England Lacrosse Launch 'Bouncing off the Walls' Fundraising Campaign

England Lacrosse are pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Bouncing off the Walls’ fundraising campaign, in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which aims to raise money to buy computer equipment for vulnerable young people.

Ofcom estimates that almost two million children in the UK do not have access to a laptop, desktop, or tablet at home and the ‘Bouncing off the Walls’ campaign hopes to raise an initial £20,000 to buy 100 computer packages for those in need.

Raspberry Pi are a UK-based charity that “works to put the power of computing and digital making into the hands of people all over the world”.

The ‘Bouncing off the Walls’ campaign will raise money for their Learn at Home initiative which has recently been scaled up due to the latest national lockdown and the urgency of some people’s situations.

For less than £200, Raspberry Pi can provide a vulnerable young person with everything they need to learn at home, including:​

• A Raspberry Pi desktop computer;

• A monitor;

• A webcam;

• Educational software;

• Ongoing support from a youth worker and the Raspberry Pi Foundation team.

England Lacrosse are asking everyone to join us as we try to achieve one million wall balls, raise money for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and get active this new year.

To take on the challenge with us, all you have to do is donate (or ask your family and friends to sponsor you) £1 for every 100 wall balls you complete; 2,000 wall balls will help the Raspberry Pi Foundation purchase one computer package.

And for every £200 raised, a young person will receive their own Raspberry Pi computer kit.

It doesn’t matter if you have a lacrosse stick or not, any bat-type implement can be used to take part in our challenge whether that’s a tennis racket, a cricket bat, or even your hands!

It’s a great way to keep active during the national lockdown and is a way to help us raise money for vulnerable young people who need up to date technology now maybe more than ever.

For more information about the challenge, including how you can sign up and donate, 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.

England Lacrosse Announce 50% Off All Educational Courses!

England Lacrosse are delighted once again to announce a 50% discount on all educational courses during the third national lockdown.

Our Field Lacrosse Coaching, Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse, Level 1 Refereeing, Level 1 Umpiring, and Safeguarding courses will all be available with 50% off starting today (Thursday 7 January) and running until midnight on Sunday 21 February.

This will be the third time in a year that England Lacrosse has offered a discount on courses and, with the country plunged into yet another national lockdown, Chief Executive Officer, Mark Coups, thinks it’s a brilliant way to start the year.

“As we enter our third national lockdown, and with the suspension of lacrosse for the early part of 2021, it is important that we support our lacrosse family. 

“Therefore, we have several initiatives launching over the next few weeks.

“The first of these is to again offer a 50% discount on all our educational courses for the lockdown period and this will allow many of you to improve your knowledge of lacrosse and gain certification to coach and officiate.

“We hope that you will take advantage of this offer to expand your skill-sets so improving and growing the game in the long term.

“We understand this is a difficult time for us all as we are again prevented from playing our sport but lacrosse will return and we will be making announcements over the coming weeks about our plans for the coming months.”

England Lacrosse Mixed Lacrosse Leagues Season Cancelled

England Lacrosse are disappointed to announce the cancellation of our mixed lacrosse leagues for the 2020/21 season.

The decision comes after the Government’s announcement placing the whole of England into another national lockdown due to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases around the country.

Due to the restrictions that came into force late last year, the mixed lacrosse leagues never really got started in the first place, with only a handful of fixtures being able to be fulfilled before a postponement of the leagues just before Christmas.

Unfortunately, recent Government announcements and the suspension of lacrosse activity until further notice mean that we have had to make the decision to cancel our mixed lacrosse leagues.

England Lacrosse Regional Competitions Officer, and mixed lacrosse leagues’ organiser, Helen Amos, says it’s a disappointing decision to have to make but, given the circumstances, totally understandable and needed.

“With coronavirus cases on the rise all over the country, we understand that it is in the best interests of everybody that lacrosse activity has been suspended.

“Given this suspension, and with no way of knowing exactly when lacrosse will return again, we believe it is the correct decision to cancel the mixed lacrosse leagues season and, hopefully, start again for the 2021/22 season!”

Please direct any questions regarding coronavirus towards [email protected].

World Lacrosse Announce New Dates for 2022 World Lacrosse Women's World Championship

World Lacrosse have announced the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship will take place 29 June - 9 July 2022 after a unanimous vote by their Board of Directors yesterday.

The tournament, which was originally due to take place in July 2021, was rescheduled to 2022 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

During their monthly meeting, the World Lacrosse Board of Directors finally announced the new dates as well as confirmed the competition will still take place in Towson, Maryland, USA on the the campus of Towson University.

As many as 30 national teams are expected to compete in next year’s tournament and World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern, believes the newly announced dates represent some good news to start the new year.

“We would like to thank our host National Governing Body, US Lacrosse, and our host venue, Towson
University, for their continued support and partnership in making certain athletes from around the world will have the opportunity to represent their nation at the highest level of World Championship competition in 2022.”

The summer of 2022 is proving to be jam-packed in the world of international lacrosse with no less than six competitions due to take place!

In addition, World Lacrosse have said they expect to confirm the revised dates for the 2022 Men’s U21 World Championship in the next 60 days.

England Lacrosse Announce 'A Virtual Evening with Tom Wenham'

England Lacrosse are delighted to announce ‘A Virtual Evening with…’ session with former England and current Great Britain Men’s Head Coach, Tom Wenham, on Thursday 14 January, starting at 7pm.

Tom will be specifically looking at, discussing, and analysing the meeting between England and Japan in the 5th place play-off game at the 2018 Men’s World Lacrosse Championship, which England won 11-9.

Winning this game was a huge triumph, firstly, as it gave England a fourth straight 5th place finish at the World Lacrosse Championship but mainly because England found themselves 7-0 down and really struggling at half-time.

A Virtual Evening with Tom Wenham is the perfect opportunity to hear from a seasoned lacrosse professional, who has coached at the very top of the game, as he discusses what was tactically different between the first and second half England performances during that famous match.

England Lacrosse Regional Core Products Officer, Richard Gartside, who has helped organise the evening, said to have someone of Tom’s coaching calibre speaking is really great.

“After a really tough year, when not much lacrosse has been played in England and across the world, An Evening with Tom Wenham will be such an exciting and insightful event.

“The England v Japan game that Tom will be looking at is one of the most memorable England matches in recent years and to be able to hear analysis from the Head Coach on the day really will be a unique experience.”

The virtual evening is free and will take place via video call on Microsoft Teams; everyone who signs up will be sent a link to the call closer to the event.

England Lacrosse CEO, Mark Coups, Issues Christmas Message

This Christmas message was not the one I had planned when 2020 started and this year has been the most challenging of our lives.

I should be reflecting on a year in which lacrosse took a step closer to achieving our mission of becoming a major team sport with medals being won and more people playing the sport we enjoy so much.

However, the last 12 months have placed significant obstacles in our way and has consistently surprised and disrupted so much of our sport, but my reflection is not one of disappointment.

I am proud of the whole lacrosse community, from England Lacrosse staff and volunteers, to the club, school and university players, coaches, officials and managers. From our National squads, to the young talent pathway players. Everyone in our community has displayed grit and determination, with good humour, to ensure lacrosse has prevailed over the pandemic restrictions. 

I whole heartedly thank each and every one of you for the part you have played this year; you are all a credit to our lacrosse family.

Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet; as we enter 2021, further restrictions are likely but there is hope on the horizon that lacrosse will return, and I am confident we will meet these challenges with the resolve we have displayed so far. 

Lacrosse has much to offer our nation and in the coming years. Progress is being delayed by the pandemic, but we all know that the future is bright for the sport about which we are all so passionate!

Please enjoy whatever form Christmas takes for you this year. Look after each other and stay safe.

Mark Coups,
England Lacrosse Chief Executive Officer.

Return to Play Guidance Update - 21 December

Following the Government announcement on 19 December, parts of the country have been placed into stricter Tier 4 restrictions.

England Lacrosse has been in communication with Government agencies to clarify what this means for lacrosse participation.

Restrictions relating to sport and physical activity have been strengthened in Tier 4 areas; Tier 4 is effectively a stay at home order.

Sadly, this means playing lacrosse will not be permitted in Tier 4 areas.

There are, however, exemptions for Under-18 and disability sport and England Lacrosse would like to request consideration is given before taking advantage of this exemption; travel must be kept to a minimum.

Whilst there is an exemption for juniors to play, England Lacrosse recognises that the volunteers and coaches who make lacrosse happen have to feel comfortable continuing to provide activity.

England Lacrosse fully supports clubs making decisions on a case-by-case basis about whether to continue in the short-term.

These new Tier 4 restrictions are in addition to some areas of the country changing tiers on Thursday last week; always follow the local restrictions in your area.

All the latest guidance can be found on the dedicated COVID-19 area of our website and any questions should be directed towards [email protected].

England Lacrosse Supports Red January Campaign

England Lacrosse are delighted to be supporting this year’s Red January Campaign, in partnership with Sport in Mind, that aims to “get people active every day in January” to promote positive mental health.

The national initiative, that has been running annually since 2016, is also supported by Sport England and the Active Partnership Network.

Red January initially began after CEO and founder, Hannah Beecham, witnessed the “transformative effect that regular exercise had on [her] mum as she recovered from a period of severe depression” and she decided to choose January as it seemed like the perfect month:

“It’s a time when many are setting new goals, are low on funds and motivation, with less social occasions to keep us connected. RED was an empowering colour for dark times that could inspire those taking part to get active every day, to beat the blues away.”

The initiative seeks to raise money for Sport in Mind, who work in partnership with NHS Trusts, to deliver sports interventions for mental health care and, in a year when looking after the mental health of the nation has been more important than ever, it is a great time to sign up and get active!

And with a growing community of over 150,000 “REDers”, no-one has to complete Red January alone; they’re very active on social media where you can keep up to speed with expert tips, fitness inspiration, and connect with other REDers from all across the world.

If you think this is the challenge for you then why not sign up for Red January today?

COVID-19 Tier 4 Announcement

After today’s (19.20.20) announcement England Lacrosse will issue an update to our guidance, as soon as we can.

Jane Powell Appointed Member of New World Lacrosse Women in Sport Commission

England Lacrosse National Performance & Talent Development Manager, Jane Powell, has been appointed as one of four member representatives on the new World Lacrosse Women in Sport Commission.

The Commission, which is expected to begin its work in January 2021, will form part of a global Women in Sport Advisory Commission for World Lacrosse, participating in “strategy and policy development, and taking the lead for specific projects and communications with an aim of positioning World Lacrosse as a champion for women in lacrosse”.

Jane will meet with the other members on the Commission four times a year to help explore ways of reaching all the member nations to set up projects and programmes to develop and support women’s lacrosse growth.

Jane, who has been working for England Lacrosse for seven years, has had an illustrious sporting career and has always been at the forefront of the drive to encourage women to get into sport.

In her previous role as Head of Coaching with England Hockey, Jane was a key driver of their Field Hockey Talent Programme and, since 2013, has transformed the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway, now engaging with over 800 girls from all over the country.

The World Lacrosse Women in Sport Commission was set-up earlier this year to acknowledge that “every woman has the ability - and the fundamental human right - to participate in our sport”.

It will work on improving three main aspects of lacrosse:

• Diversity: “the different characteristics of people who make up our women’s community. Diversity is the strength of our lacrosse community with all 67 current members across five continents”.

• Inclusion: “what we will do to ensure our diverse women’s lacrosse community is reflected effectively in all areas of our sport”.

• Opportunity: “what we provide to improve with creativity and encourage members of our global women’s lacrosse community who are currently under-represented to feel welcome, included and that their voice is heard”.

A former England cricket captain and head coach with over 50 years’ experience within the world of sport, Jane believes she has the depth of experience that can contribute positively to the Commission.

“Over those 50 years, I have seen changes in the way women have been engaged and supported and, whilst there has been some movement, there is still a long way to go until parity is achieved,” Jane remarked upon hearing of her appointment to the Commission.

“I have played, coached, and led sport across a number of different sports and different countries, coaching in England, India, Iran, and Australia; each of those countries shows different responses to women playing sport and it has enhanced my knowledge and understanding.”

“Because of my own background as an educationalist and coach I have been fortunate to have contributed to the development of programmes for young girls and subsequently national teams and believe I have the right skills and knowledge to succeed in my new role and encourage more women and girls around the world to get involved with lacrosse.”

Jane won’t be the only English representative on the Commission, however, as World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern, newly elected World Lacrosse Finance & Governance Director, Sallie Barker, and England Lacrosse Official Stephen Taylor will take up the role of Chair, World Lacrosse Board Appointee, and Commission Administrator respectively.

England Lacrosse wish Jane, Sue, Sallie, and Stephen all the best in their new roles on the Commission.

World Lacrosse postpone two World Championships scheduled for 2021

World Lacrosse has announced the decision to postpone the Women’s World Championship and Men’s U-20 World Championship, moving both tournaments from 2021 to the summer of 2022.

In a statement released earlier today, World Lacrosse said they had “examined the continued impact, uncertainty and disruption created by the global pandemic on preparations for these events, along with input provided by our member-National Governing Bodies regarding athlete health and safety, team training, travel and other logistical considerations.”

The decisions were taken by the World Lacrosse Board of Directors at their December monthly meeting with dates for the rescheduled events to be “confirmed as a matter of priority and communicated to World Lacrosse members as soon as possible”.

The Men’s Junior World Championship, will become a U-21 event to allow for the continued eligibility of players currently training for the Championship in Limerick, Ireland at the University of Limerick, while the Women’s World Championship has been confirmed as being held in Towson, Maryland, USA at Towson University.

World Lacrosse also said they expect the sequence of events for World Lacrosse and its members in 2022 to be:

• Late June/early July - 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship (Towson, Maryland, USA).

• July 7 - 17 - The World Games 2022 (Birmingham, Alabama, USA)

• Late July/early August - 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U-21 World Championship (Limerick, Ireland)

Upon the release of the statement, World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern, remarked:

“These are extremely difficult decisions, particularly given the need to provide our members with as much advance notice as possible whilst managing the risk and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic.

“Given the full range of considerations, this is the right decision for World Lacrosse and our members; an extra year to prepare means the participating teams will be able to train with certainty in knowing these events will take place in 2022, and athletes can now focus on preparing with confidence for their moment on the global stage”.

The full World Lacrosse statement can be read HERE

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!

England Lacrosse thanks those who attended COVID-19 guidance update webinars

England Lacrosse would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to attend either, or in some cases both, of England Lacrosse’s COVID-19 webinars on the evening of Thursday 3 December.

We enjoyed the opportunity to discuss with you the present situation and answer your questions.

For anyone who was unable to join either webinar, a recording was made of each one.

Government guidelines have placed a fresh emphasis on the following areas: social interaction, sanctions for non-compliance, and spectators.

Please read our Return to Play Help Page for more information on these areas. 

As is set out in the Government guidance, we would like to highlight the following statements:

• Social interaction can only take place in line with legal gathering limits and other relevant restrictions when not playing. Observing the rules during play but then disregarding them after (e.g., by socialising in breach of the wider restrictions) is unlawful, irresponsible and jeopardises both public health and the case for safe sport to continue.   

• You are advised not to travel into or out of tier 3 areas, including for sport, unless this is necessary to enable individual exercise (or exercise for people from the same household or support bubble). Where this is necessary (for example to access a green space for a run or cycle), you should only travel a short distance and stay as local as possible. Travel is also permitted where it is necessary to enable sport for disabled people, sport for educational purposes, or supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, to take place, but should still be minimised and kept to short distances only. 

•  In tier 2 areas: you should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make, where possible. 

• Sporting activities are permitted despite wider restrictions because of the benefits of sport and physical activity for people’s physical and mental wellbeing. If people act irresponsibly when participating in sport (including off the pitch, and when socialising before and after activity) they jeopardise public health and undermine the case for safe sport to take place. 

• National governing bodies should ensure that clubs/leagues/providers are running their activities safely, and should take action to address any issues, including putting in place additional measures or suspending players/teams/leagues/clubs which do not adhere to guidance. If there are serious or consistent concerns with a particular sport which the NGB cannot or does not address, the NGB’s approval may be revoked so that the sport cannot take place. 

We all have a responsibility to ensure Phase 4 Return to Play guidelines are adhered to, in addition to the points highlighted above.

We have created a COVID-19 Guideline Breach document to assist the game.

"Wall ball has featured heavily": Playing Box Lacrosse During Lockdown

“I’ve tried to use lockdowns to get into the best shape possible”.

These are the words of England Box Lacrosse national team defender, Tom Roche, who has been, like the rest of the lacrosse community, trying to keep himself fit and match-ready during the past nine months or so since the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK.

“No matter what type of lacrosse you're playing you need to be fit and England field lacrosse national team player (and newly converted box lacrosse enthusiast), Jak Wawrzyniak, has helped me to focus on my speed with one of his online 16-week programmes. 

“Wall ball has also featured heavily; taking my stick to the park has been a great way to make sure I'm leaving the house during lockdowns”. 

When it comes to trying to adapt his indoor game, training, and drills for an outdoor setting, Tom believes all disciplines of the game are beneficial to each other.

“For me the two disciplines (box and field lacrosse) complement each other perfectly; the more box I play, the more I recognise the advantages when I'm playing field. 

“If you watched National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams play the last couple of years, you can recognise a lot of stuff from the box game happening in the attack. 

“Now, when I go back to field training and people are running a two-man game, I feel comfortable that it will be easier to handle than what I've experienced in box.

“I would hugely recommend playing box to field players in both attack and defence; attackers working in the small space and defenders having to deal with aggressive picks forces you to improve your game”. 

As an international box lacrosse player, the pandemic, and the subsequent lockdowns, have not been ideal; the England box lacrosse national team hasn’t been given elite status by the Government in the same way Premier League football clubs, for instance, have been.

“It's definitely been a challenge as box has pretty much been removed from the lacrosse calendar since the end of March. 

“Southern Box Lacrosse (SBL) had run some fantastic sessions in Disley, where we were able to play good games and, importantly, shoot at box goalies! 

“With that said, we're lucky to have Disley as another base for box lacrosse, and I know that our domestic coach Andy Downing is working to get sessions on there soon. 

“There's no substitute for game time and reps when it comes to box, so I think the wider pool of English players just really need to get playing again, outside if necessary. 

Despite a couple of outdoor box lacrosse sessions being hosted when restrictions were eased at the beginning of July, Tom doesn’t think there’s any substitute for an indoor setting.

“You can't practice everything outside, but you can definitely work the key elements. 

“Five-a-side pitches are great for playing a reduced-space game, and if you can get a goalie and box goal along then it is still possible to get a high-quality practice and scrimmage. 

“Missing the rebounds off the boards is a shame, but as a country we have so much to work on in the two- and three-man game that five-a-side pitches and the outdoor box at Disley can easily provide us with what we need to improve the standard of box lacrosse in England”. 

However, the most important thing for Tom is that box lacrosse players get back to playing outside as soon as possible and everything can move from there.

“I would love to play the second North vs South game; I played for the South in game one and we're feeling confident for the rematch. 

“I'd also love to see the Tasko cup make a comeback; that is our domestic box lacrosse tournament, which is open to all players”. 

And Tom is really hoping box lacrosse can continue to grow, as it has done over the past few years, despite the setbacks of 2020.

“We have to get playing outside. I know that SBL are planning something exciting to help make this happen, and that Northern Box Lacrosse (NBL) will make full use of Disley as soon as they can. 

“We need to create more exposure of the box game to the wider lacrosse community and provide an opportunity for people to play. 

“I've been amazed at the professional standard of tournaments available in Europe and I think improving the exposure of those tournaments to people in the UK will also help a lot”. 

England Lacrosse Support Annual Rainbow Laces Campaign

England Lacrosse are proud to once again be supporting Stonewall’s annual Rainbow Laces Campaign that has a particular focus this year on “celebrating the impact that sport has on LGBT people, and the impact that LGBT people have on sport”.

The campaign, which was initially launched seven years ago in 2013, aims to raise awareness around LGBT+ inclusion in sport and runs from 26 November to 13 December.

Since the campaign began, Stonewall have sent out over one million pairs of rainbow laces and supporters of the campaign this year will be able to support specific branches of the LGBT+ umbrella with the launch of laces depicting the lesbian, trans, bi, non-binary, pan, and asexual flags.

Maria Munir, Stonewall's Associate Director of Community Engagement, said: "It's fantastic that we've sent out close to one million laces across the UK and beyond. It shows what a phenomenal symbol lacing up has become for LGBT+ people”.

Given the circumstances the world faces this year, it’s no surprise that there’s a huge focus in the 2020 campaign on the impact that COVID-19 has had on LGBT+ communities after a recent Stonewall survey found that loneliness and isolation are badly affecting LGBT+ communities during this time.

England Lacrosse will be highlighting some of these stories across the next two weeks so keep an eye out on our social media channels and website to stay up to date!

World Lacrosse Postpone Upcoming World Championships

Last week, World Lacrosse announced three of their upcoming World Championships would be postponed and moved back a year to allow more time for the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was made at the annual World Lacrosse General Assembly and means the Men’s World Lacrosse Championship will be moved from 2022 to 2023 while the Men’s World Indoor Lacrosse Championship and the Women’s Under-19 World Lacrosse Championship will both be moved from 2023 to 2024.

A decision will be made regarding the Men’s Under-21 World Lacrosse Championship and the Women’s World Lacrosse Championship in December where it is likely these tournaments will either be cancelled or postponed as well.

Although absolutely necessary to curb the rate of coronavirus infections around the world, the postponement and possible cancellation of World Championships does present a significant and unique challenge to talent & performance programmes both here in England and across the globe.

England Lacrosse National Performance & Talent Development Manager, Jane Powell, believes that, after a year devoid of World Championships and potentially another one just around the corner, she, and the England Lacrosse Talent & Performance team, has a number of key issues to deal with.

“After a difficult last 10 months, the motivation of players in our National Squads is still exceptionally high but all players need to have a goal on the horizon and until World Lacrosse have their board meeting in December we don’t fully know at this stage what the decision will be.

“Preparing and peaking at the right time are key priorities for our coaches and support staff and until we know those dates (for the Men’s U-19 and Women’s World Lacrosse Championships) we will not be able to put in place the key markers of fitness targets and match preparation around that.

“As a governing body, we are already seeking out potential match opposition to help test and prepare our teams in lieu of a World Championship in 2021.

Despite World Lacrosse taking the decision to postpone many of their upcoming World Championships, the European Lacrosse Federation (ELF) are still looking to go ahead with their Men’s European Lacrosse Championship next summer, something Jane says is quite difficult to prepare for at this stage.

“As far as the senior men are concerned, we are preparing as best we can for the European Championships scheduled for July 2021 but with a restriction on numbers at practice and overseas based players and coaches not able to contribute it is an uphill climb.

“During the national lockdowns, we have also had to shut down any practices and training as under UK Government guidelines we fall outside of the definition for elite sport; this has been a tough call on the players but they continue to be motivated via online Zoom team meetings and individualised training programmes.

“The squad continues to develop as best they can but it is certainly not an ideal scenario - when you consider the size of a men’s squad it is important to train at the level and intensity that you need to play at and with a maximum of 30 people which includes coaches, medical staff and sports science support we have yet to get the whole squad together”.

Many nations around the world are in the same situation as the England National Squads and Jane has been working tirelessly since March to ensure the Talent & Performance programme continues to function, enabling the best players in England to fulfil their potential.

“As a governing body and management teams of each of the squads, we have met via Teams video calls on regular occasions and we are monitoring the players and situation daily to check on the well being of all.

“We hope everything gets back to something like normal soon and we can restart our top-level training and matches as quickly as possible to ensure our National Squads are able to compete with the best in the world once again”.

In addition to the decision to postpone some World Championships made at the General Assembly, World Lacrosse also approved the World Lacrosse Official 6v6 rules, raised the upper age eligibility of age group tournaments to Under-20, removed restrictions on the number of teams who can compete at Under-20 and 6v6 World Championships, and voted that no World Championships will exceed 10 days in length.

The full details of day two of the World Lacrosse General Assembly can be read HERE.