Exeter and Nottingham Trent take top honours at BUCS Sixes Championships

Exeter Women and Nottingham Trent Men scored early season bragging rights as they left Manchester victorious at the 2025 BUCS Lacrosse Sixes Championships.

In a repeat of both of last year’s Championship finals, Trent edged out their city rivals in a contest that was decided in overtime, while Exeter avenged defeat in both of last year’s women’s championship finals to leave University of Nottingham runners-up in both competitions.

However, UoN were dominant once more in the Trophy competitions, demonstrating the overall strength in depth of their programme, as both their men’s and women’s 2s teams took the Trophy honours back home for a second year running.

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

In the men’s competition, both Nottingham sides breezed through the pool stages, with Trent then taking out Exeter and home side MMU in the knockouts to reach the final, while UoN moved past Newcastle and Durham.

As anticipated the final was an intense, high-level battle with the lead changing hands multiple times throughout the contest.

With Trent 9-8 ahead, UoN sparked dramatic scenes as they levelled the game with mere moments left on the clock and sent the match into overtime.

However Trent regrouped, and secured possession from the restart to then finish off a composed attack and land the golden goal, sealing the win 10-9.

In the Women’s championship, Exeter glided through the pool stages unbeaten, while Nottingham had a trickier task, losing to Durham in a very competitive Pool A which also included semi-finalists Liverpool.

All three sides finished the pool stage on 11 points but UoN’s superior goal difference saw them finish top of the group and they made that count in then sweeping aside Cardiff and then Liverpool in the semi final to make the final.

Exeter also found Durham to be formidable opposition and after taking out Cambridge in the quarters found themselves in an epic semi-final battle that went to overtime.

After more than two minutes of no score Exeter finally found the decisive moment to book their place in the final and a rematch with Nottingham.

It was a tight first half with both teams equally matched going at it blow for blow, Nottingham just shading a 4-3 advantage at the turn around.

But Exeter produced a stunning second half display, turning it on when it mattered most to shut out Nottingham’s attack and put up five of their own to run out big 8-4 winners and take gold.

Full Results

Men’s Championship

Winner: Nottingham Trent 10
Runner-up: University of Nottingham 9

Women’s Championship

Winner: Exeter 8
Runner-up: University of Nottingham 4

Men’s Trophy

Winner: University of Nottingham 2s 5
Runner-up: Glasgow 1

Women’s Trophy

Winner: University of Nottingham 2s 7
Runner-up: Durham 2s 6

LIVE: 2025 BUCS Lacrosse Sixes Championships

The BUCS Lacrosse Sixes Championships return this Sunday (19 October) for the annual early season Sixes competition featuring some of the best university players from across the country coming together to play the fast and furious Olympic format.

The Championships head up north to Manchester for the first time, with 45 teams across the men’s and women’s competitions descending on Manchester Met University’s Platt Lane Sports Complex to compete for valuable BUCS points and the title of BUCS Lacrosse Sixes champions.

The Sixes format aligns the competition with the Olympic version of the sport heading to LA in 2028, as well as England Lacrosse’s leading domestic Sixes League, The Fly Sixes, which has featured multiple BUCS stars past and present.

Teams from as far reaching as East Anglia, Swansea, and Glasgow have been ranked and grouped into divisions across Championship and Trophy sections for Sunday’s event to ensure competitive action throughout the day before heading into the crucial knockout stages.

The City of Nottingham has a recent stranglehold on the BUCS Lacrosse Sixes with University of Nottingham (UoN) taking last year’s Women’s Championship and city rivals Nottingham Trent succeeding in the Men’s Championship, defeating UoN in the final.

UoN did come close to a clean sweep in 2024 as they also took both the Men’s and Women’s Trophy competitions and will be looking for repeat glory this weekend in Manchester.

The Nottingham city rivalry looks set to feature prominently once again this weekend after featuring as the Men’s BUCS Big Wednesday Championship game back in March, while Exeter Women were defeated in both the BUCS Big Wednesday and Sixes finals last year by UoN and will be looking to turn the tables for the 2025/26 season.

All the potential favourites for Sunday’s Championship won their opening BUCS fixtures on Wednesday and this weekend will be an ideal opportunity for the teams to lay down some early season markers and take some bragging rights into the rest of the season.

The full competition schedule is available below, while you can follow updates throughout the day across England Lacrosse social media channels. Live results will also appear on here during the competition day.

SEMLA's Winter Box League searching for officials

The 2025/26 Winter Box League, hosted by the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA), is searching for referees to take charge of games over this year’s four game days.

In addition to referees, SEMLA is also looking to appoint a more experienced box referee as the Referee in Charge (RiC) for this season’s competition.

Referees will need to be available on one or more of the four 2025/26 Winter Box League dates on Sunday 7 & Sunday 14 December and Sunday 11 & Sunday 18 January from 11am-6pm.

Winter Box League referee fees are £40 per game (or equivalent to 4x15minutes of play) plus up to £25 to support travel costs; the schedule usually allows for a referee to take charge of the equivalent of two full games per game day.

