less than 1 in 10 people surviving. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%. 

There are an estimated 100,000 defibrillators in the UK, a number which continues to grow year on year thanks in part to schemes like the BHF’s.

British Lacrosse Head Coach to talk Sixes Lacrosse on Sheffield Live radio

British Lacrosse men’s Head Coach Tom Wenham will be the main guest on The Live Science Radio Show on Sheffield Live on Saturday 23 November to talk about his lacrosse journey and how sports science is used in preparing an elite team to compete at a world level.

On air from 11am-12pm on 93.2 FM or via the Sheffield Live website, the show will also be available to listen online for one month afterwards.

British Lacrosse men’s Head Coach Tom Wenham has been in post since December 2020 and has built his team over the past four years that has seen them compete in competitions such as the 2023 Hong Kong Sixes, the inaugural USA Lacrosse Experience, and The World Games 2022 where his side finished fourth.

As the road to the LA 2028 Olympics Games continues, 2025 will be another big year for British Lacrosse who will send teams to The World Games in China (women only), the Hong Kong Sixes, and on tour to USA/Canada.

For more information about British Lacrosse, visit their website HERE.

To listen to British Lacrosse Head Coach Tom Wenham on The Live Science Radio Show from 11am, tune in to 93.2 FM in the Sheffield area or listen live online HERE.

Match Focus | Cirencester v Southampton | SWLA Invitational Cup

Southampton travel to Cirencester on Sunday for their second Group C match in the South West Lacrosse Association (SWLA) Invitational Cup with both teams looking for a first win of the tournament.

In the first round of fixtures on 6 October, Southampton fell to a 13-4 home defeat to current Group C leaders Bristol Bombers while Cirencester are yet to make their debut in this year’s competition following an opening day BYE.

Southampton come into the game knowing that nothing but a win is good enough to finish in first or second place in the group and progress to the Championship Points Stage and the business end of the competition.

With Bristol Bombers on their BYE week, a win could see Southampton go top of the group but, because of their BYE in the next round of fixtures, a defeat would see them fall into the 7th-9th bracket where they would play a round robin competition with other third place group finishers to decide final placings.

Similarly, Cirencester have the chance to top the group with a win over Southampton in their first 2024/25 Invitational Cup match, provided they can win by nine or more goals.

The Gloucestershire club head into this game off the back of four consecutive defeats in the SWLA Premier Division: 17-1 and 11-3 against Cheltenham, 13-2 against Bristol Bombers, and 14-10 against Bath.

Over recent years, Cirencester have very much been a team in the ascendency which reached unprecedented heights in 2023 with a first Bath Eights title.

And, earlier this year, their goalie Sophia Chan represented Hong Kong, China at the 2024 World Lacrosse U20 Women’s Championship, making six appearances and helping her team to a 16th-place finish.

Cirencester take on Southampton in the SWLA Invitational Cup Group C at Cirencester RFC on Sunday 10 November at 1pm.

SWLA Invitational Cup Fixtures (all 10 November)

Group A

Cardiff Harlequins v Birmingham

Group B

St Mary’s Calne v Cardiff LC

Group C

Cirencester v Southampton

SBL announce 2024/25 Winter Box League coaches

Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) has announced the 12 coaches to take charge of their six teams at the 2024/25 Winter Box League.

Each team has been allocated two coaches with England men’s box captain Tom Roche, England women’s box Head Coach Rob Clark, and England women’s box coach Jane Lee amongst the appointments.

Knights (men’s) | Johnny Goodfellow & Tom Roche

Johnny Goodfellow and Tom Roche grew up playing lacrosse together for Mellor in the early 2000s. Since then, the two have been involved as captains and coaches in various forms at their respective current clubs Mellor and Spencer.

Goodfellow cut his coaching teeth supporting Knights at the Ales Hrebsky Memorial in 2023 and the North Development Team in the summer earlier this year.

Roche is fresh off the back of captaining the England men’s box team to a second successive fourth place finish at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships and becoming England’s highest capped player and returns to Knights in a coaching capacity looking to win a third Winter Box League title in a row.

Heaton Hornets (men’s) | Cai Jefferies & Jane Lee

Runners up in the men’s competition at last year’s Winter Box League and the reigning Northern Box League champions, Heaton Hornets are led by Cai Jefferies and Jane Lee.

As a player, Jefferies helped the England men’s box team to their first piece of major silverware at the 2022 European Championship in Hanover, Germany.

Lee takes charge of Hornets after a successful outing to Utica, New York where she helped coach the England women’s box team to a fifth place finish at the inaugural 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

Steelheads (men’s) | Sean Gibson & Conor Dockery

The Irish duo of Sean Gibson and Conor Dockery join Steelheads for the 2024/25 Winter Box League season as hugely experienced box players; Gibson is his country’s most capped international with over 100 caps while Dockery has represented Ireland in three major tournaments.

Dockery makes his coaching debut at SBL’s Winter Box League after establishing himself as one of the leading Sixes Lacrosse coaches after winning three The Fly titles in four years.

B-Oxford Blaze (women’s) | Rob Ingham Clark & Millie Geddes

The England men’s box team Assistant Offence Coach Rob Ingham Clark teams up with Millie Geddes from the England women’s box team programme for B-Oxford Blaze.

Ingham Clark and Geddes take up their coaching roles with B-Oxford Blaze after attending the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships with their respective England teams and have big shoes to fill after last year’s coach Don McGraw, who helped his team to the title, returned to the USA this year.

Ravens (women’s) | Iain Murray & Eliot Pugh

Scotland’s Iain Murray returns to Ravens hoping to go one better than last year and lift the SBL Winter Box League title.

A key player for Scotland at this year’s 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, Murray is joined by England’s most capped goalie Eliot Pugh who retired from international duty earlier this year.

Together Murray and Pugh bring over 10 years’ box playing and coaching experience to Ravens.

Jaguars (women’s) | Rob Clark & Lyndon Stewart

Jaguars join the women’s competition for the first time in 2024/25 and will be led by a formidable pairing that includes the England women’s box team’s Head Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach.

Rob Clark has just led the England women’s box team to a fifth place finish at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, the highest finish by a European team, and brings with him many years’ experience of playing, coaching, and officiating box lacrosse.

Lyndon Stewart is also a stalwart of lacrosse and was watching the coaches closely at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships where he was the England women’s Strength & Conditioning Coach.

For more information about SBL’s 2024/25 Winter Box League, click HERE.

Triple Arrow Camps announce five extra 2025 dates

Triple Arrow Camps, the only official England Lacrosse holiday camp, have announced five extra camps for Easter and summer 2025, taking the total number of camps next year to 16.

In addition to the 11 camps announced earlier this year, there will now be two camps at Haberdashers’ School, Elstree, two at Withington Girls School, and one at Cheltenham Ladies’ College across the Easter and summer school holidays in 2025.

Triple Arrow Camps are the perfect place to inspire a young person’s lacrosse game; whether they’re starting their lacrosse journey or wanting to practice and perfect their skills during the school holidays.

Each camp follows a curriculum designed by experienced England Lacrosse coaches with key outcomes set for each group to ensure everyone completes the week having developed their individual ability.

Each camp provides a unique experience as the coaches plan specialist daily schedules and sessions based on their experience and the ability of the group they are leading.

Triple Arrow Camps are simply a great environment for all girls to flourish both on the lacrosse pitch and off it with many previous campers saying their independence has developed and they’ve formed new friendships while attending a camp.

In Easter and summer 2025, there is a mixture of two-day and four-day camps with residential options at three camps.

Book your child’s place on any of our 16 Easter and summer 2025 Triple Arrow Camps now, with prices starting from just £157.50*!

*Please note, prices are frozen at the 2024 level until December this year, after which the 2025 price will be introduced.

2025 Triple Arrow Camps | Easter

• St Swithun’s School, Winchester | 7 & 8 April

• Cheltenham Ladies’ College Plus+ Camp | 8 - 11 April

• Haberdashers’ School, Elstree | 9 & 10 April *JUST ADDED*

• Withington School, Manchester | 9 & 10 April *JUST ADDED*

• Caterham School, Surrey | 14 & 15 April

• Queen Anne’s School, Caversham | 15 & 16 April

• St George’s School, Harpenden | 16 & 17 April

2025 Triple Arrow Camps | Summer

• Haberdashers’ School, Elstree | 29 & 30 July *JUST ADDED*

• St Swithun’s School, Winchester | 30 & 31 July

• Charterhouse School, Godalming | 5 - 8 August

• Queen Anne’s School, Caversham | 11 - 14 August

• Cheltenham Ladies’ College | 19 & 20 August *JUST ADDED*

• St George’s School, Harpenden | 26 & 27 August

• St George’s School, Harpenden | 28 & 29 August

• Withington School, Manchester | 27 & 28 August *JUST ADDED*

• Caterham School, Surrey | 28 & 29 August

Brin Kenyon appointed EL Officiating Administrator & Greater Manchester Development Officer

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the appointment of Brin Kenyon as Officiating Administrator & Greater Manchester Development Officer.

Brin becomes England Lacrosse’s Officiating Administrator alongside his existing role as Greater Manchester Development Officer.

As Greater Manchester Development Officer, Brin has been tasked with co-ordinating and delivering a range of lacrosse participation programmes within the Greater Manchester area since October 2022.

The merging of the two roles into one job will now see Kenyon also administrate England Lacrosse’s officiating programmes at all levels, working with other England Lacrosse staff as well as the Officiating, Refereeing, and Umpiring Advisory Groups.

Having started his lacrosse career at the age of 10 at the now-defunct Ashton Lacrosse Club in Greater Manchester before a period away from the sport, Brin returned to Ashton in his late teens where he played in the senior team until 2018.

From there, Brin moved to Wilmslow where he still plays and has recently taken on the role of junior coordinator helping to rebuild their junior section with the experience he has gained from the Greater Manchester Development Officer role. 

Brin is also an accomplished coach having coached lacrosse at the University of Central Lancashire before transferring to football and Curzon Ashton women in the fifth tier of women’s football. He continues to keep his hand in the lacrosse coaching world with Lancaster University’s lacrosse team.

Speaking upon his appointment, Brin said:

"I'm excited to begin my new role as Officiating Administrator alongside my existing job as Greater Manchester Development Officer. I can't wait to get to grips with the role and begin to meet all the wonderful officials who help lacrosse run on a weekly basis as well as continuing to grow the sport within the Greater Manchester area."

51 attend University Aspire Programme assessment day

51 athletes attended the first of two England Lacrosse 2024/25 University Aspire Programme assessment days on Sunday.

40 men’s players and 11 women’s players took part in the assessment day that was held at Bath Lacrosse Club’s Odd Down Sports Field.

During the day, each player was assessed by England Lacrosse’s team of experienced University Aspire Programme coaches with a view to building a squad that will train throughout the 2024/25 season.

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.

Last year’s Programme ended with a tour to Portugal where the 2023/24 squad participated in the Lisboa Cup, finishing fourth.

Following the conclusion of last year’s Programme, several 2023/24 squad members were invited to an England senior men’s training session to be assessed by England Head Coach Sam Patterson and his coaching team.

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, England Lacrosse announced a women’s Programme would be added to provide a pathway for women’s athletes to learn, grown, and potentially reach the women’s Perform Pathway.

The second of the two England Lacrosse 2024/25 University Aspire Programme assessment days will take place on Sunday 10 November at Nottingham Trent University with a men’s session (11am-1:30pm) and a women’s session (2:30pm-5pm) after which the 2024/25 squad will be put together..

Registration for the second assessment day remains open and can be completed below.

Match Focus | Stockport v Oxton | NWLA Ladies League

In the sixth round of fixtures in the North West Lacrosse Association (NWLA) Ladies League on Saturday, third-placed Oxton travel to Greater Manchester to take on fourth-placed Stockport with both teams looking to continue their hunt for top spot.

Both teams come into this game after a week off due to international call-ups and will also play games against Leeds in Stockport as part of this week’s triangular fixture.

Stockport head into the game with four wins from five (their only loss being an 8-3 defeat to Timperley) and as the league’s top goal scorers, having scored a massive 103 goals while conceding just 24.

The 2024 Senior Women’s Flags champions are looking for another good season and have international calibre in their ranks with England’s Charlie Bell, Chloe Chan, and Rosie Jones all in their first team.

Last year’s league champions, Oxton, who’ve played a game extra than Stockport, are unbeaten so far this season with five wins and a draw from their six games, leaving them just two points behind current league leaders Timperley, who’ve played seven.

Looking for back to back league titles, Oxton have a raft of experienced players in their midst including England’s Ella Dimbylow and India Chadwick.

Stockport v Oxton takes place at Stockport Lacrosse Club from 11am.

For more information about NWLA and its league, click HERE.

NWLA Ladies League Fixtures (all 2 November)

Hull v Heaton Mersey | Hull | Time TBC
Mellor v Liverpool | Mellor | Time TBC
Oxton v Leeds | Stockport | Time TBC
Sheffield v Brooklands | Timperley | Time TBC
Sheffield v Timperley | Timperley | Time TBC
Stockport v Leeds | Stockport | Time TBC
Stockport v Oxton | Stockport | Time TBC
Timperley v Brooklands | Timperley | Time TBC

Richmond Lacrosse Club launches senior programme

Richmond Lacrosse Club, known for its successful junior programme, has launched a brand new senior men’s programme for the 2024/25 season.

Teaming up with London neighbours Hillcroft, Richmond has entered a senior men’s team into the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA) local leagues under the name Richcroft, featuring players from both clubs; an opening day 13-7 victory over Spencer 4s has put them top of their league.

As their senior men’s programme grows over the next few months, Richmond hopes to enter a team full of their own players into the league next season.

Richmond has been targeting students at the local St Mary’s University, ex-players, and parents of their juniors to join the new programme and there is now over 30 interested players.

Add this number to the 30-40 juniors they have across several age groups and Richmond has almost 100 players involved in lacrosse. Not bad for a club that was only founded in 2021!

By teaming up with their London neighbours, Richmond has been able to share Hillcroft’s King’s House Sports Ground, Chiswick as well as host several guest coaching sessions featuring some of their coaches to help their new players get match ready ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Richmond is hoping to continue to nurture relationships with Hillcroft as time goes by but, in the meantime, Richmond is inviting anyone and everyone to register their interest in playing for their senior men’s team whether they’ve played international lacrosse or are completely new to the sport.

Co-founder of Richmond Rob Arnott sees the introduction of a senior programme as vital to the future of the club.

“The senior programme is a big step towards us growing out and becoming a fully fledged lacrosse club. We want to have a place for our juniors to play once they turn 16, and by providing a team for their parents and some of our coaches, it has immediately helped to emphasise the community sports club focus of Richmond! 

“We'd love to add a women's programme to the club too and are on the hunt for anyone who wants to work with us to lead that project.”

Over the next few months, Richmond is hoping to host some training sessions and social events and anyone interested in getting involved should send an email to info@richmondlacrosselondon.com to be added to the WhatsApp group. 

Bristol University to host annual charity match in memory of Matt Ward

The University of Bristol is set to host its annual men’s charity match in memory of former Bristol player Matt Ward against the University of Exeter in the BUCS Men’s Premier South league on Wednesday 30 October.

Each year since 2018, Bristol has marked its men’s first team’s home league match against Exeter by raising money for charity and, after Matt’s death in 2020, the match has been dedicated to him and the charity chosen in conjunction with his family.

This year’s chosen charity is the Charlie Waller Trust who work to educate young people, as well as those with a responsibility towards them, about mental health and wellbeing. The Trust seeks to empower young people to talk more openly about the subject of mental health and make sure they are better equipped to support themselves and those around them.

The charity match has always been an exciting affair with Bristol coming out on top in the last three events - 9-8 in 2021, 9-4 in 2022, and 15-4 in 2023.

Taking place at the University of Bristol’s Coombe Dingle Sports Centre astro-turf pitch, the charity match will face-off at 7:30pm and spectators are welcome to watch the match for a suggested donation of £3 (cash and card will be accepted on the day and donations of any amount will be accepted).

The University of Bristol Lacrosse Club has also set up its own Just Giving page, allowing people to donate as much as they want and from anywhere in the world with all proceeds going to the Charlie Waller Trust.

Match Focus | Camden Capybaras v Hitchin | SEMLA Premiership

On Saturday, in the third week of fixtures in the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA) Premiership, Hitchin travel across London to Camden Capybaras looking to claim a second win of the season.

In their previous outing two weeks ago, Hitchin picked up a first win with a tight 11-8 victory over bottom of the table Hillcroft after an opening day 14-9 defeat to European champions Hampstead.

Camden Capybaras head into this weekend’s clash looking to bounce back after a humbling 17-3 loss to early league leaders Spencer last Friday night, a defeat that came after a positive first game of the season that saw them come away 9-8 winners against Spencer 2.

Hitchin are currently fourth in the table with six points while Camden Capybaras sit in fifth on the same number of points but with an inferior goal difference (SEMLA awards four points for a win, three points for a draw, and two points for a loss) and, depending on other results on Saturday, a win for either team could see them up to as high as second in the table.

Dubbed ‘the friendliest club in the south-east’, Hitchin has both men’s and women’s teams with England box men’s George Bascom, fresh off the back of a fourth-placed finish at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships, among their current crop of men’s players.

In 2007, they famously won their only Premiership title to date, finishing three points ahead of second placed Purley with 15 wins, one draw, and zero losses.

Relatively young club Camden Capybaras were founded in 2018 and have quickly gained a reputation for being humorous on social media as well as being the fastest growing club in the south of England.

Their rosters include England box men’s coach Rob Ingham Clark and England box women’s captain Annabelle Akintoye and their men’s first team has been in the Premiership since promotion from Division 1 in 2020.

Camden Capybaras v Hitchin faces off at Camden’s Middlesex University pitch at 11am.

For more information about SEMLA and their leagues, click HERE.

SEMLA Premiership Week 3 Fixtures (all 26 October)

Camden Capybaras v Hitchin | Middlesex University | 11am
Hampstead v Hillcroft | Bacon's Community Sports Centre, London | 12pm
Spencer 2 v Spencer | The Spencer Club, London | 2pm

Notification of England Lacrosse Annual General Meeting

The English Lacrosse Association Ltd (England Lacrosse) has notified its affiliate members that the 2024 Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 13 November, commencing 6:00pm. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format both virtually on Microsoft Teams and at the Landmark Offices, 1 Kings Cross Bridge, London N1 9NW.

Details regarding nomination of representatives for AGM attendance and voting, along with all relevant AGM papers, are available below.

BUCS Lacrosse Sixes Championships sees Nottingham domination

University of Nottingham (UoN) scored major success at the 2024 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships, coming close to a clean sweep with three competition victories, but were denied in the Men’s Championship final by their city rivals Nottingham Trent.

UoN were victorious in the Women’s Championship and both Men’s and Women’s Trophy competitions with commanding performances from all their sides across a wet day in Surrey that saw the teams battle conditions as well as their opponents.

And after defeat in the last two Men’s 6s Championship finals, NTU finally turned the tables to take the 6s Championship and add it to the national title they won back in March at BUCS Big Wednesday, denying UoN a lockout at the top.

45 teams competed at Surrey Sports Park across the Championships with representation as far reaching as Glasgow, East Anglia, and Exeter.

In the Men’s Championship, both Nottingham sides were completely dominant through their pool stage matches, with UoN Men taking out Bristol and Loughborough in the knockouts to make the final, while NTU beat Surrey and Durham.

NTU led throughout the final, always maintaining a comfortable margin to run out 8-5 winners.

In the Women’s Championship, UoN Women once again asserted their Sixes dominance, with a squad brimming with international talent controlled the competition from start to finish.

Exeter made moves by making the Championship final, defeating last year’s finalists and current BUCS National Champions Durham in the semi-final, but in a competitive final, couldn’t get past a UoN Women’s team that has been near untouchable in the Sixes format since its introduction to BUCS competition.

UoN also had further success in the Trophy competition, with their Women’s 2 retaining their title from last year, defeating Durham 2 in the final, while the Men’s Trophy also went to UoN as their Men’s 2s came past Warwick University in the final.

Full Results

Men’s Championship

Winner: Nottingham Trent
Runner-up: University of Nottingham

Women’s Championship

Winner: University of Nottingham
Runner-up: Exeter

Men’s Trophy

Winner: University of Nottingham 2
Runner-up: Warwick

Women’s Trophy

Winner: University of Nottingham 2
Runner-up: Durham 2

Match Focus | Putney v Hawks | SEWLA Premiership

On Sunday, on week four in the South East Women’s Lacrosse Association (SEWLA) Premiership, unbeaten Hawks travel to Putney looking to continue their impressive start to the 2024/25 season.

Hawks finished second in the league last year with 52 points and have started in blistering form with three wins from three games so far this season, scoring 49 goals in the process and conceding just 20.

An opening day 10-6 win over New Stars was followed by a huge 20-6 victory over Clapham in week two before a third win of the season was secured with a 19-8 win against newly promoted West London last week.

Hawks boast a wealth of talent in their ranks this year, including England’s Ella Cohen and Zoe Lovibond and England development squad player Zimeng Wu; England women’s team manager Debs Owen will captain Hawks against Putney.

In 2024/25, Hawks celebrates its 76th birthday having entered the league structure in 1948 as Hatch End Ladies Lacrosse Club, playing their home games at Bedford College’s Headstone Lane.

Since then, the club has moved home no less than five times before landing at Tring Park Cricket Club in 2014 where it has remained for the last 10 years.

Putney, who finished in fifth-place in the Premiership last year, have also had an excellent start to the season, winning two out of their three games so far.

In week one, they claimed a 12-7 win away at Clapham which was followed up by a 10-5 home victory against West London.

Last week’s third match of the season saw them taste defeat for the first time in 2024/25 with a 14-1 loss to reigning league and National Club champions Blues.

Putney has a long history of producing international-level players with Wales goalie Harriet Brooks and Scotland’s Grace and Bella Penny in their current squad.

Putney v Hawks starts at Hawks’ Haydon’s Road Ground, London at 11am.

For more information about SEWLA and their leagues, click HERE.

SEWLA Premiership Week 4 Fixtures (all 20 October)

New Stars v Blues | Haberdashers’ Girls’ School | 11am *POSTPONED*
Putney v Hawks | Haydon’s Road Ground | 11am
Clapham v Spencer | Haydon’s Road Ground | 11am
West London v Centaurs | Wormwood Scrubs | 11am

British Lacrosse teams take part in USA Lacrosse Experience and World Lacrosse Super Sixes

British Lacrosse teams took part in two overseas tournaments last weekend, taking on some of the best teams and players in the world, in the latest part of their journey towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

A British Lacrosse men’s and women’s team competed at the inaugural USA Lacrosse Experience in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA on 11 and 12 October, taking on Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the United States.

The British Lacrosse women’s team came away with two wins against Puerto Rico (17-3) and Colombia (32-1) alongside a 22-9 defeat to the USA as Phil Collier’s side took part in the first international sixes competition since the conclusion of the 2024 Olympics.

Liv Wimpenny and Torz Anderson were two of British Lacrosse’s stand-out performers scoring 21 points between them over the three games.

In the men’s competition, British Lacrosse left Indiana with one 21-18 win over Colombia and two defeats courtesy of Puerto Rico (16-14) and the USA (26-17).

Head Coach Tom Wenham will be pleased with his team’s efforts in the two defeats, however, despite a slow opening quarter against Puerto Rico proving to be the deciding factor in that loss; to stay within nine points of the USA in a game of Sixes Lacrosse is no mean feat.

Lyndon Bunio, fresh from becoming the all-time top points scorer for the England box team, continued his blistering points scoring run with 15 over the three games while Alex Russell and Drew Bickerton showed why they’re two of British Lacrosse’s and England’s brightest sparks scoring 12 and 11 points respectively.

Across the border in Coquitlam, Canada, British Lacrosse also sent a women’s team to compete in the 2024 World Lacrosse Super Sixes tournament.

They played matches against Haudenosaunee and Canada playing each team twice over 11, 12, and 13 October, proving they can compete against some of the best in world.

The round robin stage saw British Lacrosse claim two wins over Haudenosaunee as well as a famous 12-11 sudden-death over-time win over Canada; their other game against the hosts ended in defeat.

This set up a third match against Haudenosaunee in the semi-final which British Lacrosse were unable to get through, losing narrowly 11-9 and finishing the tournament in third place but with a great deal of optimism for the future.

For more information about the USA Lacrosse Experience, click HERE, and to watch every British Lacrosse game from the World Lacrosse Super Sixes event, click HERE.

USA Lacrosse Experience

Men

Puerto Rico 16-14 British Lacrosse (5-2, 4-3, 4-5, 3-4)

British Lacrosse scorers | Alex Russell (3G, 2A), Lyndon Bunio (3G, 1A), Drew Bickerton (2G, 2A), Ben Page-Laycock (3G), Dan Jones (2G, 1A), Ryan Hunns (2A), Will Prescott (1G).

British Lacrosse saves | William Baxter 8 (9 goals against), Hal Dwobeng 7 (7 goals against).

British Lacrosse 21-18 Colombia (7-4, 6-8, 3-4, 5-2)

British Lacrosse scorers | Drew Bickerton (3G, 3A), Ben Page-Laycock (4G, 1A), Ryan Hunns (3G, 1A), Lyndon Bunio (2G, 1A), Tommy Kirkland (2G), Mike Pomfret (2G), Daniel Jones (1G, 1A), Will Prescott (1G), Alex Russell (2G, 1A), Luke Mills-Doig (1G), Will Shirt (1A).

British Lacrosse saves | Hal Dwobeng 4 (12 goals against), William Baxter 12 (6 goals against).

United States 26-17 British Lacrosse (5-3, 6-3, 7-4, 8-7)

British Lacrosse scorers | Lyndon Bunio (6G, 2A), Daniel Jones (5G), Alex Russell (1G, 3A), William Shirt (2G), Ben Page-Laycock (1G, 1A), William Prescott (1G), Tomos Rosser (1G), Drew Bickerton (1A), Ryan Hunns (1A).

British Lacrosse saves | William Baxter 8 (11 goals against), Hal Dwoweng 4 (11 goals against).

Women

British Lacrosse 17-13 Puerto Rico (4-4, 3-3, 9-2, 1-3)

British Lacrosse scorers | Georgie Southorn (5G), Lottie Robertson (2G, 2A), Liv Wimpenny (2G, 2A), Torz Anderson (3G), Alice Ripper (1G, 2A), Anna Neville (1G), Emma Oakley (1G), Tilly Shires (1G), Sofia Wise (1G), Sienna Parekh (1A), Emma Savage (1A), Dylan Whittington (1A).

British Lacrosse saves | Sienna Parekh 9 (10 goals against), Dylan Whittington 3 (3 goals against).

British Lacrosse 32-1 Colombia (11-1, 4-0, 9-0, 8-0)

British Lacrosse scorers | Torz Anderson (3G, 4A), Liv Wimpenny (5G, 1A), Sofia Wise (4G, 2A), Tilly Shires (4G, 1A), Anna Neville (3G, 1A), Alice Ripper (3G, 1A), Lauren Hart (2G, 1A), Emma Oakley (2G, 1A), Emma Savage (2G, 1A), Lottie Robertson (2G), Georgie Southorn (2G), Sienna Parekh (1A).

British Lacrosse saves | Sienna Parekh 5 (1 goal against).

United States 22-9 British Lacrosse (3-2, 9-4, 4-2, 6-1)

British Lacrosse scorers | Anna Neville (3G), Sofia Wise (2G), Emma Oakley (1G), Alice Ripper (1G, 1A), Emma Savage (1G, 1A), Liv Wimpenny (1G), Lottie Robertson (1A).

British Lacrosse saves | Dylan Whittington 10 (13 goals against), Sienna Parekh 4 (9 goals against).

British Lacrosse Total Scoring (USA Lacrosse Experience)

1. Lyndon Bunio | 15 (11G, 4A)

2. Alex Russell | 12 (6G, 6A)

3. Liv Wimpenny | 11 (8G, 3A)

4. Drew Bickerton | 11 (5G, 6A)

5. Dan Jones | 10 (8G, 2A)

6. Ben Page-Laycock | 10 (8G, 2A)

7. Torz Anderson | 10 (6G, 4A)

8. Sofia Wise | 9 (7G, 2A)

9. Alice Ripper | 9 (5G, 4A)

10. Anna Neville | 8 (7G, 1A)

11. Georgie Southorn | 7 (7G)

12. Lottie Robertson | 7 (4G, 3A)

13. Ryan Hunns | 7 (3G, 4A)

14. Tilly Shires | 6 (5G, 1A)

15. Emma Savage | 6 (3G, 3A)

16. Emma Oakley | 5 (4G, 1A)

17. Will Prescott | 3 (3G)

18. Lauren Hart | 3 (2G, 1A)

19. Will Shirt | 3 (2G, 1A)

20. Tommy Kirkland | 2 (2G)

21. Mike Pomfret | 2 (2G)

22. Sienna Parekh | 2 (2A)

23. Luke Mills-Doig | 1 (1G)

24. Tomos Rosser | 1(1G)

25. Dylan Whittington | 1 (1A)

Canada Super Sixes

Women

British Lacrosse 11-8 Haudenosaunee (1-2; 7-1; 2-1; 2-4)
BL Scorers: Hannah Whiteley (2G, 1A), Chess Gray (2G), Minty Loxton (2G), Anna Saunter (2G), Emily Gray (1G, 1A), Julie Wise (1G, 1A), Cece Green (1G), Millie Hughes (1G), Lucy Devine (1A), Loulou Rowlands (1A)

British Lacrosse 13-14 Canada (5-3; 1-4; 5-5; 2-2)
BL Scorers: Loulou Rowlands (3G, 1A), Cece Green (2G, 1A), Minty Loxton (2G, 1A), Ella Cohen (2G), Millie Hughes (2G), Georgie Greenwood (1G), Hannah Whiteley (1G), Chess Gray (2A), Lucy Devine (1A)

British Lacrosse 12-11 Canada (OT) 2-3; 3-3; 5-1; 1-4; 1-0)
BL Scorers: Minty Loxton (3G, 3A), Anna Saunter (2G, 1A), Lucy Devine (1G, 2A), Ella Cohen (2G), Cece Green (2G), Loulou Rowlands (1G), Hannah Whiteley (1G), Chess Gray (1A), Emily Gray (1A)

British Lacrosse 12-5 Haudenosaunee (3-0; 2-0; 5-1; 2-4)
BL Scorers: Ella Cohen (3G, 1A), Minty Loxton (3G, 1A), Emily Gray (2G), Chess Gray (1G), Loulou Rowlands (1G), Anna Saunter (1G), Julie Wise (1G), Lucy Devine (2A), Emilie Chandler (1A), Georgie Greenwood (1A), Hannah Whiteley (1A)

British Lacrosse 9-11 Haudenosaunee | 2nd v 3rd (4-4; 3-2; 1-2; 1-3)
BL Scorers: Minty Loxton (2G, 2A), Lucy Devine (2G), Chess Gray (2G), Cece Green (2G), Hannah Whiteley (1G, 1A), Emily Gray (3A), Julie Wise (1A)

British Lacrosse Total Scoring (Canada Super Sixes)

1. Minty Loxton | 19 (12G, 7A)

2. Cece Green | 9 (7G, 2A)

3. Lucy Devine | 9 (3G, 6A)

4. Ella Cohen | 8 (7G, 1A)

5. Chess Gray | 8 (5G, 3A)

6. Hannah Whiteley | 8 (5G, 3A)

7. Emily Gray | 8 (3G, 5A)

8. Loulou Rowlands | 7 (5G, 2A)

9. Anna Saunter | 6 (5G, 1A)

10. Millie Hughes | 4 (3G, 1A)

11. Julie Wise | 4 (2G, 2A)

12. Georgie Greenwood | 2 (1G, 1A)

13. Emilie Chandler | 1 (1A)