Could you host the BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship?

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has opened applications to host the BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

The annual competition is the largest university lacrosse competition playing the now confirmed Olympic Sixes version of the sport and the 2023 tournament saw over 45 teams taking part.

In 2022 and 2023, the competition was held at Nottingham Trent University and now BUCS is on the hunt for the next host university.

The most suitable venue will be awarded the staging of the BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championship for two years with a break clause existing between BUCS and the host venue(s) should it be required by either party following year one.

Applications are open until 5pm on Thursday 1 February and potential host venues should complete the bid questionnaire by clicking the button below.

BUCS Match of the Week | University of Liverpool v Newcastle University

This week’s BUCS Match of the Week sees us head to Merseyside as Liverpool take on Newcastle in a Women’s Premier North 2 match-up.

Liverpool come into this game with just one win from their seven games this season and their 12-7 win over Edinburgh 2s in early November sees them second bottom on three points.

They were dumped out of the National Trophy after a 19-2 second round defeat by fellow Premier North 2 team Durham 2 despite an impressive 12-3 round one victory over Nottingham 3s.

It’s certainly been a baptism of fire for a team who were promoted from the Northern Tier 1 – 1A last season with an unbeaten record and 10 league wins in a row.

Today, Liverpool will be looking to build upon a good performance last week as they fell to a narrow 9-7 defeat to Manchester and finally grab that second league win that has been so elusive over the past month.

Newcastle make the almost 350-mile round trip to Liverpool hoping to bounce back from successive defeats in all competitions for the second time this season.

Despite this, they sit in a healthy third place in the Premier North 2, level on points with Manchester who they are yet to play and blew away Liverpool 12-2 in the reverse fixture in October.

Three wins and three losses from six games is a good return for Newcastle and being “the best of the rest” behind two incredible sides in Durham 2s and Nottingham 2s is certainly not to be sniffed at and a second successive third place finish looks to be on the cards.

Ones to Watch

University of Liverpool

An exceptional performer throughout the season so far, Georgina Goodwin is a defensive midfielder whose performances across the pitch in both the attack and defence has had a huge impact on Liverpool’s game.

Zoe Hollingshead is a newcomer to the Liverpool team this season having only started her studies in September but she has already proved her worth in a short space of time.

Hollingshead has the ability to create space in the centre of midfield and control the attacking play brilliantly.

Newcastle University

Newcastle’s two players to watch come as a pair and are, in the words of coach Jeremy Pidgeon, a “deathly duo”.

Emma Eastwick-Jones and Henny Wright are both midfielders who are so in sync they can read each other’s play and predict what the other is going to do. 

A part of the England under-23 set-up, Eastwick-Jones is an unbelievable talent who clearly has a bright future head of her on a lacrosse pitch.

Having come through the ranks at Timperley Lacrosse Club in Greater Manchester, Wright is continuing her development at Newcastle and is proving a tough nut to crack in the middle of the park.

Fact Files

University of Liverpool

Team Captain | Lucy Adshead
Coaching Staff | India Chadwick
2022/23 League Position | 1st (Northern Tier 1 - 1A)

Newcastle University

Team Captain | Annie Hipper
Coaching Staff | Jeremy Pidgeon
2022/23 League Position | 3rd (Premier North 1)

Previous Meetings

Newcastle 12-2 Liverpool | 18/10/23

BUCS Match of the Week | Nottingham Trent University v University of Birmingham

Our BUCS Match of the Week takes us to Nottingham this week as Nottingham Trent University take on the University of Birmingham in the Women’s Premier North 1 division.

Nottingham Trent come into this fixture sat in third place in the table narrowly behind Durham and Nottingham in first and second respectively.

They’ve had a mixed start to the season with three wins, three defeats, and a draw from their opening seven games and they are looking to get back to winning ways today after three games without victory, despite an enthralling 14-14 draw with Edinburgh last time out.

A close 12-9 victory in the reverse fixture will give Nottingham Trent some confidence heading into this one.