SEMLA’s Winter Box League heads into its fourth season in 2025/26 after three hugely successful years that has seen the competition grow to include more teams and both men’s and women’s sections.

The reigning champions in the men’s competition is Heaton Hornets who claimed a first title last season after London Knights dominated the first two tournaments while Ravens picked up a first women’s gong last year after an inaugural win for B-Oxford Blaze in 2022/2023.

For more information about SEMLA’s Winter Box League, click HERE and to register your interest as a referee for this year’s tournament fill out the form by clicking the button below. 

 SEMLA’s Winter Box League 2025/26 Game Days

Sunday 7 December | 11am-6pm | Oxford
Sunday 14 December | 11am-6pm | Oxford
Sunday 11 January | 11am-6pm | Oxford
Sunday 18 January | 11am-6pm | Oxford

POSTPONED: England Lacrosse announce Level 1 and Level 2 Domestic Umpire Courses

Please note, the sessions on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October have been postponed with new dates to be confirmed soon.

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce two Level 1 and Level 2 Domestic Umpire Courses starting later this week with theory sessions in the north and south of England.

Each course will consist of one face-to-face theory session on either Saturday 18 October at Heathfield School, Ascot, or Sunday 19 October at Stockport Lacrosse Club, Greater Manchester.

Participants will be given work to undertake following the session and upon completion of the work, they will be contacted with assessment opportunities at regional events and tournaments.

The Level 1 (formally Level 2) and Level 2 (formally Level 3) Domestic Umpire Courses are suitable for those umpires who already hold the Entry Level (formally Level 1) Umpire Accreditation or Level 1 Domestic Umpire Accreditation and wish to continue their officiating journey.

For more information about the course or officiating in general, please contact Brin Kenyon on [email protected].

Theory Session Dates
Saturday 18th October | Heathfield School, Ascot
Sunday 19th October | Stockport Lacrosse Club

All sessions will take place between 10am - 3pm

Please note, the sessions on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October have been postponed with new dates to be confirmed soon.

Ray Nash, former SEMLA President, passes away

Influential member of the lacrosse community, Ray Nash, has sadly passed away following an extended period living with Alzheimer’s.

Ray was a long-time player, coach, referee, volunteer, and committee member who was the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA) President for several years in the 2000s.

A founding member of Hillcroft Lacrosse Club and a teacher at Ernest Bevin School (formerly Hillcroft School), Ray inspired and taught many pupils to play lacrosse, including Centurion Lacrosse Club’s Ian Ballantine who has written the following obituary:

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Ray Nash on Monday 6 October 2025.

In recent years, Ray had been living with Alzheimer’s and for the past few months had been living in a nursing home in Wales where he retired with his wife Sue several years ago.

Ray was known as a man with his own voice and being a unique and outstanding character who was extremely well known in the south of England as a player, coach, referee, lacrosse enthusiast and stalwart as well as an avid developer of youth lacrosse.

As a professional teacher, Ray worked for many years at Hillcroft School, which later became Ernest Bevin School, in Tooting, South West London and it was during his time at the school that he introduced lacrosse to as many of the students as possible with a large number of them becoming outstanding players.

He was also involved in hosting the first Lancer Tour to England back in 1975. His desire and ability to coach young men to play lacrosse was inspiring and sometimes hilarious but achieved amazing results.

Ray went on to coach the South of England junior teams and it would be appropriate for me to relay one of the many hilarious stories of Ray coaching here.

Ray was always known as a coach for his clipboard of notes and his ability to generate a considerable volume of noise from his mouth.

We were in training in Lloyd Park, Croydon on a Sunday morning. Perhaps his young charges, me included, hadn’t quite followed his clipboard script so Ray took to informing us of our defects and putting us right. An elderly lady approached and started shouting at Ray - “you can’t talk to those young men like that” - Ray being Ray, apologised in his own way but couldn’t stop 20 lads bursting into hysterical laughter.

As a player, Ray was a founder member of the Old Hillcrovians, known today as Hillceoft Lacrosse Club, and was a solid and unwittingly good defender. He was duly selected and played for the South fo England.

His coaching ability was infectious and extremely able. Many, many, many juniors were under his tutorage and several went onto achieve high levels of playing including international appearances. He duly went onto coach the South of England Squad and the Welsh national team and achieved some good results.

With a shortage of referees, Ray eventually donned the black and white stripes with great success.

Off the field, Ray was recognised by his peer group and elected President of SEMLA and in 2008 was presented the Centurion Award for Services to Lacrosse.

When Ray retired down to Wales, his input didn’t stop - he was persuaded to come and coach the Welsh Universities and being the character he was didn’t limit it to just the universities as he coached at Cardiff Harlequins alongside refereeing and continued to encourage and enthuse people. His appetite for lacrosse and showing the sport to as many people as possible never dwindled.

Ray was a one club man and the heart and soul of Hillcroft Lacrosse Club for many years. He was a one off, unique in many aspects but has had such a big influence on loads of young players over many years.

I am glad to say I was one of them, despite the fact I played for Southfields School and then Lee Lacrosse Club. I will forever carry the image of him slamming the famous clipboard on the floor and jumping up and down on it but most of all as the chap who would always encourage and give me a chance.

