The Northern Flags Festival returns this weekend with top honours up for grabs and teams set to thrill with a huge variety of lacrosse action to enjoy across the prestigious event.
Two wins in three at E-Box 2024 as England continue World Championship preparations
England men claimed two victories in their three games against international competition at the annual E-Box event in Radotin, Czechia over the weekend.
With just five months to go until the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship in Utica, USA, the E-Box event was an excellent opportunity for Head Coach Walt Christianson and his coaching team to assess the players as they continue to prepare for the biggest competition in box lacrosse.
England’s opening game saw them take on Europe’s fourth placed team, Finland; England started strong with a high pressure defence, great foot speed, and high-quality shooting seeing them open up a 9-4 lead towards the end of the first half.
Several England penalties in the second half allowed Finland to get back into the game (they scored six goals and only conceded two between the 26th and 37th minutes) and, with the score 13-12, another England penalty with nine seconds remaining gave Finland the opportunity to force a penalty shootout but the defence held firm to see out the game.
A highly anticipated game on Sunday had England face the hosts, Czechia, in the two sides’ first meeting since England’s famous 13-12 semi-final victory at the Euros two years ago.
On home soil, Czechia were always coming into the game as favourites but England held resolute, conceding just three goals in the first quarter.
In the offence, England had lost the spark seen in their opening game and could only score once, late in the second quarter, as the teams went in for their half-time break.
Early in the second half, the home team hit the gas to jump to a 10-1 lead but England rallied, found their offensive mojo, incurred no penalties, and went on a run of goals to bring the score back to 8-12 with eight minutes remaining.
It proved to be too big of a mountain to climb for England, however, and Czechia scored two late goals to see the game out.
England's final game on Monday morning was against the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLL) representative team. Like England, they had won one and lost one of their first two games.
More superb defence from England, a theme throughout the E-Box event, saw the game tied at 3-3 with one quarter down.
The England offence then kicked into gear with powerful outside shooting and precision passing around the crease allowing England to jump to a 9-3 lead.
CLL pulled a few back but England were now in control, scoring on transition as their opposition tired and, crucially, stayed out of the penalty box as the game finished 13-9 to England.
Watch all the action from ShE-Box 2024 HERE.
England (m) 13-12 Finland (5-2, 4-4, 1-3, 3-3)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G), Oliver Allsop (2G), Silas Burke (1G), Jamie Powell (1G), Elliot Leonard (1G, 2A), Luke Mills-Doig (1G, 1A), Sam Perry (1G, 1A), Ming Trinh (1G, 1A), Taylor Harrison (1G), Albert Whitehead (1G), Ben Buchanan (3A), Tom Hallam (1A), Ben Page-Laycock (1A)
Czechia 14-8 England (m) (3-0, 4-1, 4-3, 3-4)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G), Ben Page-Laycock (2G), Jamie Powell (2G), Elliot Leonard (1G, 3A), Oliver Allsop (2A), Sam Perry (1A), Ming Trinh (1A)
CLL 9-13 England (m) (3-3, 1-6, 3-3, 2-1)
England scorers: Matt Marsh (3G, 1A), Elliot Leonard (3G), Ben Page-Laycock (2G), Jamie Powell (2G), Silas Burke (1G, 1A), Tom Roper (1G), Matt Tatton (1G), Ben Buchanan (2A), Ming Trinh (2A), Oliver Allsop (1A), Tom Roche (1A)
England Top Scorers
Matt Marsh | 10 (9G, 1A)
Elliot Leonard | 10 (5G, 5A)
Jamie Powell | 5 (5G)
Ben Page-Laycock | 5 (4G, 1A)
Oliver Allsop | 5 (2G, 3A)
Ming Trinh | 5 (1G, 4A)
Ben Buchanan | 5 (5A)
Silas Burke | 3 (2G, 1A)
Sam Perry | 3 (1G, 2A)
Luke Mills-Doig | 2 (1G, 1A)
Taylor Harrison | 1 (1G)
Tom Roper | 1 (1G)
Matt Tatton | 1 (1G)
Albert Whitehead | 1 (1G)
Tom Hallam | 1 (1A)
Tom Roche | 1 (1A)
Remembering Peter Nugent 1937-2024
England Lacrosse is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of life-long lacrosse player, volunteer, and supporter Peter Nugent at the age of 86.
Peter joined the lacrosse family in the 1960s when he joined Rochdale Lacrosse Club, following in his father, Kevin’s, footsteps.
For a short period in the 1970s, he played for Boardman & Eccles before heading back to Rochdale where he continued to play and was a central member of the club until his 70s.
Upon hanging up boots in the late 2000s, he was a regular on the sidelines at Redbrook most Saturday afternoons supporting his sons, nephew, and friends playing in all the Rochdale teams.
His love for the sport was infectious; as a player he was a long stick (defence) and took pride in his never say die competitive streak. He could encourage loudly and often did so. Peter reflected the only job he was terrible at in lacrosse was as a referee. He left that to his brother.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Peter played for England Masters and Grand Masters travelling across the globe from Perth (Australia) to Prague and taking in Baltimore, Vail and of course taking in home grown tournaments in Manchester along the way.
Off the pitch, he and his wife Jill welcomed colleagues from the US, Canada, and Australia into his home with legendary hospitality. From visiting coaches and players for a couple nights to season-long stays for a series of young Americans promoting the sport across schools in Rochdale and Manchester.
In 2010, he played a key role in the hugely successful festival of lacrosse which ran alongside that year’s Men’s World Championship in Manchester.
His love for the sport was to see others play, to bring on the next generation as a coach or volunteer and to share the joy of the fastest game on two legs. He’d be beyond proud to know that his grandson is about to play his first game for Rochdale juniors.
He will be remembered with affection by all those in the lacrosse world who knew him.
Peter’s funeral will take place at Blackley Crematorium at 9:30am on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and his family are asking people who feel inclined to do so to share a donation to the Peter Nugent Celebration Fund.