Birmingham are currently in fifth place in the league table, level on points with Loughborough who they beat 12-11 two weeks ago before tasting defeat in their last game against Durham.

They have a record of two wins and five losses so far this season and will be hoping to properly kick-start their campaign with a win against Nottingham Trent today.

Historically, this fixture has been a tight contest with both games last season won by one goal and this season’s encounter by three.

Ones to Watch

Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent have a whole host of talent in their ranks for the 2023/24 season with several international players, including England’s Sofia Wise.

Fresh from helping the England under-20 team win the European Championship trophy in the summer, Wise is a threat on both sides of the ball.

Her speed and high-level stick skills carry the Nottingham Trent midfield and she currently leads the team stats in turnovers, interceptions, and ground-balls.

Another player who is part of the England set-up is Nottingham Trent’s top scorer Harley Tideswell.

Tideswell already has 10 years’ experience with a lacrosse stick after starting at Mellor Lacrosse Club at the age of 11 and she has grown into an agile attacker who uses her quick feet and stick control to find her way through the fan and defenders to grab vital goals for the team.

University of Birmingham

Birmingham aren’t short of an international player or two either and England’s Ellie Simpson is definitely one to watch this season.

Having started in the junior England teams, Simpson has recently progressed into the senior set-up where she has been continuing to progress with some speed!

A fierce defender, Simpson will play a huge part if Birmingham are to snatch a win later today.

A new addition to the first team for the 2023/24 season, Izzy O’Kelly has already proved her worth in the Birmingham team with her performances as both an attacking and defensive midfielder.

Fact Files

Nottingham Trent University

Captains | Shona McKenna & Fiona Cameron
Coaching Staff | Bella Ferraro (Head Coach) & Sam Patterson (Head of Lacrosse)
2022/23 League Position | 3rd (Women’s Premier North 1)

University of Birmingham

Captain | Katie O’Connell
Coaching Staff | Bryony Smith (Head Coach)
2022/23 League Position | 4th (Women’s Premier North 1)

2022/23 Meetings

Nottingham Trent 11-10 Birmingham | 23/11/22

Birmingham 7-8 Nottingham Trent | 07/12/22

BUCS Match of the Week | University of Plymouth v University of the West of England

The BUCS Match of the Week takes us to the south-west coast this week as we focus on the University of Plymouth v the University of the West of England (UWE) in the Western Tier 1 - 1A.

Plymouth start the day in third place in the league after an impressive unbeaten start to the season that has seen them narrowly defeat Southampton 4-3 in their last match and take a 10-1 victory in the reverse fixture against UWE on the opening day.

Plymouth’s first two results are doubly impressive considering they are newly promoted to the Western Tier 1 - 1A after winning the Western Tier 2 - 2A last season.

It’s a 260-mile round trip for UWE to play Plymouth but they’ll be looking to kick-start their 2023/24 domestic campaign that has so far yielded just one win from their opening four games.

A win against Plymouth today would make it consecutive victories for the first time this season after a 3-2 away win over Bath 2s last Wednesday; they currently sit in fifth position in the league three points behind Plymouth.

After finishing fourth last season, UWE’s hopes for the season once again look to be maintaining their Western Tier 1 - 1A status.

Ones to Watch

University of Plymouth

After a hugely successful season last year that included promotion and a Western Conference Cup title, Plymouth are looking to continue their run of good form and their lead long-pole, Alex Webb, is integral if they are to do so.

An unstoppable defender who has been a part of the Plymouth side for a number of years now, Webb is physical in defence, willing to stop anyone from getting past him, and is a huge part of their transition game.

After stepping down as Plymouth captain at the end of last season, James Stansbury is back for the 2023/24 season to once again lead the Plymouth attack.

Stansbury is a fast-thinking, confident dodger who can find the back of the net with ease; defenders would be foolish to leave him open in front of goal!

University of the West of England

UWE’s Alfie Stanton is a towering presence in between the sticks for his side and, despite being a new addition to the team this season, has started with intent showing what he’s capable of in UWE’s last game against Bath 2s.

