Watch: Priestnall School make top 8 in debut National Schools appearance

Priestnall School made it through to the quarterfinals at the recent National Schools Lacrosse Championships on their first ever appearance at the prestigious event in Aldershot.

After previously playing friendly matches and competing in Northern schools tournaments, the Stockport school entered the Under 15 competition at this year’s National Schools to test themselves against the rest of the country and play against some the top lacrosse schools in the UK.

They ended up winning five of their seven matches at the Championships, drawing against the eventual champions St Swithun’s in their opening game, before just going out to finalists Claremont Fan Court in overtime in their quarterfinal match.

As first-time entrants, England Lacrosse caught up with the coach, teachers and players at the school to find out how they came to form their lacrosse team, why they decided to enter, and how they found their first nationals experience.

Behind the scenes at National Schools with Clare Stoot

Most people know the National Schools Lacrosse Championships for the players, the coaches, and, of course, the fantastic weather but what they probably don’t know is the band of dedicated volunteers behind the scenes who allow the competition to run without a hitch year on year.

One of the leaders of this dedicated band is Clare Stoot who has been helping to run National Schools since 2012, with many years of general volunteering at the event before that.

Her role involves checking everything over, reading through every last document involved in the competition, and acting as a mentor to our England Lacrosse Lead for Competitions, Helen Amos, giving her invaluable insight into how National Schools is run.

Having been involved in the sport since she was 11-years-old, Clare’s association with lacrosse spans several decades and many of the people she volunteers with at National Schools she has known and been friends with since her school days.

Spending time with her lacrosse friends is one of the most important aspects of the event for Clare; some of the people she went to school with and played lacrosse with over the years have become close friends and National Schools wouldn’t be the same without them.

Clare sees these friendships and the relationship she has with England Lacrosse staff, and many of the teachers at the schools who attend the Championships as epitomising what lacrosse is all about: it’s a family.

After finishing her playing career, Clare spent time teaching, coaching, and volunteering locally, something she’s continued to do for the past 30 years with additional volunteering opportunities arriving on the national and international scene.

Clare was heavily involved in the organising of the World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship that was held at Surrey Sports Park in 2017 with her hard work and dedication helping England to a first third-placed finish since 2005.

After such an incredible run as a volunteer, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Clare might be ready to wind down and think about hanging up her walking boots for good, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

As well as continuing to volunteer at all the regular lacrosse events throughout the year, Clare’s next focus is the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA, where she’s determined to attend in a voluntary capacity and experience lacrosse at the Olympics for the first time in 80 years.

It’s safe to say National Schools wouldn’t be the same without Clare Stoot and her team of helpers. England Lacrosse really is lucky to have such a dedicated and lovely friend to help us every year at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships!

National Schools Lacrosse Championships | Day 4 LIVE

The event schedule and scoring system is powered again by Macoocoo, keeping you right up to date with all the latest events as they happen throughout the Championships and will be the quickest place to find updates on your team.

Download the Macoocoo App to your phone from your App Store and follow your chosen team to keep updated with their progress throughout the competition or visit the web version above.

We've gone digital! For 2024, we’ve taken the National Schools programme online, giving you the opportunity to get a good read wherever you’re following the Championships from and soak up all the useful information to make your Championships experience even better.

Where can I park? Where is my team playing? What can I buy on site? All the information you need at your finger tips through our online event programme, being updated regularly as we move towards the Championships!

Tickets on sale for 2024 National Schools Lacrosse Championships

Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 National Schools Lacrosse Championships giving you the opportunity to see some of the best young players in the country from under-13 to under-19 level.

Taking place at Aldershot Garrison Sports Fields, Aldershot, from 9-12 March, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships brings together over 3,000 players, from four age categories, representing over 50 schools, in 12 tournaments, as they battle it out to be named the best in their age group.

Adult tickets are available for the 2024 competition from just £13.75 for a single day ticket with a full weekend or full weekday ticket costing £22.50, a saving of £5.

The National Schools Lacrosse Championships is now in its 80th year with the first tournament taking place in 1944.

In that year, a year before the end of the Second World War, Bedford Technical College were named the inaugural winners after defeating St Mary’s, Calne in the final.

The reigning champions of the under-19 Championship trophy are St Catherine’s, Bramley, after securing victory in 2023 with a 3-2 win over Moreton Hall.

Both those schools will be back at the event in just over a weeks’ time, alongside 49 others looking to etch their names in history.

Please note, children under the age of 16 can enter the Championships free of charge and there are no concessions rates in 2024.

Competition Dates

Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 March | U19A & U19B
Monday 11 March | U19C, U15A & U15B
Tuesday 12 March | U14 & U13

2024 National Schools Lacrosse Championships digital programme now LIVE

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce that the 2024 National Schools Lacrosse Championships digital programme is now LIVE.

The digital programme contains all the latest information about this year’s National Schools Championships, including site maps, schedules, last year’s results, and England Lacrosse partner offers.

For the first time, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships programme is fully digital with accessible, clickable links to relevant web pages throughout.

The decision to go fully digital in 2024 was made to reduce the amount of paper used at the event and to give spectators all the latest information about the Championships in the most accessible way possible.

The programme will continue to be updated as and when new information, like the 2024 schedule and ticket news, is released.

To read this year’s National Schools Lacrosse Championships digital programme, click below.

England Lacrosse announces new partnership opportunities

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce a brand new set of partnership opportunities allowing external companies and organisations to get involved in England Lacrosse-run events.

With the news that lacrosse is now an Olympic sport and will be featured at the LA 2028 Olympic Games in five years, there has never been a better moment to get involved in lacrosse and partner with England Lacrosse.

And with a category of partnership to suit every need and budget, this could be your opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Two of England Lacrosse’s flagship events, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships and The Fly, are searching for partners for their 2024 iterations and beyond.

The National Schools Lacrosse Championships is an annual four-day competition that brings together some of the country’s best lacrosse-playing school teams across multiple age groups.

It is more than just a lacrosse competition, however, it is a platform for creating unforgettable memories that become a cherished and enduring part of each player’s personal lacrosse story.

As an England Lacrosse partner, you would help us to continue to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Our three partnership options for the National Schools Lacrosse Championships are:

Event Partner - £10,000 + VAT

• Pitch-side branding

• Team welcome pack

• Winners’ medals

• Event programme

• Loud speaker announcements

• 5,000 footfall over four days

Vendors - £1,650 incl. VAT (four day attendance) or £412.50 incl. VAT (per day of attendance)

• Dedicated space in vendor village

• 3,000 female lacrosse players in attendance over four days

• Three age groups ranging from under-13 to under-19

• 2,000 spectators over four days

Digital Partner - £2,000 + VAT

• Website/social promotion

  • 36,000 unique website visits during event

  • 14,000-strong engaged social community

• Competition results app

  • 5,000-strong database

• Email distribution

  • 8,000-strong database

The Fly is the world’s first Sixes Lacrosse league showcasing the brand new Olympic version of the sport and bringing together the best lacrosse players in the UK and further afield.

With a men’s and women’s competition running concurrently and featuring eight teams in total, The Fly provides an elite level playing experience for the Olympic format of the sport.

Now heading into its fourth year, The Fly is looking for partners to join them on the next stage of their journey as England Lacrosse remains committed to promoting the growth of Sixes Lacrosse and providing an exceptional platform for players to showcase their skills.

Our four partnership options for The Fly are:

Event Partner - £10,000 + VAT

• Affiliation with an exciting new Olympic sport

• On-site branding opportunities

Media Partner - £5,000 + VAT

• Streaming/broadcast advertising opportunities

• Online branding opportunities

Stall Holder - £500 + VAT per day

• Over 2,000 spectators across four days

• Engaged lacrosse and sports fans

• Young, health conscious audience

Fan Zone Partner - £500 + VAT per day

• Interactive fan zone

  • Set up booths or activities for attendees - games, contests, product displays etc.

For more information about the competition and the partnership opportunities on offer at both the National Schools Lacrosse Championships and The Fly, click HERE.

Statement | 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships | Monday 13 March

Due to the severe weather forecast for Monday 13th March, England Lacrosse has made the difficult decision to cancel the U15A, U15B, and U19C competitions at the 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships.

The general safety of the site and all personnel will be compromised by the forecasted gale force winds and, because our first priority is to ensure the welfare of everyone at the competition, we believe this course of action is the only way to ensure this aim is met.

Affected schools have been contacted and any questions from schools will be answered at our coaches meeting on-site tomorrow morning.

We appreciate your understanding.

Join us as a volunteer at the 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships!

England Lacrosse is searching for a number of committed and enthusiastic individuals to volunteer as part of the 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships.

Taking place from 11 - 14 March 2023 at Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships brings together the best lacrosse playing schools from around the UK in one competition where they battle across several age categories to be named the best.

Volunteering opportunities are available across each of the four days (Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Monday 13, Tuesday 14) with days beginning at 8:30am and concluding at 5pm.

Volunteers can agree to any number of days across the Championships and will be required to undertake a DBS check with England Lacrosse before the competition.

There are volunteering opportunities in three different areas at the Championships, including the competition (timing, pitch stewarding, & scoring), the event (event support, hospitality, & ticketing), and social media.

Volunteers are able to choose any or all of the volunteer areas and an England Lacrosse member of staff will be in touch with further details once you have completed a Volunteering Form (see below).

To apply to be a volunteer at the 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships, please click the button below and fill out the form.

Umpire at the 2022 National Schools Lacrosse Championships

England Lacrosse is looking for umpires to officiate at the 2022 National Schools Lacrosse Championships, taking place at Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, Aldershot from 19-22 March next year.

Umpires will be needed for all four days of the Championships, including for England Lacrosse during the under-19 divisions’ games on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March.

As the biggest schools’ lacrosse event in the UK, the National Schools Lacrosse Championships is the perfect opportunity to officiate a high level of lacrosse, with umpires attending from all over Europe.

Umpires officiating on the first two days of the tournament will be paid a fee of £100 per day, plus up to £50 per day in travel expenses, dependent on your location.

On Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 March, officials are not appointed centrally by England Lacrosse and schools are required to find officials themselves.

However, to assist schools, any umpires who are available on the Monday and Tuesday and wanting to be involved can register their interest below.

Officials will then be put in touch with schools who require assistance closer to the start of the Championships.

Anyone officiating on behalf of the schools will be paid directly by the schools.

Please note, any accommodation and food costs will be the responsibility of the umpire.

To officiate at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships, umpires must:

• Hold a minimum Level 1 umpiring qualification.

• Complete the England Lacrosse annual rules test*

• Hold a valid England Lacrosse membership*

*Officials coming from other countries are not required to hold a valid England Lacrosse membership or complete the annual rules test. They must, however, have the required membership for their own country and be in good standing with their own national governing body.

Applications are open until Monday 13 December and applicants will be contacted during that week to confirm their place to umpire at the event.

If you wish to attend the event, complete the form below and if you have any questions, please contact England Lacrosse Officiating Coordinator, Ryan Griffiths, via email at [email protected].

Registration Opens for National Schools Championships 2022

Registration has opened today for the 2022 edition of the National Schools Lacrosse Championships, England Lacrosse’s premier school lacrosse competition.

The Championships, taking place once again at Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, Aldershot, were cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but are back for 2022 and is due to take place between 19-22 March.

These dates are later than usual and it is hoped the extra couple of weeks will allow for better weather than has been seen in previous years at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships and give us a great four days of competition for the return of the event.

The tournament has several age categories across Under-19, Under-15, Under-14, and Under-13 age categories and sees schools from all around the country battle it out to be crowned National Schools Lacrosse Champions with Wycombe Abbey being crowned the Under-19A winners back in 2020.

Schools are able to register for the competition from Friday 15 October until Wednesday 17 November and more information about the registration process and the National Schools Lacrosse Championships more generally can be found by clicking the button below:

Competition Dates:
Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 March - U19A & U19B
Monday 21 March - U19C, U15A & U15B
Tuesday 22 March - U14 & U13

England Lacrosse Announce Dates of National Schools Championships 2022

England Lacrosse are excited to announce the dates for this year’s School Challenge Cup competition and next year’s National Schools Championships.

After both events were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, we can now reveal that the 2021 edition of the School Challenge Cup will take place on Sunday 14 November 2021 with the National Schools Championships 2022 taking place from 19 to 22 March 2022.

Both competitions will take place in their usual home of Aldershot Garrison.

The exciting news comes after the Government laid out their plan for the easing of coronavirus restrictions and after lacrosse successfully returned to play last month.

Both competitions will follow any and all restrictions that may continue to be in place at the time of the events.

Further details regarding both tournaments will be released in due course.

2021 National Schools Championships Cancelled

England Lacrosse are extremely disappointed to announce the cancellation of the 2021 National Schools Lacrosse Championships.

The majority of the 2020 competition was squeezed in just prior to the first national lockdown back in March last year but the 2021 competition has, unfortunately, not been as lucky.

It is with regret that we are cancelling this year’s event and it is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but with the continued restrictions and lack of clarity with regards to when these will be lifted we are left with no option.

The annual National Schools Lacrosse Championships, which is now into its 77th year, pits the country’s best girls’ school teams (across four age groups from under-13 to under-19) against each other with a chance to be crowned champions of their age category.

Last year’s Championships, which were hampered by poor weather, took place just before the first national lockdown in March.

And, after a tough couple of days of competition, Wycombe Abbey School came out on top in the under-19A category, beating Benenden School in the final.

In the other categories, St Pauls Girls’ School (U19A Div 1), Marlborough College (U19A Div 2), Queen Margaret’s School (U19A Div 3), St Catherine’s (U19B, U19C, U15A), and Guildford High School (U14) all excelled, coming top in their respective competitions.

Please be reassured that England Lacrosse are committed to developing a schools’ competition when restrictions are lifted, and we will make sure that we stay in touch with the relevant parties as we move through the coming weeks.

But, despite the set-back of having the 2021 tournament cancelled, England Lacrosse can confirm that the National Schools Lacrosse Championships will be returning in March 2022!

A venue and dates for this competition will be released in due course.

We appreciate how difficult it has been for the whole lacrosse community during the past year being unable to play the game we love but lacrosse will return and we all look forward to celebrating that day soon.