Heaton Mersey’s U14 boys team became the first English junior team ever to play in a European box lacrosse tournament in July when they took part in The Prague Cup 2025.

Three wins in their four games saw them win the round robin tournament that also featured teams from Switzerland, Germany, and Czechia.

The idea to take a boys junior team to a European competition was first mooted by England Lacrosse who were hoping to send boys and girls teams, made up of players from their Aspire Programme, to the United World Games in Austria.

When the boys competition at that event fell through due to not enough teams signing up, Heaton Mersey’s Richard Smith decided to seek out a similar opportunity for his young players.

Since its inception in 2017, The Prague Cup has predominantly been a women’s-only tournament but that all changed this year when the organisers decided to host a junior boys box competition for the first time.

Heaton Mersey’s U14 boys team consists of players who have played with each other for a number of years and have been a successful part of the club’s junior programme, winning the Centurion Cup at the Northern Flags Festival earlier this year.

Smith and the other coaches at Heaton Mersey, Andy Ellison and Sam Dunwoodie, felt the time was right to offer this cohort another lacrosse-playing opportunity.

Having never played box lacrosse before, the group found The Prague Cup challenging, having to come to terms with the format, rules, and increased physicality quickly.

Once they figured all that out, the players were outstanding defeating Switzerland, ZSJM A, and JFKS Berlin and only facing defeat once: a 10-5 loss to LCC Radotin.

For more information about The Prague Cup, click HERE, and to read more about Heaton Mersey Lacrosse Club, click HERE.

Heaton Mersey results at The Prague Cup 2025

Heaton Mersey 9-5 Switzerland (5-3, 4-2)

Heaton Mersey scorers | Harry Bailey (3G), Thomas Mullin (1G, 2A), Woody Dunwoodie (2G), Ben France (2G), Doug Smith (1G).

Heaton Mersey 10-9 ZSJM A (3-6, 7-3)

Heaton Mersey scorers | Ben France (3G, 1A), Rory Ellison (3G), Doug Smith (2G, 1A), Harry Webley (1G, 2A), Ethan Green (2A), Harry Bailey (1G).

Heaton Mersey 5-10 LCC Radotin (3-4, 2-6)

Heaton Mersey scorers | Rory Ellison (2G), Harry Bailey (1G), Doug Smith (1G), Harry Webley (1G), Aaron Armstrong (1A).

Heaton Mersey 11-7 JFKS Berlin (6-4, 5-3)

Heaton Mersey scorers | Doug Smith (5G), Harry Bailey (4G), Rory Ellison (2A), Aaron Armstrong (1G), Ben France (1G), Ethan Green (1A).