Another new addition to the UWE side for 2023/24, Theo Powell is a defender not to be messed with and again showed his defensive capabilities against Bath 2s last week.

UWE have had some tough fixtures so far this season but with Stanton and Powell continuing to improve week by week they’re sure to pick up some more positive results.

Fact Files

University of Plymouth

Captain | Sean Paton
Coaching Team | Sean Paton (Head Coach), Ben Lipinski (Assistant Coach), James Stansbury (Offensive Co-ordinator), Alex Webb (Defensive Co-ordinator)
2022/23 League Position | 1st (Western Tier 2 - 2A)

University of the West of England

Captain | Jack Hutchins
Coaching Team | Kyle McHugh
2022/23 League Position | 4th (Western Tier 1 - 1A)

BUCS Match of the Week | University of Oxford v Exeter University

The BUCS Match of the Week takes us to the Men’s Premier South league this week as the University of Oxford take on Exeter University.

Oxford come into this game looking to go three unbeaten and extend their lead at the top of the table after dominant wins over Bath (12-4) and Marjon (11-0) in their opening two matches.

Exeter, who sit third in the Premier South league table after two matches, have a record of one win and one loss so far after games against Bristol (8-9 defeat) and Cardiff (14-1 win).

Both teams will be looking to improve upon their league finishes from last season with Oxford finishing fourth and Exeter finishing just in front in third and, looking at both sides’ squads, they have more than enough to challenge for the league title.

Ones to Watch

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford have the undeniable talents of Jeongmyeong (Shine) Park for another year and he takes up the captaincy for the 2023/24 season as well as face-off duties.

Having played for the South Korea national side, Park offers international experience that can prove to be the difference between teams in the Premier South division.

Further adding to the University of Oxford’s talent and experience is Patrick Atkins who joins Oxford’s men’s side from Connecticut College in the US where he has been playing as an offensive midfielder in the NCAA Division 3.

An extremely exciting prospect, Atkins has already bagged an incredible 26 goals in the last four games he’s played for Oxford.

Exeter University

After an impressive third place finish in the league last season and a win in the SEMLA Minor tournament, Exeter will be looking to cement their spot in the upper echelons of the league this season.

They welcome attacker Fraser Cox to the first team for the 2023/24 season after impressing for the second team last year.

Cox is not afraid to dodge past defenders, whether long pole or short, and get a shot off on goal and Exeter will be hoping to see goals from this young player as he grows into the team.

Another attacking threat is Nat Hodgson who loves to create problems for defenders and goalies around the crease.

He warmed up sufficiently at last weekend’s BUCS Sixes competition where he helped his side to the semi-finals, an eventual third place finish, and three wins in their five games.

Fact Files

Oxford

Team Captains | Jeongmyeong (Shine) Park & Ewan Timms
Coaching Staff | Don McGraw (Head Coach)
2022/23 League Position | 4th

Exeter

Team Captains | Angus Loder & Tom Scott-Brown
Coaching Staff | Billy Rawlins & George Sherry
2022/23 League Postion | 3rd

2022/23 League Meetings | Oxford 10-9 Exeter, Exeter 7-5 Oxford

Registration opens for 2023 BUCS 6s tournament

Registration has opened for the annual BUCS 6s tournament taking place on Sunday 15 October 2023 at Nottingham Trent University.

Universities have until 11:59pm on Tuesday 19 September to register their teams with players able to join teams until 11:59pm on Tuesday 10 October.

The BUCS 6s competition has been a staple of the university lacrosse calendar for a number of years now and was held at the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex in Bristol between 2017 and 2021 when it moved to Nottingham Trent University.

In 2022, the University of Nottingham won both the men’s and women’s Championship titles while Cardiff University and Newcastle University took home the men’s and women’s Trophy titles respectively.

Traditionally an eight-a-side tournament, the format was changed in 2021 to fit in with the new sixes version of lacrosse.