England win four out of five at ShE-Box 2024 in first ever competitive international fixtures
England women secured four wins in five games in their first ever competitive international fixtures at the annual ShE-Box event in Radotin, Czechia.
Victories against Finland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and Canada (WGN) mean England are in a good position ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship in Utica, USA in September.
England took on Finland in their opening game and very quickly showed the amount of quality this fledgling side possesses as they overcame an early one goal deficit by hitting eight without reply to blow away the opposition.
Lauren Lewis, who had travelled to Czechia from England without using air travel, scored four goals and firmly established herself as one to watch on the international box lacrosse scene.
England field player and star of The Fly, Laura Beaman, scored two and Lucy Ford, Ellie Racle, and Laura Wright all grabbed one each to see the game out at 9-2.
Later on in a rescheduled match, England played fellow World Championship Pool A competitors Hong Kong and, despite a tough first half, came out on top with Lewis once again impressing, scoring six goals.
Beaman, Fran Parshall, Rosie Bathrust, Hannah Foxcroft, and Tash Gage got their names on the scoresheet too with one goal each.
Another Pool A opponent came up next in Netherlands where England stormed into a 7-1 half-time lead after goals from Ford (x2), Racle (x2), Lewis, Wright, and Bathurst.
England refused to slow in the second half and scored another seven goals to leave Netherlands battered and bruise; Katie Greenwood, Davina Emetulu, Lauren Hurley, Foxcroft, Zara Russell, Esme Breach, and Gage all hit the back of the Netherlands net as the game finished 14-3.
England’s biggest test came in the form of unbeaten Germany who had already swept aside Canada (WGN) and Ireland in their opening two games.
England more than matched their opposition in the first and third quarters but difficult second and fourth quarters saw them finish the game five goals behind, losing 11-6.
There was still chance for England to bounce back from that first defeat of the weekend the following day against Canada (WGN), however.
A tight first half, with England goals from Ford, Alys Johns, and Lewis, ended with Canada (WGN) two goals ahead and the score sitting at 5-3 but a dogged second half performance that saw Ford score her second of the match, Lewis hit two, and Racle add one more took the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Up stepped the unshakeable Beaman who ran direct to goal and feigned to shoot several times before firing into the bottom right-hand corner of the Canada (WGN) net.
The spotlight was on Lucy Mayers in the England goal as Erica Evans stepped up to take her penalty; Evans ran slowly towards goal and hit her shot direct at Mayers who stood firm to keep the ball out.
England’s second penalty was taken by Bathurst who confidently strode towards goal and slammed the ball past the Canada (WGN) goalie.
One final hurdle: if Mayers could keep Canada’s second penalty out, England would claim the victory.
Brianna Trembley headed towards the England goal, taking a wide run up. Mayers kept her body as wide as possible and forced Trembley into a tight angle; Trembley’s shot was fired wide, securing the win for England.
Watch all the action from ShE-Box 2024 HERE.
England Results
England (w) 9-2 Finland (5-2, 4-0)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (4G), Laura Beaman (2G, 1A), Lucy Ford (1G, 2A), Ellie Racle (1G), Laura Wright (1G), Esme Breach (1A), Katie Greenwood (1A)
Hong Kong 4-11 England (w) (3-3, 1-8)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (6G), Laura Beaman (1G, 1A), Fran Parshall (1G, 1A), Lucy Ford (2A), Ellie Racle (2A), Rosie Bathurst (1G), Hannah Foxcroft (1G), Tash Gage (1G), Katie Greenwood (1A)
England (w) 14-3 Netherlands (4-0, 3-1, 2-0, 5-2)
England scorers: Lucy Ford (2G, 1A), Ellie Racle (2G, 1A), Lauren Lewis (1G, 2A), Rosie Bathurst (1G, 1A), Laura Wright (1G), Katie Greenwood (1G), Davina Emetulu (1G), Lauren Hurley (1G), Hannah Foxcroft (1G), Zara Russell (1G, 1A), Esme Breach (1G), Tash Gage (1G, 1A), Laura Beaman (1A)
Germany 11-6 England (w) (1-1, 3-1, 1-2, 6-2)
England scorers: Laura Beaman (2G), Hannah Foxcroft (2G), Laura Wright (1G), Lucy Ford (1G), Ellie Racle (1A)
Canada (WGN) 7-8 England (w) (5-3, 2-4, 0-1)
England scorers: Lauren Lewis (3G), Lucy Ford (2G, 2A), Ellie Racle (1G, 1A), Alys Johns (1G), Laura Beaman (1A), Katie Greenwood (1A)
Top Scorers
Lauren Lewis | 16 (14G, 2A)
Lucy Ford | 13 (6G, 7A)
Laura Beaman | 9 (5G, 4A)
Ellie Racle | 9 (4G, 3A)
Hannah Foxcroft | 4 (4G)
Katie Greenwood | 4 (1G, 3A)
Laura Wright | 3 (3G)
Rosie Bathurst | 3 (2G, 1A)
Tash Gage | 3 (2G, 1A)
Esme Breach | 2 (1G,1A)
Fran Parshall | 2 (1G, 1A)
Zara Russell | 2 (1G, 1A)
Davina Emetulu | 1 (1G)
Lauren Hurley | 1 (1G)
Alys Johns | 1 (1G)
England teams head to Czechia for annual E-Box/ShE-Box events
England’s men and women’s box teams take to the field over the weekend at the annual E-Box/ShE-Box events in Radotin, Czechia.
The ShE-Box event will mark the first ever competitive fixtures played by the new England women’s box team as they take on Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, and a Women’s Global Network team made up of Canadian players.
25 of the best women’s box lacrosse players in the country will head to Radotin as part of England’s preparations ahead of the inaugural World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship in Utica, USA, in September.
At that competition, England will feature in Pool A alongside fellow ShE-Box competitors Netherlands and Hong Kong as well as formidable opponents USA and Haudenosaunee.