Thanks Coach and may you rest in peace.

Ray’s funeral will take place on Wednesday 29 October at Barry Crematorium, Port Rd E, Barry CF62 9PX with people invited to head to The Old Post House, St Fagan’s, Greenwood Ln, Cardiff CF5 6EL afterwards.

England Lacrosse would like thank Ian Ballantine and Nik Roberts for their help in putting these words together and we extend our deepest sympathies to Ray’s family and friends at this difficult time.

England Lacrosse launches university players survey

England Lacrosse is delighted to, once again, launch our bi-annual survey for all university lacrosse players designed to monitor and measure the personal well-being and social outcomes of lacrosse participants at university.

The survey will enable us to evidence the impact lacrosse participation has on students' well-being, mental health and future prospects.

The anonymous information provided will enable England Lacrosse to understand the impact participating in lacrosse has on an individual’s well-being and social outcomes in the university environment and how we can adapt and develop the lacrosse offer at university to better serve the university lacrosse community.

Deadline for submissions | Wednesday 22 October

Savage ready to write next chapter ahead of England US tour

For Emma Savage, the past year has been relentless. From Japan to China, Portugal to Indianapolis, the England midfielder has barely paused for breath.

Now, as she juggles her first year working as a doctor with the demands of international lacrosse, she is fully focused on the next adventure - a ten-day US tour with England field squad that she believes will set the tone for the World Championship year ahead.

“I can’t wait to play tens (ten a-side) again,” Savage laughed. “The chaos of Sixes up and down, up and down. I can’t wait to just stop, with no shot clock, and take my time a bit.

“The team is in such a good spot right now. We’ve had a bit of a break, and now coming back together, everyone’s buzzing, it feels even more exciting to be back.”

For Savage, the tour is more than just another trip, it’s a rehearsal for playing the game on the biggest stage.

“The whole tour basically simulates a World Championship with six games in eight days.

“There’s nothing else like it. You’re exhausted, but every game matters more and more and then by the end we’re playing Maryland and UNC, two of the best programmes in the US.

“The question is then, can we sustain our level right through to those matches? That’s exactly what a semi-final or final at a World Championship feels like.”

Savage knows it’s a steep challenge taking on the best of the best in America’s formidable college system, but she relishes it. “We’re putting pressure on ourselves because we want to do well,” she said.

“But at the same time, it’s no pressure and this is the perfect time for things to go wrong.

“You learn what can happen when the stakes are at their highest and that’s why I love tour.

You can play freely, with no fear, but against some amazing players. It’s really cool to see where we level up.”

The final match against UNC has particularly drawn Savage’s attention, with the midfielder hugely relishing the opportunity to go up against the NCAA champions and show them what an England team is all about.

“I watch the streams and follow the college setup so it’s really exciting to play against them, but I don’t want to fangirl too hard, you can’t put them on a pedestal.

“They’ve got Chloe Humphrey, who’s probably one of the best players in the world right now, but I want to show them what we’ve got too.

“England bring a high-pressure defence, a ruthlessness and aggression they’re not always used to and I think it’s always fun to give those college girls a new challenge. They’ll enjoy it, we’ll enjoy it, and the standard will be so high.”

Life off the field has changed quickly for Savage, who left five years at the University of Nottingham behind this summer where she was a three-time BUCS national champion, for her career as a doctor.

“It’s definitely weird finding a new balance,” she said. “I was at Nottingham for five years, so that was just such a known for me where we had everything; coaching, structure, facilities all set out for us.

“I’ve joined Hawks Lacrosse club so I’ve got regular training and matches and a lot of the England girls play there too so that’s fun.

“We’re still fortunate to have gym speed sessions and conditioning sessions that are all set for us by Josh (Josh Wall, England’s Strength & Conditioning Coach) and so I've still got the structure, I know what I need to do, it's just now about carving out the hours to do it around shifts.”

Savage will also take on new responsibilities in the US as a tour captain, alongside Alice Ripper and Charlie Wilson, in which one of the roles is to manage the off-field culture and environment when the squad has downtime.

And to decompress from the high intensity of international lacrosse and the pressures of the day job, Savage is a self-confessed social media lover.

“I love TikTok! Tours can be intense environment together in this bubble for ten days so having some silly and goofy things, doing dances that can lighten the mood and bond the team. I’m a big fan.”

But looking forward to the aims of the team’s tour in the US and what success looks like, Savage is clear.

“If we can come away from the back end of the tour feeling like we were super competitive, that we stepped up to the plate, that’s a success.

“The score isn’t the marker but I know all of us will be gunning to beat these teams, and then if we come back having really gelled as a group, having had the best time, that’s just as important.

“This year is massive, and being a tight-knit team will make all the difference.”

She grinned when asked how she’ll handle the brutal schedule of games, travel and long shifts at work on her return.

“When we come back, it’ll be 6am and we’re all going straight to work on the Monday.

“But it’s all for the plot, it’s character building!”

Molster sets high bar ahead of England Women US Tour

As the England Women’s squad head across the Atlantic for a demanding 10-day US tour, Head Coach Mike Molster has made it clear that he wants the trip to find and test the team’s limits ahead of next year’s World Championship.