Registered teams will be split into two competitions, the Championship and the Trophy, and seeded based on their position in the BUCS Lacrosse 2022-23 season.

Premiership universities’ first teams will be allocated to the Championship with any remaining spaces allocated to the next best finishing position; the remaining teams will be allocated to the Trophy along with any second or third teams.

For more details on how to register your team, click the button below.

Bumper day of lacrosse as BUCS Big Wednesday takes place tomorrow

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Big Wednesday returns tomorrow with four games of lacrosse across the men’s and women’s competitions in the battle to be crowned National Trophy and Championship winners.

Reigning champions Nottingham take on Exeter in the Women’s Championship final hoping that home advantage will see them retain their crown, while the Nottingham Men will be looking to make it a home double as they play city rivals Nottingham Trent in the Men’s Championship final.

Exeter and Nottingham also meet in the Women’s Trophy final as their 2s teams meet, while Newcastle are also out to retain their title, battling it out against Imperial College London in the Men’s Trophy, which they won last year.

Taking place at the David Ross Sports Village at the University of Nottingham, BUCS Big Wednesday is the culmination of the domestic university cup competitions that started back in January and saw 94 lacrosse teams from around the UK whittled down to just eight finalists.

Seven of the eight finalists featuring at this year’s BUCS Big Wednesday finished top of their league at the end of the 2022-23 season with only Nottingham Trent Men finishing second behind fellow Championship finalists Nottingham.

Each team has proved difficult to beat over the course of the season with five teams (Nottingham Men 1s, Nottingham Women 1s, Newcastle Men 1s, Exeter Women 2s, Nottingham Women 2s) winning all ten of their league fixtures to remain undefeated.

And there’s plenty of international interest in the squads too with over 15 England national team players and coaches involved across the eight squads, including the likes of Dylan Whittington and Emma Savage (Nottingham) Alice Ripper and Anna Neville (Exeter), Josh Poke and Will Shirt (Trent), Ed Loveland and Daniel Madeley (Nottingham) and England senior women’s Head Coach Michael Molster in charge of Exeter.

Both Championship finals will be streamed live on BUCS TV this year with the women’s final starting at 4:30pm and the men’s final facing off at 7pm.

If you are unable to watch the games live, England Lacrosse will be providing updates across social media.

BUCS Big Wednesday Schedule

National Trophy

Women | Exeter 2s v Nottingham 2s | 10am
Men | Newcastle 1s v Imperial College London 1s | 12:30pm

National Championship

Women | Exeter 1s v Nottingham 1s | 4:30pm
Men | Nottingham Trent 1s v Nottingham 1s | 7pm

Roads to the final

National Championship

Exeter women 1s

Quarter Final | Exeter 1s 12-8 Birmingham 1s
Semi-Final | Exeter 1s 9-8 Durham 1s

Nottingham women 1s

Quarter-Final | Nottingham 1s 18-4 Edinburgh 1s
Semi-Final | Nottingham 23-3 Oxford 1s

Nottingham Trent men 1s

Quarter-Final | Nottingham Trent 1s 20-1 Exeter 1s
Semi-Final | Nottingham Trent 1s 19-2 Manchester Metropolitan

Nottingham men 1s

Quarter-Final | Nottingham 1s 17-0 Oxford 1s
Semi-Final | Nottingham 1s 13-5 Durham 1s

National Trophy

Exeter women 2s

Round 1 | Bye
Round 2 | Exeter 2s (walkover) Oxford 2s
Round 3 | Exeter 2s 19-7 Exeter 4s
Quarter-Final | Exeter 2s 9-2 University College London 1s
Semi-Final | Exeter 2s 10-8 Exeter 3s

Nottingham women 2s

Round 1 | Bye
Round 2 | Nottingham 2s 26-2 Manchester Metropolitan 2s
Round 3 | Nottingham 2s 9-8 Liverpool 1s
Quarter-Final | Nottingham 2s 24-5 St Andrews 1s
Semi-Final | Nottingham 2s 7-6 Warwick 1s