ShE-Box 2024 will give England Head Coach Rob Clark and his coaching staff an important look at the squad before he whittles the wider training squad down to just 23 players in the summer.
The men’s E-Box competition will see England take on Finland, Czechia, and Canada U20s as they also look to continue preparations ahead of the World Championship in September.
Head Coach Walt Christianson will want to look at his team in a competitive environment as he deliberates over his final 23-player World Championship squad.
His side will be looking to challenge at the top end of the competition after a fourth-place finish in 2019 that saw them push USA all the way in the bronze medal match and a first major title at the European Championship two years ago.
To watch some of the matches at E-Box/ShE-Box 2024, click HERE.
E-Box/ShE-Box Schedule
Friday 19 April | England (w) v Hong Kong, China | 8am BST
Friday 19 April | England (w) v Finland | 11:20am BST
Saturday 20 April | England (w) v Netherlands | 1:40pm BST
Saturday 20 April | England (m) v Finland | 6:30pm BST
Sunday 21 April | England (w) v Germany | 3pm BST
Sunday 21 April | England (m) v Czechia | 7pm BST
Monday 22 April | England (w) v Canada (WGN) | 9am BST
Monday 22 April | England (m) v Canada U20 | 9:50am BST
Hampstead win SEMLA Senior Flags Final 100 years after their first victory
Hampstead reclaimed the SEMLA Senior Flags title on Saturday after narrowly defeating Spencer 11-10 in a scintillating final exactly 100 years after their first victory in the competition.
The victory sees Hampstead remain unbeaten throughout the entire 2023/24 season and claim their 23rd Senior Flags title and their first since 2019.
100 years ago in 1924, Hampstead claimed their first ever SEMLA Senior Flags title in just their third appearance in the competition after a 16-9 victory over Buckhurst Hill.
Buckhurst Hill would go on to win the next two Senior Flags Finals with Hampstead having to wait another 13 years and six final appearances before their next win in 1937.
In the Intermediate Flags Final, Spencer 2s made it back to back Division 1 and Flags titles with an 8-3 win over Reading Wildcats.
Spencer 2s has now claimed victory in the last five Intermediate Flags Finals and secured victory in eight of the last 10.
A repeat of last year’s final in the Minor competition saw Exeter University take on City of Stoke with the latter avenging last year’s defeat after a 13-4 win to claim their first Minor Flags title at just the second time of asking.
2024 SEMLA Flags Finals Results
Spencer 10-11 Hampstead (3-2, 1-4, 2-2, 4-3)
Spencer scorers: Cam Leslie (5G), Dan Watson (2G, 2A), Tom Bracegirdle (1G, 1A), Taylor Harrison (1G, 1A), Will Prescott (1G), Will Walker (1A)
Hampstead scorers: Owen Caputo (1G, 5A), Than Holthaus (3G, 1 A), Tommy Rooney (3G), Declan Mulholland (1G, 1A), Mason Gorman (1G), Carl Klepper (1G), Zac Guy (1G), Tom Graham (1A), Vasilios Fokas (1A)
Spencer 2s 8-3 Reading Wildcats (2-2, 1-1, 3-0, 2-0)
Exeter 4-13 City of Stoke (1-4, 0-4, 2-3, 1-2)
2024 SEMLA Flags Finals MVPs
Senior MVP | Cole Palmby (Hampstead)
Intermediate MVP | Tom Naughton (Reading Wildcats)
Minor MVP | Aaron Eastwood (City of Stoke)
England U20 Women's World Championship squad announced
England Lacrosse is excited to announce the final 22-player squad to take part in the 2024 World Lacrosse U20 Women’s Championship later this year.
Taking place in Hong Kong, China from 15-24 August, the tournament comes just over two years after the England U20 women’s team claimed European glory at the 2023 ELF Women’s U21 Championship in Prague, Czechia.
15 of the 22-strong World Championship squad played in that competition helping England maintain an unbeaten record with five wins, scoring 76 goals and conceding just 21.
The U20 training squad have since continued to work hard over the last few months both on the training pitch and in gaining valuable match practice.
A tour to Florida in February to face NCAA opposition was followed up by competing at the Senior Regionals tournament in April.
The training squad then travelled to Wales for the annual Home Internationals Series where they secured three wins, defeating fellow World Championship competitors Wales, Scotland, and Germany.
The squad now have a series of practice scrimmages lined up against senior national squads including England, Scotland, and the Netherlands to complement their training weekends and ensure the group is in the best shape possible to peak come the Championship in August.
Earlier this year, England were drawn in Pool D alongside Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, and hosts, Hong Kong, China with their first game against Jamaica taking place on Friday 16 August.
England U20 women’s team Head Coach, Vic Alexander said:
“First of all, I’d like to thank every one of our wider training squad for their hard work and dedication over the past few months and congratulations to the 22 players who have been selected to travel to Hong Kong, China in August.
“As we gear up for the World Championship, it is an exciting time for us as a team and I can’t wait to see our hard work on the training pitch translated into play at the tournament.
“But our U20 performance programme is about every player fulfilling their potential and preparing them for the next step in their lacrosse journey and I’m looking forward most to continuing that work and seeing it come to fruition before, during, and after the World Championship.”
2024 World Lacrosse U20 Women’s Championship Squad
Honor Ashby
Rachael Ball
Charlie Bell
Kennedy Buntrock
Millie Cant
Grace Connor
Lois Crilly
Grace Davison
Ella Dimbylow
Lucy Evans
Ashley Fawn
Ana Green
Carys Johnson
Molly Light
Habi Littlehales
Ellie Martin
Annie Mather
Izzy Middleton
Freya Moody
Emma Pearce
Sienna Richardson
Jemma Thomson
England U20 Men announce European Championship squad
England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the final 22-player squad set to travel to Wroclaw, Poland for the 2024 ELF Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship.
The European Championship, taking place from 19-27 July, will mark the first major tournament for this cohort of England under-20 players.
The squad is made up of some of the best young English players from within the wider England under-20 men’s performance programme, all of which are on their personal journeys towards being international lacrosse athletes.
Seven of the selected squad travelled to Cardiff earlier this month and featured for the England U20 team at the Home Internationals Series, winning both their games against senior opposition in Scotland and the Netherlands.
Will Locker and Daniel Goodwin also stepped up to be a part of the England senior squad at Home Internationals and helped the team to three wins from three.
Having played at the 2022 U21 Men’s World Championship aged just 16, Hugo Peel also returns to the squad again following his appearance at last summer’s senior World Championship.
Peel scored six goals at that U21 World Championship including ones against Haudenosaunee, Israel, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the goal to take it to sudden death overtime in the fifth-place play-off against Japan; which he then followed up with a senior World Championship goal in San Diego against Australia.
This summer’s European Championship will provide a valuable learning experience for all the players involved as they continue their journey through the England Lacrosse talent programme.
The wider U20 performance squad will all continue as a full training group in the lead up to and after the European Championship with the remaining players acting as reserves for the Championship, to be called upon if required.
After the summer a number of the players will be transitioning to the senior England group and the U20 cohort will be evaluated for the following 12 months, with the opportunity for new players to connect.
Head Coach of the U20 performance programme, Mike Armstrong, said:
“As we announce the group of players heading to Poland this summer, I also reflect on the work that the whole group has undertaken over several months and firstly want to acknowledge that.
“Whilst this summer holds significance as a chapter in 22 player’s journeys, myself and the coaches are enthused today, more than ever, about the prospects of each individual within the whole squad.
“On top of that, I’m excited to see what the players heading to Wroclaw can further learn and achieve in our performances there.”
2024 ELF Men’s U20 Championship England Squad
Noah Arnison
Finn Avis
Wil Baker
Ellis Baythorpe
Leo Baythorpe
Will Brown
Josh Clegg
Jack Dearden
Dan Goodwin
Jim Hartley
Ben Jackson
Joachim Ruby
Will Locker
Jamie Mochan
Hugo Peel
Josh Phillips
George Shonfeld
Henry Smith
James Thompson
Alex Tyldesley-Worster
Calum Watson
Drew Wilkinson
Vacancies | England Lacrosse Independent Non-Executive Directors
England Lacrosse is looking to appoint two Independent Non-Executive Directors to the England Lacrosse Board of Directors with one role also including Chair of the National Lacrosse Committee (NLC) as part of its duties.
Applicants for the position of Independent Non-Executive Director should meet the following personal specifications.
Essential Skills:
Proven track record within a business or commercial development environment.
Dynamic and innovative thinking to lead and support the organisational and behavioural change agenda for England Lacrosse.
An understanding of financial and budgetary control of a not-for-profit organisation.
Experience of strategic planning and management.
Knowledge of accountability, monitoring and evaluation.
The Role:
Support the strategic perspective and vision in the delivery of the England Lacrosse new Business Plan 2024-28.
Be a member of the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities concerning statutory compliance, the good governance of the organisation, its financial stability and appropriate risk management.
Represent and champion England Lacrosse by being its advocate and ambassador for the sport at local, regional and national levels.
Ensure appropriate communication takes place with all major stakeholders.
Be the guardian of the reputation of England Lacrosse and seek to ensure it is regarded as a supportive, respected and trusted body.
Provide guidance and support to the CEO and other England Lacrosse Executive staff in the performance of his/her management responsibilities.
In addition to the bullet points above, the INED role including the Chair of the NLC will be required to:
Chair the National Lacrosse Committee (NLC) working with England Lacrosse staff and key volunteers to achieve the committees objectives and to report to the England Lacrosse Board on the NLC’s activities.
Main Duties:
To support the delivery of the vision, values, 4 Year Business Plan, delivery programmes and company policies.
To help create and maintain a positive culture of collaboration and co-operation throughout the organisation.
To be a functional part of England Lacrosse Board meetings, ensuring to review all information on the organisation’s performance, to enable sound decisions, effective monitoring and the provision of suitable advice to take place.
To be an active part in all issues; identifying and ensuring adequate steps are taken to address any potential conflict of interest; and contributing to all matters discussed and agreements reached.
Be part of the Board’s evaluation of its own performance and support implementation of any action required to improve the performance of the Board.
In addition to the bullet points above, the INED role including the Chair of the NLC will be required to:
To Chair the National Lacrosse Committee (3 meetings per year) and oversee the associated reporting and communication processes to support the objectives of NLC.
Equality and diversity
As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, we have included an optional equality monitoring form at the end of this document which we would appreciate candidates completing, where possible.
How to apply
For a confidential discussion about the role please contact England Lacrosse CEO, Mark Coups, on 0797625819 or [email protected]
To submit an application for this position please email the following documents to [email protected]:
Cover Letter highlighting your motivation for the post and relevant experience.
Up to date CV/biography.
Completed Equal Opportunities monitoring form (found in the documents below).
Application Deadline: Friday 31 May.
For more information about the roles, click the buttons below.
Spencer to take on Hampstead in SEMLA Senior Flags Final
Reigning Flags champions Spencer will take on 2023/24 Premier Division champions Hampstead in the 2024 SEMLA Senior Flags Final on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s final match.
Also in a repeat of last year’s finals, Division 1 winners, Spencer 2s, are in action against Reading Wildcats in the Intermediate competition and Exeter University play City of Stoke in the Minor Final.
In the Senior competition, Spencer head into the final match after an excellent 17-7 semi-final win over Camden while Hampstead come into this match in blistering form after a dominating 27-3 victory over Hillcroft in their semi-final; both teams received a bye in the quarter-finals.
Last year’s Senior Flags Finals match saw Spencer come out on top after a narrow 13-9 victory but Hampstead have the upper-hand in head to head matches this season with the Premier Division winners bettering Spencer in both home and away matches (Hampstead 12-9 Spencer, Spencer 8-11 Hampstead).
In Division 1, Spencer 2s have the superior record over Reading this season after a 7-5 away victory and 7-4 home win for Spencer, giving them the slight edge heading into the Intermediate Final.
And, finally, last year’s Minor Final saw Exeter defeat Stoke 14-7 and they’re looking strong once again after an 8-4 semi-final win over Hillcroft 2s and an 18-6 victory over Bath in their quarter-final. Stoke will be fierce competition though after overcoming Harlequins 16-9 in their semi-final match.
Schedule
Minor Flags Final | Exeter University v City of Stoke | 11am | Surrey Sports Park
Intermediate Flags Final | Spencer 2s v Reading Wildcats | 1pm | Surrey Sports Park
Senior Flags Final | Spencer v Hampstead | 4pm | Surrey Sports Park
England Lacrosse launches university lacrosse 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 information provided by players who complete the survey will help 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.
European Championship winner Eliot Pugh retires from international duty after 11 years
Veteran England box lacrosse goalie, Eliot Pugh, has decided to call time on his international career after 11 years.
Pugh ends his England career after earning 35 caps and representing his country at four major championships including the 2019 World Championship and the 2015, 2017, and 2022 European Championships, the latter of which saw him win a gold medal after England stormed to the title.
Pugh’s box lacrosse journey started in 2013 when he first attended some England training sessions hosted by ex-England players Joe Darkins and Pete Dunits who were looking for the next generation of England goalies in the aftermath of the 2011 World Championship.
From those first England training sessions, Pugh got more involved in box lacrosse and took part in the Tasko Cup for the first time in 2014, playing for DreadLax.
After that, Pugh was thrown in at the deep end when he was selected as part of the England squad to travel to the Onondaga Nation, USA for the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship; at that tournament, Pugh played in two games, securing a 72% save ratio, as England finished fifth.
Pugh had firmly got the box lacrosse bug by now and was chosen to be part of the England squad competing at the 2017 European Championship in Finland where he played in five games (68% save ratio), helping England to another fifth place finish.
Alongside his role as goalie, Pugh also took on the England Team Manager job ahead of the 2017 European Championship with fellow player Dave Cluney, a job which he continues to do now alongside Rob Gooch. This job involves organising the team ahead of training sessions and tournaments and booking accommodation and travel for the players and coaches.
In 2018, Pugh joined London Knights as they played in, and eventually won, the Tasko Cup that year; Pugh has played for London Knights in every Tasko Cup since then, claiming six titles.
2019 saw Pugh once again selected to play for England at that year’s World Championship where he played in six games with a 72% save ratio as England pushed USA all the way in the bronze medal game but eventually finished fourth.
In 2022, Pugh played in his final major championship for England when he played two games with a massive 86% save ratio as England claimed their first trophy at the 2022 European Box Lacrosse Championship in Hanover, Germany.
The 36-year-old made his final three England appearances at his second E-Box Invitational event last year.
Outside of box lacrosse, Pugh first picked up a lacrosse stick in 2007 while studying at Swansea University where he played in the mixed team and joined Swansea Hawks shortly after. In 2008, he helped to found the first men’s team at Swansea University before moving to Reading in 2010.
While playing for Reading, Pugh played in two Flags Finals in three years, winning their player of year twice in a row before moving to Maidstone. After two years at Maidstone, Pugh played in the Premiership with Purley for one season and then moved to Milton Keynes where he retired as a field lacrosse player in 2022.
Now he has retired as an international box player as well, Pugh intends on becoming a mentor and goalie coach in the future as well as continuing his role as the England Team Manager heading into this year’s World Championship.
The English game hasn’t seen the last of Pugh between the sticks though as he hopes to play as and when domestically and socially for London knights and the South team in the Tasko Cup and annual North v South games; he also hopes to have the opportunity to play at the Alex Hebresky Memorial one day.
Pugh leaves behind a huge legacy as when he joined the England box lacrosse team in 2013, not many people had heard of, let alone played, this indoor version of the sport.
But he, alongside several other pioneers of the game in England, helped to slowly grow the format and he leaves the England team, and box lacrosse in England more generally, in a much better place than when he started.
Indeed, box lacrosse in England is now attracting the attention of many of the best lacrosse players in the country and an annual domestic league now takes place every winter.
Thanks for everything, Eliot!
England complete Home Internationals clean sweep with perfect record
England Lacrosse sealed a perfect weekend in Cardiff as all four teams finished with 100% records in their competitions and completed a Home Internationals clean sweep.
A trio of wins on Sunday for both Senior sides and the U20 Women against Wales secured all three competitions up for grabs and U20 Men went two out of two in their weekend of matches with an impressive victory over Scotland Seniors.
England Senior Women came through a testing opener on Day 1; just one goal up at the half-time break having trailed against Scotland, a shut-out second half and 12-goal scoring streak resulted in a comfortable looking 18-5 win.
They then followed this up with a professional 20-1 victory over Czechia before facing hosts Wales looking to finish on a win and retain the Home Internationals.
England went ahead early with three goals in the first 10 minutes, and despite Wales always keeping the game close with strong defence, the result was rarely in doubt, bringing home a 13-7 win.
The England Senior Men’s final match against Wales became a winner takes all affair as both teams had beaten Scotland and Netherlands in their first two contests.
England steamrollered Scotland in their opener, moving 10-0 up at half-time before settling in the second half for a 17-2 scoreline.
This was then followed again by a flying start against Netherlands, going 6-0 up at the 1/4 time to assert dominance over proceedings and never relinquishing their comfortable advantage to come home 14-4.
In the decider, Wales caused a stir by going a goal ahead, but England remained unfazed, consistently working to break down the Welsh defence to find the net scoring four in each of the first two quarters for an 8-1 HT lead, finishing the game 14-2 victors and Men’s Home Internationals champions.
It was a similar situation for our U20 Women as they stamped their authority on the competition with a big 23-5 win against Scotland, followed up by another strong 17-2 victory over guest nation Germany.
This again set up a decider against Wales who proved to be a step up in competition for the side preparing for this summer’s Women’s World U20 Championship.
It was relatively low-scoring with England dominating the ball for large periods but being held out by an organised, physical Welsh defence; England only 5-1 up at the half.
The narrative continued after the break with England never in free scoring mood, but Wales unable to exert little pressure at the attacking end of things and England continued to chip further ahead, ending the match 11-2 ahead.
Meanwhile, a youthful England U20 Men’s side headed to Cardiff for their own international tests against senior opposition.
Their matchup against Netherlands proved to be one of the most exciting matches of the tournament as they held their own against their older opponents in a back and forth game that they always managed to just keep in front of, celebrating a hard-fought 10-9 win.
This was then followed up by an impressive 14-5 defeat of Scotland Seniors, even after falling behind early.
Scotland took 3-1 lead into the 1/4 time, but the U20s regrouped, slowly chipping away at the lead to eventually sneak 5-4 up at the half, and took that confidence into the third and fourth quarters where they ran out easy 14-5 winners with a 9-1 second half.
Plenty of player and coach interviews with each of the teams from across the weekend can be found on the England Lacrosse YouTube channel.
Results
Friday 5 April
9am - England U20 W 23-5 Scotland - (7-2; 14-3; 17-4; 23-5)
England Scorers: Annie Mather 5, Freya Moody 3, Emma Pearce 3, Molly Light 2, Millie Cant 2, Nina Sherwen 2, Grace Connor 1, Rachael Ball 1, Charlie Bell 1, Lucy Evans 1, Fiona MacLean 1, Sienna Richardson 1
11am - England Snr W 18-5 Scotland - (2-2; 6-5; 13-5; 18-5)
England Scorers: Ella Cohen (3G, 3A), Georgie Southorn (3G), Lucy Devine (2G, 1A), Liv Wimpenny (2G, 1A), Claire Faram (2G), Tilly Shires (2G), Milly Home (2G), Julie Wise (2G), Emma Savage (2A)
5pm - England Snr M 17-2 Scotland - (6-0; 10-0; 13-1; 17-2)
England Scorers: Alex Russell (5G, 1A), Blair Pachereva (4G), Will Goodwin (2G, 1A), Ed Loveland (2G), Dan Madeley (2G), Tom Roper (1G, 1A), Nathan Wilkinson (1G), Joe Baythorpe (2A), George Bascom (1A)
Saturday 6 April
9am - England U20 W 17-2 Germany - (8-0; 11-1; 15-1; 17-2)
England Scorers: Carys Johnson (3G, 2A), Lucy Evans (3G), Lara Renders (2G, 1A), Emma Pearce (2G), Millie Cant (2G), Habi Littlehales (1G, 1A), Ellie Pobjoy (1G, 1A), Honor Ashby (1G, 1A), Freya Moody (1G), Jemma Thomson (1G), Molly Light (2A)
9am - England U20 M 10-9 Netherlands Snr - (3-3; 6-5; 8-7; 10-9)
England Scorers: Ellis Baythorpe 4, Jamie Mochan 2, Billy Styche 2, Oscar McCarthy 1, Zak Spreckley 1
3pm - England Snr W 20-1 Czechia - (6-0; 8-0; 14-0; 20-1)
England Scorers: Liv Wimpenny (3G, 1A), Milly Home (3G), Ella Cohen (2G, 4A), Georgie Southorn (2G, 2A), Cece Green (2G, 2A), Alice Ripper (2G), Anna Neville (2G), Emma Savage (1G, 1A), Minty Loxton-Barnard (1G), Lucy Devine (1G), Tilly Shires (1G)
3pm - England Snr M 14-4 Netherlands - (6-0; 9-2; 12-3; 14-4)
England Scorers: Blair Pachereva 3, Nathan Wilkinson 2, Alex Russell 2, Ed Loveland 2, Cam Major 2, Will Goodwin 1, Will Locker 1, Elliott Bickerton 1
Sunday 7 April
12.30pm - England U20 M 14-5 Scotland Snr - (1-3; 5-4; 9-4; 14-5)
England Scorers: Ellis Baythorpe 4, Zak Spreckley 3, Henry Smith 2, Owen Shuttleworth 2, Oscar McCarthy 1, Ryan Frayne 1, Jamie Mochan 1
1pm - England U20 W 11-2 Wales - (3-1; 5-1; 9-2; 11-2)
England Scorers: Charlie Bell (5G), Nina Sherwen (2G), Millie Cant (1G), Ella Dimbylow (1G), Grace Connor (1G), Ellie Pobjoy (1G), Habi Littlehales (1A), Bonnie Russell (1A)
3pm - England Snr W 13-7 Wales - (5-2; 8-5; 11-6; 13-7)
England Scorers: Georgie Southorn (4G, 1A), Milly Home (3G, 1A), Tilly Shires (2G), Anna Neville (2G), Liv Wimpenny (1G), Cece Green (1G)
3pm - England Snr M 14-2 Wales - (4-1; 8-1; 10-1; 14-2)
England Scorers: Blair Pachevera 4, Nathan Wilkinson 3, Joe Baythorpe 2, Will Goodwin 2, Alex Russell 1, Elliott Bickerton 1, Tom Roper 1
Final Standings
Senior Women
1 England
2 Scotland
3 Wales
4 Czechia
Senior Men
1 England
2 Wales
3 Netherlands
4 Scotland
U20 Women
1 England
2 Wales
3 Scotland
4 Germany
LIVE: England head to Wales for annual Home International Series
Match results at the bottom of the page
Four England sides head west to Wales this weekend for the 2024 Home International Series hoping to return with top honours against our local neighbours.
Cardiff University Sports Fields is the venue for three days of elite international competition featuring the Home Nations, England, Wales and Scotland, along with some guest countries, showcasing the game across all levels.
This year’s Home Internationals features men’s and women’s senior competitions, as well as a U20 women’s competition.
England Men’s U20s will also play at the event, stepping up to face Scotland and Netherlands senior teams, the Dutch competing as an invitational side in the senior men’s competition, while Czechia will compete in the women’s seniors and Germany in the women’s U20s.
England come into the weekend as the defending champions in all of the competitions, following an undefeated Home Internationals last year on home soil in Nottingham.
There will be no shortage of action to enjoy and storylines to be created across the weekend as the nations compete not only for national bragging rights, but with World and European events on the horizon, selections for final championship squads will also be up for grabs.
England Senior Women can look forward to the European Championship in Braga in July, while the Women’s U20s have sights set on Hong Kong for the World U20 Championship in August.
The senior team competition will also be a great test for the Men’s U20s, as their youthful squad continue to gain experience in the lead up to their U20 European Championship in Poland in August and beyond, while Sam Patterson will lead his senior side in international competition for the first time since his appointment as Head Coach of the England Performance squad.
Below is the England match schedule across the three days, while a full competition schedule can be found HERE
Supporters can also buy tickets for the event HERE (prices to rise on the day), or if you can’t make it, you can of course still follow all the action across England Lacrosse social media and website.
England Match Schedule
Friday 5 April
9am - England U20 W 23-5 Scotland - (7-2; 14-3; 17-4; 23-5)
England Scorers: Annie Mather 5, Freya Moody 3, Emma Pearce 3, Molly Light 2, Millie Cant 2, Nina Sherwen 2, Grace Connor 1, Rachael Ball 1, Charlie Bell 1, Lucy Evans 1, Fiona MacLean 1, Sienna Richardson 1
11am - England Snr W 18-5 Scotland - (2-2; 6-5; 13-5; 18-5)
England Scorers: Ella Cohen (3G, 3A), Georgie Southorn (3G), Lucy Devine (2G, 1A), Liv Wimpenny (2G, 1A), Claire Faram (2G), Tilly Shires (2G), Milly Home (2G), Julie Wise (2G), Emma Savage (2A)
5pm - England Snr M x Scotland - (6-0; 10-0; 13-1; 17-2)
England Scorers: Alex Russell (5G, 1A), Blair Pachereva (4G), Will Goodwin (2G, 1A), Ed Loveland (2G), Dan Madeley (2G), Tom Roper (1G, 1A), Nathan Wilkinson (1G), Joe Baythorpe (2A), George Bascom (1A)
Saturday 6 April
9am - England U20 W 17-2 Germany - (8-0; 11-1; 15-1; 17-2)
England Scorers: Carys Johnson (3G, 2A), Lucy Evans (3G), Lara Renders (2G, 1A), Emma Pearce (2G), Millie Cant (2G), Habi Littlehales (1G, 1A), Ellie Pobjoy (1G, 1A), Honor Ashby (1G, 1A), Freya Moody (1G), Jemma Thomson (1G), Molly Light (2A)
9am - England U20 M 10-9 Netherlands Snr - (3-3; 6-5; 8-7; 10-9)
England Scorers: Ellis Baythorpe 4, Jamie Mochan 2, Billy Styche 2, Oscar McCarthy 1, Zak Spreckley 1
3pm - England Snr W 20-1 Czechia - (6-0; 8-0; 14-0; 20-1)
England Scorers: Liv Wimpenny (3G, 1A), Milly Home (3G), Ella Cohen (2G, 4A), Georgie Southorn (2G, 2A), Cece Green (2G, 2A), Alice Ripper (2G), Anna Neville (2G), Emma Savage (1G, 1A), Minty Loxton-Barnard (1G), Lucy Devine (1G), Tilly Shires (1G)
3pm - England Snr M 14-4 Netherlands - (6-0; 9-2; 12-3; 14-4)
England Scorers: Blair Pachereva 3, Nathan Wilkinson 2, Alex Russell 2, Ed Loveland 2, Cam Major 2, Will Goodwin 1, Will Locker 1, Elliott Bickerton 1
Sunday 7 April
12.30pm - England U20 M 14-5 Scotland Snr - (1-3; 5-4; 9-4; 14-5)
England Scorers: Ellis Baythorpe 4, Zak Spreckley 3, Henry Smith 2, Owen Shuttleworth 2, Oscar McCarthy 1, Ryan Frayne 1, Jamie Mochan 1
1pm - England U20 W 11-2 Wales - (3-1; 5-1; 9-2; 11-2)
England Scorers: Charlie Bell (5G), Nina Sherwen (2G), Millie Cant (1G), Ella Dimbylow (1G), Grace Connor (1G), Ellie Pobjoy (1G), Habi Littlehales (1A), Bonnie Russell (1A)
3pm - England Snr W 13-7 Wales - (5-2; 8-5; 11-6; 13-7)
England Scorers: Georgie Southorn (4G, 1A), Milly Home (3G, 1A), Tilly Shires (2G), Anna Neville (2G), Liv Wimpenny (1G), Cece Green (1G)
3pm - England Snr M 14-2 Wales - (4-1; 8-1; 10-1; 14-2)
England Scorers: Blair Pachevera 4, Nathan Wilkinson 3, Joe Baythorpe 2, Will Goodwin 2, Alex Russell 1, Elliott Bickerton 1, Tom Roper 1
Club offer | Host a Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse course
England Lacrosse is delighted to announce a brand new Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse course offer designed for clubs around the country.
The offer allows clubs who host Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse courses the opportunity to receive up to three places on the course completely free of charge, representing a possible saving of up to £300.
The Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse course is the entry level coaching course in England and is perfect for volunteers at clubs looking to help new players just starting out on their lacrosse journey.
A club will receive one free place on the course for each of the following criteria they meet:
Host a course with at least 10 attendees
10 or more attendees are England Lacrosse members
The host venue is available to host the course at no cost to England Lacrosse
England Lacrosse Lead Officer for Education & Skills, Nik Roberts, said about the new offer:
“At England Lacrosse, we continually strive to improve the quality of coaching in the game. Giving new players, whatever the age, the best possible start to a lacrosse playing career is good for the game and of course the player themselves. Good coaching must be safe, technically sound, and FUN”.
The Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse course is split into two parts with the theory being delivered through a two-hour webinar alongside a four-hour tutor-led practical session.
For more information about the course and the club offer, contact Nik Roberts via email on [email protected].
English officials selected for 2024 World Lacrosse Women's U20 Championship
Two English officials have been selected as on-field officials for the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship, World Lacrosse has announced.
Paul Bibby and David Morris are part of a 38-strong team of officials travelling to Hong Kong, China for the competition that’s set to take place from 15-24 August.
Both Bibby and Morris are highly experienced officials having taken charge of matches at various international competition around the world as well as some of the most high level domestic games in England.
The 38 officials represent 12 nations and three Continental Federations with World Lacrosse’s Officiating Committee helping to select the group of officials in consultation with National Governing Bodies and Continental Federations based on the officials’ quality and past performance in internationally sanctioned events.
The group of officials will be supported through the championship by a team of educators who will mentor, evaluate and assess their performance.
Leading up to the event, the individuals will continue to officiate in their home countries, attend online workshops, undergo fitness testing and take rules exams ensuring that they are best prepared for the championship.
Each official selected for the championship has a World Lacrosse 1 or higher certification, in line with World Lacrosse’s recent efforts to develop an officials’ certification program to ensure a consistent standard across world championships.
England senior women's Home Internationals Series squad announced
England Lacrosse is thrilled to announce the 22-player squad ready to make the trip to Cardiff, Wales for the Home Internationals Series this weekend.
The annual competition, taking place from 5-7 April at Cardiff University Playing Fields, will see England take on other international sides in competitive fixtures as they continue their preparations for the 2024 ELF Women’s Championship later this year.
At that competition in Braga, Portugal, England will be looking to build upon the bronze medal they secured at the World Championship in 2022 and win an unprecedented fourth consecutive European title.
England will play three games during the 2024 Home Internationals Series, including matches against Scotland, Czechia, and Wales.
To buy tickets for the 2024 Home Internationals Series, click HERE.
England Senior Women’s Squad
Laura Beaman
Chloe Chan
Emilie Chandler
Ella Cohen
Lucy Devine
Claire Faram
Cece Green
Milly Home
Zoe Lovibond
Minty Loxton-Barnard
Anna Neville
Emma Oakley
Alice Ripper
Lizzie Rutherford
Anna Saunter
Emma Savage
Tilly Shires
Georgie Southorn
Dylan Whittington
Charlie Wilson
Liv Wimpenny
Julie Wise
England senior men's team revealed ahead of 2024 Home Internationals Series
England Lacrosse is pleased to announced the 20-player England senior men’s squad to compete at the 2024 Home Internationals Series in Cardiff, Wales this weekend.
The competition, taking place from 5-7 April, will see England take on other international sides in the team’s first competitive fixtures since they finished sixth at last year’s 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, USA.
Since then, Sam Patterson has been appointed the new England Head Coach and he has been tasked with putting together a team capable of competing at the European Championship in 2025.
England will play three matches at the 2024 Home Internationals Series with them taking on Scotland, Netherlands, and Wales.
To buy tickets for the 2024 Home Internationals Series, click HERE.
England Senior Men’s Squad
George Bascom
Joe Baythorpe
Simon Bellamy
Elliott Bickerton
Alex Davidson
Nick DeCaprio
Hal Dwobeng
Daniel Goodwin
William Goodwin
MacGyver Hay
Grady Jackson-Fayle
William Locker
Edward Loveland
Daniel Madeley
Cameron Major
Dave O’Callaghan
Blair Pachereva
Alex Russell
Tom Roper
Nathan Wilkinson
England U20 men's Home Internationals squad revealed
England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the 20-player England under-20 men’s squad to compete at the annual 2024 Home Internationals Series in Cardiff, Wales.
The competition, taking place from 5-7 April, will see England take on other international sides in competitive fixtures as the players continue their journey through the under-20 performance programme.
The 20-player squad will gain valuable experience during the Home Internationals Series that will help propel them in their lacrosse careers and assist them in becoming the well-rounded athletes the programme sets out to create.
To this end, England will play two matches during the Series against senior teams from Netherlands and Scotland; the opportunity to pit themselves against experienced senior players will set them in good stead for the future.
To buy tickets for the 2024 Home Internationals Series, click HERE.
Noah Arnison
Wil Baker
Ellis Baythorpe
Leo Baythorpe
Luke Bond
Archie Carr
Luke Flower
Matthew Forrester
Ryan Frayne
Will Hodgson
Oscar McCarthy
Jamie Mochan
Sam Polya
Owen Shuttleworth
Henry Smith
Zak Spreckley
Xander Stewart
Billy Styche
James Thompson
Calum Watson
England U20 women's Home Internationals Series squad announced
England Lacrosse is excited to announce the 29-player England under-20 women’s squad travelling to Cardiff for the 2024 Home Internationals Series.
The annual competition, taking place from 5-7 April, will see England take on other international sides in competitive fixtures as they continue their preparations for the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 World Championship later this year.
18 of the 29-strong squad helped England to under-20 European Championship glory last summer in Prague, Czechia, and they’re joined by another 11 players representing some of the best young talent England has to offer.
England will play three games during the 2024 Home Internationals Series, including matches against Scotland U20, Germany U20, and Wales U20, all of whom are taking part in August’s World Championship.
To buy tickets for the 2024 Home Internationals Series, click HERE.
England U20 Women’s Squad
Honor Ashby
Rachael Ball
Charlie Bell
Millie Cant
Grace Connor
Lois Crilly
Grace Davison
Ella Dimbylow
Lucy Evans
Ashley Fawn
Ana Green
Abi Harris
Carys Johnson
Molly Light
Habi Littlehales
Fiona MacLean
Ellie Martin
Annie Mather
Izzy Middleton
Freya Moody
Sienna Parekh
Emma Pearce
Ellie Pobjoy
Lara Renders
Sienna Richardson
Bonnie Russell
Ailsa Scott
Nina Sherwen
Jemma Thomson