The high-pressure schedule featuring six games against NCAA Division I programmes, including NCAA champions University of North Carolina, has been designed to push players both physically and mentally throughout the tour.

“We tried to lay it out to look as close to a World Championships as possible,” he said ahead of the team’s departure.

“My hope is that we are stressed and that our players are pushed because it will answer a lot of questions for us, not only from a personnel standpoint but also from a tactical standpoint.”

“Let’s find out - How are we doing tactically against other teams? How are we doing technically? The goal is then to walk away with a long list of things we’re doing well, but also things we need to cover.”

That list, he admits, will come from mistakes as much as successes. “Failure isn’t a problem,” he explained.

“I tell the players all the time, make mistakes. That’s what you’re trying to do, because with those mistakes comes another step forward in learning.”

The tour is also one of opportunity for the group, and Molster is relishing being able to see his full complement of players in action together across the six games with the squad’s US-based players being able to join up with the home-based core.

“I'm really excited to see how those things develop, especially over the entire week.” Molster said.

“First game, throw them all together, I’m not expecting the world,” he admitted.

“But as the week goes on and they’re playing with each other more and more often, I’m excited to see how those people begin to complement each other.”

And one area Molster is particularly keen to evaluate is the midfield depth, with an abundance of options in the squad and the opportunity to test out different line combinations throughout the tour.

“Our defence is fairly strong, goalie we’re strong as well. Midfield, we’ve got a lot of depth and we’re going to run different lines, different configurations.

“It’s about seeing who plays well with each other and what strengths they complement.”

Since the beginning of this championship cycle following the bronze medal in 2022, Molster and the team have made no secret that the ultimate goal is to be in the final at the 2026 World Championship and he will also be challenging his attack and defence to make those small improvements that he sees as being crucial in making a gold-medal game.

“We’re wanting to see that bit of improvement in our pace of play, putting enough pressure on their defensive unit with how fast we're moving, how fast we’re moving the ball and threatening throughout the entire possession from all our players”.

“On the defensive end, looking at the systems that we're running now; the strength of the teams we are facing are going to test both our players’ 1v1 skills but also our team defence, our communication and how do you react to different players you know nothing about.”

Leadership responsibilities have been shared across the squad, with appointed tour captains Alice Ripper, Emma Savage, and Charlie Wilson focusing on culture and standards off the field, with rotating game captains then handling on-field communication.

“We’ve got proven leaders who don’t need a label,” Molster said.

"We have a number of strong voices, experienced players who know our systems, know what the coaches are looking for and know the standards we set.

“It’s now important to give others the chance to step up. This is about giving people the opportunity to show they can lead in a formal role and share the responsibilities.”

The conclusion of the tour will be less of an endpoint for this England squad and more of a starting point that Molster hopes will reveal his players’ potential and set the standards for the months to follow.

“You can’t make diamonds without pressure. That’s what this tour is about, finding out who’s ready, who can step up, and who’s prepared to go even higher.”

“I’m a believer that, now you've reached another level of standard and shown me your potential I don't want you to hit that point and stop.

“Now I want you to keep moving upward in your skills and effort, we now have the time to raise your standard even higher.”

Ultimately for Molster, success on the US trip won’t be measured by wins and losses but by answers gained.

“If we come home injury-free and with a better understanding of our players, our systems, and how we respond to high-level competition, that’s success,” he said.

“Someone will be keeping score but I’m not too worried about the end result on the scoreboard. I want to see our offence scoring, our defence preventing, and I want to see players relishing playing for their country.”

The team departs on Thursday 2 October, with their first fixture on Saturday with George Mason.

See England squad and schedule HERE

England Women squad announced to head stateside for USA tour

England Lacrosse is pleased to announce the England Women’s Field squad heading to the USA for the October training tour.

A 31-player roster will assemble across the Atlantic, based in the Baltimore-Washington region, for scrimmages against six NCAA D1 colleges.

Mike Molster’s side will get their first real competitive action since the Home Internationals Series back in April with the tour signifying the beginning of the squad’s run up to the 2026 World Championship in July in Tokyo.

The intense calendar has been designed to replicate the schedule of a World Championship and includes fixtures against some of the strongest college teams in the US.

The tour is headlined by a meeting with the reigning NCAA Champions, University of North Carolina, which will also prove a return for both England’s Alice Ripper who was part of the 2025 championship squad, and Emily Nalls who was also an NCAA champion with the Tar Heels back in 2022.

Prior to the UNC match up, the England squad will meet George Mason, Towson, and George Washington Universities before games against Navy, who made the NCAA Tournament bracket this year, and Maryland who have themselves won the NCAA crown three times in the last decade.

Tour previews with Mike Molster and England midfielder Emma Savage will be released in the coming days leading up to the tour while our socials and website will keep you up-to-date with all the latest from the tour in the US!

The full England squad is listed below.

Tour Schedule

Sat 4 October - George Mason - 12pm US/5pm UK
Sun 5 October - Towson - 4pm US/9pm UK
Tue 7 October - George Washington - 8.30am US/1.30pm UK
Wed 8 October - Navy - 4.30pm US/9.30pm UK
Fri 10 October - Maryland - TBC
Sun 12 October - University of North Carolina - 10am US/3pm UK

England Squad to tour USA

Honor Ashby
Jordan Carr
Chloe Chan
Ella Cohen
Lucy Devine
Claire Faram
Ana Green
Cece Green
Lauren Hart
Milly Home
Minty Loxton
Annie Mather
Emily Nalls
Anna Neville
Emma Oakley
Dillyn Patten
Britt Read (GK)
Alice Ripper
Lizzie Rutherford
Anna Saunter
Emma Savage
Teagan Scott
Tilly Shires
Georgie Southorn
Liv Thomas
Hannah Thurston
Anna Viglione
Dylan Whittington (GK)
Charlie Wilson
Liv Wimpenny
Sofia Wise

Call for nominations for 2025/26 Centurion Award

Centurion Lacrosse Club is now inviting nominations for its 2025/26 awards in recognition of meritorious service to lacrosse.

The Centurion Lacrosse Club makes awards to individuals who are considered to be worthy of recognition for the service that they have given to the game over the years, either on or off the field of play.

Centurion Awards for services to Lacrosse should fall under one of the below award criteria:

• Significant contribution to the development and growth of lacrosse in the UK

• Outstanding achievements by players, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers

• Leading projects and creating opportunities for the expansion of the sport of lacrosse

The club welcomes nominations for consideration for all people who meet one or more of the criteria above and looks to recognise the value and significance of their involvement in our sport.

Stan Smith Award

Centurion Lacrosse Club are also welcoming nominations for people to be considered for the Stan Smith Award.

The Stan Smith Award is specific to lacrosse in the South of England and is considered for individuals contributing under one of the below criteria:

• Significant contribution to the development and growth of youth lacrosse in the South of England

• Outstanding contribution by young players, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers

• Leading projects and creating opportunities for the expansion of the sport of youth lacrosse in the South of England

In your nomination submission please provide details of the name of the person; club, school, university or organisation the person is associated with; achievement/contribution; period of involvement; impact of involvement and any further supporting information for consideration.

A full invitation to nominate document can be read here

Please submit nominations in writing, either by email to [email protected] or by mail to The Secretary, Centurion Lacrosse Club, Lilac Cottage, Orford, Suffolk IP12 2NA by Sunday 4 January 2026.

Details of previous recipients can be found on on The Centurions website at centurionlacrosse.org.uk

England Lacrosse thanks England U20 Men's Programme sponsors

England Lacrosse would like to thank the four sponsors who have helped propel our England U20 Men’s Programme during 2025 so far.

The investment and support from Innov8, ITS, Informed Sport, and Firefly was vital as our 22-player England U20 men’s squad travelled to Jeju Island, South Korea in August to compete at the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship, finishing in seventh place.

Because of the help from our sponsors and partners, we were able to enjoy memorable moments like the one-goal win over Mexico featuring a last second match-winning save from Jackson Davies, first ever competitive matches against Korea, New Zealand, and Mexico, and an exciting victory over Jamaica in the seventh place game.

Read more about each of our four England Men’s U20 Programme sponsors below.

Innov8

Manchester-based technology solutions firm Innov8 injected significant investment to help our young lions with the financial cost of being an international lacrosse player.

Innov8’s goal is simple: they want to help ambitious businesses to Get Further, Faster through smart finance and business management systems and technology-led transformation.

And in 2025 they brought that same drive to the lacrosse field.

As we look to continue to build a performance culture from the ground up, driven by planning, focus, and clear goals, Innov8 have been working with us to ensure our players can perform to the best of their ability throughout their preparation period and during the competition.

Innov8’s values perfectly align with those of England Lacrosse; with a data-driven approach and analysis-based operation our new partners are a strong fit for a squad aiming to reach their potential on the world stage.

ITS

A fast-growing force in digital infrastructure, ITS builds and operates the UK’s largest dedicated business-grade local access fibre network — delivering the connectivity that powers everything from high street names like Starbucks and Asda, to hospitals, universities, and sports venues including Loftus Road, the home of Queens Park Rangers, and Everton’s new ground, Hill Dickinson Stadium. ITS also supports major public events, such as broadcasting the BBC’s Eurovision coverage to global audiences.

As part of their commitment to the future of English lacrosse, ITS invested to help the young lions squad as they prepared for and competed at the 2025 World Championship.

Informed Sport

Informed Sport are the world’s leading testing and certification program for brands producing sports and nutritional supplements and injected significant investment in the England Men’s U20 Programme this year.

As experts in protecting elite athletes from inadvertent doping caused by supplements contaminated with banned substances, Informed Sport was and remains a vital source of information as our young athletes competed with some of the best in the world last month.

Firefly

Firefly donated a set of their revolutionary recovery devices to help our players’ muscles recover faster following their long journey to Korea, making playing seven games in nine days slightly easier.

The devices are portable and can be used on the go, perfect for active lifestyles and ensuring efficient recovery without the time commitment of traditional tools.

Some of the world’s top athletes already use Firefly, including professional marathon runner Jordan Hasay, 2024 Olympic Gold Medallist Tara Davis-Woodhall, and two-time Olympic Medallist Galen Rupp.

England Lacrosse is continually searching for new partners and sponsors and if you’d like to be involved and help the next or current generation of lacrosse talent, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Head of Marketing & Partnerships Caroline Royle on [email protected].

In 2026, we’ve got three senior teams competing in international competition:

• England Senior Men’s Box Lacrosse Team | 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships (25 June - 4 July, Prague, Czechia)

• England Senior Women’s Box Lacrosse Team | 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships (25 June - 4 July, Prague, Czechia)

• England Senior Women’s Field Lacrosse Team | 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship (24 July - 2 August, Tokyo, Japan)

Poynton & Oxton claim senior titles at 2025 Stockport September Sixes

Poynton and Oxton Lacrosse Clubs claimed the respective 2025 senior men’s and women’s titles at the Stockport September Sixes event on Saturday.

Mellor (U12 boys), Stockport/Cheadle (U13 girls), Poynton (U14 boys), Heaton Mersey (U15 girls), Cheadle (U16 boys), and Oxton (U18 girls) also picked up age group titles as 64 teams from all over the country descended on Greater Manchester for the annual season opener over the weekend.

A very soggy Saturday saw 21 senior teams attend for the men's and women’s tournaments with teams travelling from as far away as the Midlands.

More local clubs dominated the contests, however, with Poynton continuing their domination of men’s domestic lacrosse by picking up the title and Oxton taking with women’s trophy.

A more pleasant Sunday arrived for the age group tournaments with 43 teams participating across six competitions.

The junior tournaments are very much supported by the clubs in the north west of the country but a special mention must be made to Mike Barrett and his Bromley Bobcats team who once again made the long journey north from London to take part!

Stockport Lacrosse Club would like to extend their thanks to every club who attended the tournament as without everyone's continued support the event would not be the success it is.

They would also like to thank all the coaches and team managers from all clubs who give their time to ensure teams are available and ready to enter into such competitions and all the children and their parents who attend.

Most of all, they would like to thank the army of  Stockport Lacrosse Club volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the Stockport September Sixes event is organised and well run, the pitches are in top condition (and after the rain that came down on the Saturday, that was no mean feat!), and that the day runs smoothly and everyone has a great time.

Stockport September Sixes Results

Poynton (senior men)
Oxton (senior women)
Mellor (U12 boys)
Stockport/Cheadle (U13 girls)
Poynton (U14 boys)
Heaton Mersey (U15 girls)
Cheadle (U16 boys)
Oxton (U18 girls)

September Sixes returns to Stockport for 5th year

The Stockport September Sixes returns this weekend for its fifth year as teams descend on the Greater Manchester Club for their annual six-a-side season opener.

65 teams will take part over the two-days of the competition with Saturday seeing senior men’s and senior women’s competitions taking place.

On Sunday, six junior competitions will take place from U12 boys to U18 girls highlighting the strength in depth of the junior programmes within the north of England and the appetite amongst that demographic for the Olympic sixes version of lacrosse that will be showcased during the LA28 Olympic Games.

Games will start from 11am on Saturday and 9am on Sunday at Stockport Lacrosse Club, Greater Manchester with spectators able to attend for free and the clubhouse bar open from 12pm each day.

There’ll be a barbecue from 12pm each day as well as a kitchen selling breakfast on Sunday.

The car park at Stockport Lacrosse Club will be closed during the weekend for all except blue badge holders, tournament officials, OAPs, and team buses but there is parking available at the Hulme Hall School opposite the club.

Lacrosse retailers Northern Soul will have a pop-up shop on site on both days.

The Stockport September Sixes launched in 2021 and the event has grown year on year with the 2025 edition set to be the biggest and best yet with teams from all over the country represented.

For more information about the competition and Stockport Lacrosse Club, click HERE.

Stockport September Sixes Schedule

Saturday 20 September

11am | Senior Men
11:30am | Senior Women

Sunday 21 September

9am | U12 Boys
9:30am | U13 Girls
11:30am | U14 Boys
12pm | U15 Girls
2pm | U16 Boys
2:30pm | U18 Girls

Winter/Spring Level 2 Referee Course schedule announced

England Lacrosse has announced its Level 2 Referee Course schedule for Winter 2025 and Spring 2026 with three courses starting between October and May.

Aimed at those Level 1 Referees who are looking to continue their learning and their officiating journey, the England Lacrosse Level 2 Course will allow attendees to be the head official at lower level games and officiate different levels of the sport.

To complete the course, participants simply need to attend one of three upcoming webinars on Tuesday 14 October, Monday 2 February, or Wednesday 6 May, attend a practical training day, and complete a game assessment.

Each webinar takes place online between 7pm and 9pm and the dates, times, and venues for the practical training day and game assessments will be arranged with participants.

For more information about the course, click HERE, and to sign up for the course, click the button below.

Level 2 Referee’s Course Webinar Schedule (7pm-9pm)

Tuesday 14 October 2025
Monday 2 February 2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026

England Lacrosse introduces southern location to boys Aspire Programme

England Lacrosse is delighted to formally introduce a southern location to our boys Aspire Programme for 2025/26 with sessions to begin in October and player nominations now open for clubs and schools.

With the northern section of the boys Aspire Programme getting underway at the end of September at King’s School in Macclesfield, England Lacrosse will soon be launching a southern section to begin on 5 October.

Aspire has previously ran one-off sessions in the south and is now pleased to be able to offer a more regular programme for our talented young athletes.

Aspire is England Lacrosse’s official athlete development programme that offers a pathway for the country’s best talent to grow and develop their abilities with the goal of becoming a part of our national teams.

Training covers technical skills and tactical understanding, alongside the introduction of support with physical conditioning, nutrition and mental resilience to help create rounded athletes with the potential to excel at the top level.

The Southern Boys Aspire sessions will be led by former England international and now experienced coach Mike Barrett.

Mike is a dedicated volunteer within the lacrosse community in the south of England and helped to found and runs Bromley Bobcats, a junior club in south east London.

He also led the community session prior to The Fly 2025’s southern dates at Blackheath Rugby Club that saw 150 pupils from schools in the local area get involved in lacrosse and the sixes version of the game: some picking up a stick for the very first time.

As part of the launch of the southern boys section, England Lacrosse is now looking for clubs and schools within the south of England to nominate their talented young athletes.

We’re not looking for the finished article at this point, we simply want promising young sports people with the strength, speed, agility and resolve needed to thrive on our Aspire programme and demonstrate the potential to be great.

Clubs and schools can nominate players by completing the nomination form below and uploading to this page HERE or by sending an email to [email protected] after which players will be invited to their nearest Aspire assessment weekend, depending on their age and ability.

For more information about the England Lacrosse Aspire Programme and what it’s all about, click HERE.

BUCS Lacrosse Sixes is Back: Registration open for 2025 competition

England Lacrosse is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2025 BUCS Lacrosse Sixes Championship on Sunday 19 October.

The event moves to the North West and Manchester for 2025 with Manchester Met’s Platt Lane Sports Complex as the venue for this year.

Team registration is now open and with entries accepted until Thursday 9 October at 11:59pm with players able to join each team until 11:59pm on Tuesday 14 October.

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

45 teams took part in 2024 with the University of Nottingham claiming three of the four titles, (Women’s Championship and Men’s & Women’s Trophy), while their city rivals denied them the clean sweep by winning the Men’s Championship final.

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.

After defeat in previous two Men’s Sixes Championship finals, NTU turned the tables to take the 2024 Sixes Championship, denying UoN a lockout at the top.

The cost per team is £185 with BUCS points available for both Championship and Trophy events.

We are also looking for officials to cover matches throughout the day and volunteers to assist with the running and administration of the event.

Officials of all levels are welcome to apply to take part using the expression of interest form linked below, and we would welcome all volunteer sign ups, whether across the whole day or a few hours there’s a role for everyone.

Coaches announced ahead of 2026 Men's Box Euros

Photo: @shutterlax

The England Box Lacrosse Men’s Team has announced its five-person coaching team as they continue to build towards the 2026 European Lacrosse Box Championship in Prague, Czechia.

Head Coach Walt Christianson, who helped England to their first piece of major silverware at the 2022 Euros in Hanover, Germany, has named Chris Wainer, Rob Ingham Clark, Cai Jefferies, and Pete Wilson as his backroom staff.

Wainer steps into the Domestic Head Coach role after the long-serving Andy Downing bade farewell to the box team after more than a decade last year to focus on coaching with British Lacrosse.

Wainer played for England at the 2019 World Championship and was part of the 2022 Euros squad and will double up as the squad’s Defensive Co-ordinator.

Ingham Clark will add Offensive Co-ordinator duties to his Assistant Coach role after being involved with the team for a number of years.

Cai Jefferies and Pete Wilson return to England as Assistant Coaches after successful stints as players; Jefferies was part of the 2019 World Championship squad as well as the squad that secured the European title three years ago while Wilson featured for England at the 2017 Euros.

The pair took part in their first competition as England’s Assistant Coaches at April’s 2025 E-Box event.

Head Coach Walt Christianson, who is based in Canada, leads the squad into his fifth major tournament with England and will be determined to retain the European title in 2026.

Christianson will be in England for the squad trials in November, will join the squad for the annual E-Box tournament in April, and will be in Prague at the end of June for the Euros.

2026 Euros England Coaches

Walt Christianson | Head Coach
Chris Wainer | Domestic Head Coach & Defensive Co-ordinator
Rob Ingham Clark | Offensive Co-ordinator
Cai Jefferies | Assistant Coach
Pete Wilson | Assistant Coach

Double delight as Centaurs and Spencer crowned champions of Europe

Photo Credit: Shutterlax

English sides brought home both European Club Championship titles on Sunday as Spencer Men and Centaurs Women were crowned best in Europe at the Ken Galluccio Cup.

Spencer beat Norwegian side Oslo Saints 7-3 in the men’s final while Centaurs defeated host side LCC Radotin 4-2 as both sides completed unbeaten weekends to become European champions.

Spencer opened their campaign on Friday against the Oslo side, winning 9-3, before further victories against Delft Barons (16-1), Bologna (13-1), and Wroclaw Panthers (11-1) saw them top their group and move through to the semi-finals.

There they faced Czech SK Jizni Mesto and were given their toughest test to date as after opening up an early lead, their opponents clawed their way back to level the scores at 4-4 with 10 minutes to play.

However, Spencer recovered and got the job done with three unanswered goals in the final minutes to book their place in the final and a rematch with Oslo Saints.

It was a convincing final performance, taking the lead early on and controlling the match from then on, ending up 7-3 winners.

England’s Dan Watson finished as the men’s competition top point scorer with 18 (13G 5A), closely followed by teammate Will Walker in second with 15 (9G 6A).

Spencer’s Hal Dwobeng also topped the save percentage charts with the England and GB stopper saving at 73% for his 36 saves.

Centaurs were equally as impressive throughout the group stages, seeing off Edinburgh University (14-1), Schwarz-Weiß Köln (15-3) and Bern Titans (17-2) with ease before facing the home side LCC Radotin, coming back from 1-3 down to win 6-4 and top the group stages.

It was familiar opposition in the knockouts, again meeting the German side SW-Köln, coming through 9-2 to set up another meeting with LCC Radotin in the final after they defeated last year’s winners Rotterdam Jaguars in their semi-final.

It was a tense, low-scoring final dominated by defences with the result on the line until the final minutes.

Despite Centaurs coming out firing to take a 3-0 lead inside 7 minutes, LCC pulled two back before the break to make it 3-2 at the half.

There was only one goal scored in the second half, fortunately for Centaurs it was taken by Cece Green to push their lead to 4-2 and that’s how the match finished to complete the English double.

Centaurs’ top point scorer was Katie Gray with 17 (16G 1A) for 5th place in the overall standings.

Spencer have now recorded three Ken Galluccio wins after 2013 and 2022 while Centaurs claimed their second title following success back in 2019.

Spencer Results:

Group Match - 9-3 W v Oslo Saints
Group Match - 16-1 W v Delft Barons
Group Match - 13-1 W v Bologna
Group Match - 11-1 W v Wroclaw Panthers
Semi Final - 7-4 W v Jizni Mesto
Final - 7-3 W v Oslo Saints

Centaurs Results:

Group Match - 14-1 W v Edinburgh University
Group Match - 15-3 W v Schwarz-Weiß Köln
Group Match - 17-2 W v Bern Titans
Group Match - 6-4 W v LCC Radotin
Semi Final - 9-2 W v Schwarz-Weiß Köln
Final - 4-2 W v LCC Radotin

England's Jack Royer joins Calgary Roughnecks in NLL Draft

England box lacrosse player Jack Royer, who was England’s top scorer as they finished fourth at last year’s World Championships, has joined Calgary Roughnecks in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) after the annual draft took place on Saturday 6 September.

Drafted by Calgary in the fourth round of picks as pick 49, Royer will team up with fellow England star Cam MacLeod who joined the Roughnecks in 2024 and helped them to sixth place in the league and a play-off run last season.

Calgary is a three-time NLL champion with title wins in 2004 and 2009 but hasn’t reached top spot in six years since their last victory in 2019.

Royer is one of box lacrosse’s brightest young sparks having averaged over four points per game with the Edmonton Miners over three seasons when he was younger.

Last summer, he scored 10 goals and claimed four assists as England became the highest place European side at the 2024 World Championships in Utica, USA.

The Roughnecks are based in Calgary, a city in the Canadian province of Alberta, which Royer is more than familiar with having grown up in Edmonton, a short three hour drive away.

Royer studied at Queen’s University of Carolina where he scored 122 points over four seasons before graduating earlier this year.

The NLL is a professional box lacrosse league in North America comprising 14 teams - seven in Canada and seven in the USA.

For more information about the NLL, click HERE.

Charity fun run held in memory of Cheadle legend Daz Syme

Cheadle Lacrosse Club hosted a special charity fun run on Sunday 14 September to raise money and remember club legend Daz Syme who sadly passed away last year.

Held from 11:30am yesterday at Cheadle Sports Club, Greater Manchester, the club hosted a main 5K run as well as 1K and 2K runs aimed at children.

So far, the total raised has hit £1500 which will be split between Cheadle Lacrosse Club and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

Daz Syme grew up with Cheadle Lacrosse Club as a huge part of his life holding several roles at the club, including as a player before moving into a volunteer role, helping many people over the years who were in need.

Eventually, Daz became Chairman of the club, a role he held for a number of years until his unexpected passing in October last year.

Almost a year on from the loss of Daz who was a huge part of the Cheadle Lacrosse Club family, the club hoped the fun run was a way to celebrate the life of a club legend while also raising much needed funds for local good causes.

Following the fun runs, where fancy dress was highly encouraged, the club hosted a barbecue where participants could rest, socialise, and remember Daz together.

For more information about Cheadle Lacrosse Club, click HERE, and click the button below to donate.