Newcastle men 1s

Round 1 | Newcastle 1s 24-1 Lancaster 1s
Round 2 | Newcastle 1s 18-3 Sheffield 1s
Quarter-Final | Newcastle 1s 20-1 York 1s
Semi-Final | Newcastle 1s 16-2 Glasgow 1s

Imperial College London men 1s

Round 1 | Imperial College London 1s 9-4 Bristol 2s
Round 2 | Imperial College London 1s 8-7 Canterbury Christ Church 1s
Quarter-Final | Imperial College London 1s 6-5 Warwick 1s
Semi-Final | Imperial College London 1s 10-4 Kent 1s

Registration opens for annual BUCS 6s tournament

Teams are able to sign up for this year’s BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships after British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) opened registration earlier today.

The annual competition, which made a triumphant return to the lacrosse calendar last year after its cancellation in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is taking place on Sunday 16 October in its new home at Nottingham Trent University.

Since 2017, the competition has been held at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex in Bristol but, as is the custom, a new venue was sought for the 2022 edition.

Traditionally an eight-a-side tournament, the format was changed in 2021 to fit in with the new sixes version of lacrosse.

And the first winners of the amended BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships were Nottingham University (women) and Loughborough University (men)

The registration period begins today (Tuesday 23 August) and will end on Tuesday 20 September at 11:59pm.

The Championships is an important part of the lacrosse calendar and gives university teams an additional opportunity for competition against teams from outside of their league and region with entries from all across the UK.

For more information about the competition and the registration process, click below:

Loughborough and Nottingham Universities Win 2021 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships

Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham won the respective men’s and women’s 2021 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships at Coombe Dingle Sports Centre, Bristol, on Saturday.

On what was a day of blue skies and glorious sunshine, Loughborough University defeated the University of the West of England 5-4 in the men’s final while the University of Nottingham worked hard to complete an unbeaten day by coming back from two goals down to beat the University of Exeter 4-3 in the women’s final.

Saturday's competition, the first to take place since 2019, saw the BUCS Lacrosse 8s Championships change format slightly from eight a-side to six a-side to reflect the proposed Olympic version of the game which will potentially included in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In fact, this was only the third competition in the world to use the brand new 6s rules after tournaments in the USA and Australia in late May.

The day began with a round robin containing the 10 teams in the women’s competition and the nine teams in the men’s tournament.

These 19 teams were then whittled down to eight in each competition for the quarter finals before two semi-finals and a final each, eventually seeing the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University take home the gold medals. The full table of results will be available to be viewed online shortly.

The full women’s final and the second half of the men’s final can viewed below.

And if you’re loving the 6s content then why not follow our brand new 6s event, The Fly, across social media?

Teams Announced for 2021 BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships

England Lacrosse are excited to announce the 11 women’s and nine men’s teams taking part in this year’s BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships.

The slightly amended tournament, which will using the new proposed six a-side Olympic version of lacrosse as opposed to the traditional eight a-side game, is the first to take place since 2019.

In that edition of the competition, the winners were Durham University (Men) and University of Oxford (Women) in the Championship Division and Swansea University (Men) and Cardiff University (Women) in the Trophy Division.

This year’s BUCS 6s will take place on Saturday 5 June at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, Bristol, as it has been each year since 2017, and you’ll be able to follow the action with England Lacrosse on social media!

The teams are as follows with the full schedule due to be released next week.

Women

University of Birmingham 1
University of Edinburgh 1
University of Essex 1
University of Exeter 1
University of Exeter 2
University of Gloucestershire 1
Leeds Beckett University 1
University of Nottingham 1
University of Oxford 1
University of Oxford 2
University of Surrey 1

Men

University of Essex 1
University of Exeter 1
University of Exeter 2
University of Gloucestershire 1
Leeds Beckett University 1
Plymouth Marjon University 1
University of Oxford 1
University of Surrey 1
University of the West of England 1

Registration for Annual BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships Now Open

British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) has today announced that registration for this year’s BUCS Lacrosse 6s Championships is now open.

The annual competition, which was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is usually made up of teams of eight players but changes this year will see the new 6s format of the game played instead.

As was announced before the cancellation of last year’s competition, the Championships will take place at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, Bristol, as it has been each year since 2017.

The registration period begins today (Tuesday 27 April) and will end on Thursday 13 May at 11:59pm.

To ensure everyone involved in the tournament is as safe as possible, all current Government and England Lacrosse COVID-19 restrictions will be adhered to.

2019’s tournament was won by Durham University (Men) and University of Oxford (Women) in the Championship Division and Swansea University (Men) and Cardiff University (Women) in the Trophy Division.

The Championships is an important part of the lacrosse calendar and gives university teams an additional opportunity for competition against teams from outside of their league and region with entries from all across the UK.

For more information about the competition and the registration process, click below:

BUCS Cancel 2020/21 League and Knockout Season

British University & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has announced their 2020/21 league and knockout season has been cancelled due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement released early this week, BUCS cited “the unpredictable nature of nationwide lockdowns and restrictions” as the reason why it would not be possible to start their season at the end of January as planned.

This cancellation includes all BUCS lacrosse league and knockout competition for the 2020/21 season.

England Lacrosse has also made the decision this week to postpone the BUCS 8s tournament until the summer, depending on restrictions.

The BUCS statement goes on to say:

“We still intend to run an Outdoor Cricket league in Term 3. We will continue to prioritise student safety, demand and viability to guide our decision making.

“No individual events will happen before March. However, these events are only postponed - we are hopeful that these will take place later in the year. More information on each event is available on the individual sport pages. Our aim is to remain flexible and react to the changing situation as quickly as possible. 

“Whilst physical sport is unable to take place for the next few months, we continue to provide virtual activity and other engaging opportunities. The launch of Challenges on the BUCS Play app enables healthy competition between individuals, teams and universities, and more Challenges will be released over the next few months. 

“Over the last few months, we did all we could to try and make sport happen. We very much recognise the importance of sport, and the part it plays in the physical and mental wellbeing of students, especially at the moment. 

“This news of the League and Knockout competition cancellation will be disappointing for many, especially those in their final year, who won’t have the opportunity to play final matches with the teams that have become a second family over their time at university. However, whilst our overarching goal is to deliver the best student sport experience, to put competition on during this time would risk player welfare and safety, and that is not a chance we are willing to take.”

The statement can be read in full over on the BUCS website.

Tilly Shires Runner Up for BUCS Sportswoman of the Year

England women’s national team midfielder, Tilly Shires, finished as a runner up for the Sportswoman of the Year award at this year’s British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Awards.

In a virtual presentation held yesterday evening, Tilly was up against Anna Emilie Moller (Athletics, St. Mary’s University) and, eventual winner, Esme Burge (Hockey, University of Nottingham) for the prestigious award.

The award was chosen by a judging panel of 34 people from across the sporting spectrum, including former Wales international lacrosse player and now Senior Sport Empowerment Officer at Stonewall UK, Erin Walters-Williams.

The Sportswoman of the Year award “celebrates the domestic or international success of a student studying at a BUCS member institution. The award recognises the highest possible standard of competition achieved by an eligible female identifying student”.

Tilly, who studied at Durham University before her graduation this summer and was an integral part of their lacrosse team during her three years there as well as their captain, also represents England and has made 13 appearances so far for the national side.

She most recently represented her country at the 2019 Women’s European Lacrosse Championship in Netanya, Israel, where she played in all seven games, scoring nine goals, as England stormed their way to victory in the tournament.

Durham finished top of their league last season and were due to battle Exeter in the Cup Championship Final before coronavirus forced sport to be halted and this was thanks in no small part to captain Tilly who drove the team to success.

England Lacrosse would like to wish Tilly a huge well done for making the final three and we simply cannot wait to see her back on the world stage (hopefully) very soon!

The winners of all the awards can be viewed HERE, including a very special message from Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal!