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

Stockport September Sixes to return in 2023

Stockport Lacrosse Club has today announced the dates for their third annual Stockport September Sixes competition.

Following the successful launch of the Stockport September Sixes in 2021 and the subsequent well attended second edition last year, the 2023 competition will take place on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September.

As has been the case in previous years, the competition will run over two competition days with four pitches running six-a-side teams with 10-player squads starting from U12 level all the way up to senior level.

More details around schedule will be announced in due course but the price of entry has been set at £35 per team until 31 August when the price will rise to £45 per team.

The deadline for entries is 8 September and any club or team looking to take part should contact Stockport Lacrosse Club via email on [email protected] detailing the competition/s they are interested in entering.

Planned age group competitions

Junior Boys U12 (Saturday 16)
Junior Boys U14 (Saturday 16)
Junior Boys U16 (Saturday 16)
Junior Girls U13 (Saturday 16)
Junior Girls U15 (Saturday 16)
Senior Men (Sunday 17)
Senior Women (Sunday 17)

Day 4 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships: LIVE!

National Schools Lacrosse Championships reschedule update

Following discussions overnight and today in relation to the cancellation of Monday’s play at the National Schools Lacrosse Championships due to adverse weather conditions, a rescheduling of events on Tuesday 14 March has been agreed by the tournament leads and competing schools.

Tuesday’s competition will now consist of the following age categories:

Under 15A (rescheduled from Monday)
Under 13

Efforts will be made to reschedule the Under 19C and Under 15B and Under 14 competitions in the coming weeks at an alternative venue with discussions to take place with competing schools.

We thank you for your understanding with these changes and appreciate the disappointment that this will have caused for the affected age groups. We would also like to thank all of the competing schools for their cooperation.

Day 2 2023 National Schools Lacrosse Championships: LIVE!

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.

Triple Arrow Camps | Spotlight on... The Armitage Centre

With our Triple Arrow Camps 2023 schedule just around the corner, we’re shining a spotlight on each of our 2023 host venues. This week it’s The Armitage Centre!

Located at the University of Manchester in the north west of England, The Armitage Centre is a sports centre that offers numerous options in sport, health and fitness and has an extensive range of indoor and outdoor facilities.

With excellent public transport links from the city centre and top quality facilities, there is no better place to host one of our 2023 Triple Arrow Camps.

The Armitage Centre is the perfect venue for a whole range of sports including football, rugby, badminton, squash, netball, table tennis, tennis, basketball, martial arts, athletics, fitness, dance, yoga, and lacrosse.

In 2010, the centre played host to the Men’s World Lacrosse Championships, welcoming 30 teams from all over the world, where England finished fifth.

The Armitage Centre Fact File

• Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester

• Established: 1999 (24 years ago)

• Type of venue: sports centre servicing the University of Manchester

• Events hosted: 2010 Men’s World Lacrosse Championships, 2002 Commonwealth Games

• Website: CLICK HERE

World Lacrosse welcomes six new members

World Lacrosse has today welcomed six new members to the international lacrosse family, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Malta, Sierra Leone and Togo taking the World Lacrosse membership to 85 nations.

The six-member group is the largest single addition to World Lacrosse’s membership since August 2008 and the second-largest addition dating back to 1974; World Lacrosse has now welcomed 12 members since the start of 2022.

World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said:

“Welcoming six members at once is a hallmark achievement for World Lacrosse and we are excited for these nations to join our global community.

“The development of lacrosse in Africa remains one of our top priorities, and the inclusion of five African nations reflects the exceptional growth and desire to play the game in the region.”

Rufus Ntiamoah, World Lacrosse manager of sport in Africa, said:

“I am pleased to welcome five members at once into our Africa Association of Lacrosse (AAL) family, as well as the global community.

“Africa is incredibly diverse, and it is important to see growth in West Africa as the game rapidly develops across the continent.

“I am also proud of the work the AAL has done in a brief time to facilitate such exponential growth.”

The AAL, which was formed in 2022, now has 11 members, including seven that joined within the last year. The AAL also hosted a successful qualifier for the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship between Uganda and Kenya in November of last year.

With the addition of Malta, the European Lacrosse Federation now has 34 members, and its first new member since Lithuania in 2019.

The growth of the World Lacrosse membership has spanned the globe since the start of 2022, with new members coming from five different continents.

Before its newest five members, the AAL added Rwanda and Nigeria in June 2022 with the Pan-American Lacrosse Association welcoming Uruguay in August 2022 and Nicaragua earlier that year in February. The Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union added Iran most recently in October 2022 and Cambodia prior to that in February.

The past decade has seen nearly a 90 percent growth in members for World Lacrosse with 40 nations joining the existing membership of 45 nations.

Triple Arrow Camps | Spotlight on... Queen Anne's School

With our Triple Arrow Camps 2023 schedule just around the corner, we’re shining a spotlight on each of our 2023 host venues. This week it’s Queen Anne’s School!

Located in a central location just outside of Reading and 15 minutes from the M4, Queen Anne’s School is the perfect host venue for Triple Arrow Camps and has been a mainstay in the schedule for several years now.

The School will once again host two Triple Arrow Camps in 2023, one in the Easter holidays (17 & 18 April) and one across the summer holiday period (15-18 August).

Queen Anne’s School is set across 35 acres of land providing state of the art facilities with four lacrosse pitches, an athletics track and an indoor swimming pool to use and enjoy.

During this year’s summer residential camp, campers will have exclusive access to the newly renovated Michell House facilities located at the far side of the school site; boarders at this camp will have options to dorm on a single or twin occupancy basis.

Queen Anne’s School Fact File

• Location: Caversham, Berkshire

• Established: 1894 (129 years ago)

• Type of school: independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18

• No. of pupils: 450

• Former pupils: Tamara Taylor (rugby), Posy Simmonds (cartoonist), Janet Chisholm (MI6 Agent), Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Olympic rower)

• Website: CLICK HERE

Remembering former Oxford & Cambridge University player, Peter Baddoo (1993-2023)

England Lacrosse is deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of former Oxford and Cambridge University lacrosse player and one-time member of the Senior England Men’s training squad, Peter Baddoo.

Beginning his lacrosse journey at Reading Wildcats Juniors before moving onto Oxford University and then Cambridge University, Peter was a club captain, a gifted scholar, a powerful competitor, and, by all accounts, the most generous friend and teammate anyone could wish for.

Peter will be remembered as a brilliant sportsman and a steady, anchoring rock in our lacrosse community; he competed in six varsity games and earned Blues at both universities, before launching a stellar career as a postdoctoral researcher in applied mathematics at Imperial College London and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Peter was a lively and joyful young man, a gentle soul with a kind spirit and a ready smile; his interests extended well beyond Mathematics and lacrosse, and included music (saxophone), squash, and basketball.

The South East Men’s Lacrosse Association (SEMLA) said:

“Those of us whose lives Peter touched are left with a deep sense of loss but a profound gratitude for the precious memories we will always cherish.

“He was the voice of reason at an unreasonable age, inspiring his teammates to be better players and his friends to be better people.”

At the very centre of Peter’s life was his unshakeable faith and there will be a memorial service to celebrate his life at Wycliffe Baptist Church, Reading, RG1 4LS on Saturday 18th March at 13:00; all who knew Peter are welcome to attend.

England Lacrosse and the wider lacrosse community extend its deepest sympathies to Peter’s family, and to his fiancée, Yuna, whom he was to marry this spring.

SEMLA are asking for teams to join them in observing a one-minute silence before the Men’s Blues match in memory of Peter’s life.

New set of level 2 umpire courses announced

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce a new series of level 2 umpiring courses for spring and summer 2023.

The level 2 umpire award is perfect for those officials with an existing and valid level 1 certificate who want to make that next step up in the world of officiating.

To attain a the level 2 award, participants must complete two online webinars with work to be completed between sessions.

Following the completion of the online webinars, participants will be emailed with assessment opportunities at regional events and tournaments around the country.

There are 15 online courses altogether, seven for webinar 1 and eight for webinar 2; participants must attend one of each of the webinars in order to complete the course and attain the level 2 umpire award.

Please note, officials must have a valid level 1 certification and England Lacrosse Membership to undertake the level 2 course.

A list of dates for the webinars can be found below with each taking place 7:30pm-9pm and you can book onto the level 2 umpire course by clicking the button at the bottom of this article.

For more information about officiating courses, please contact England Lacrosse Officiating Co-ordinator, Ryan Griffiths, on [email protected].

Course Dates

Webinar 1

Wednesday 22 March
Thursday 6 April
Monday 17 April
Tuesday 9 May
Wednesday 24 May
Thursday 8 June
Monday 19 June

Webinar 2

Tuesday 28 February
Wednesday 29 March
Thursday 13 April
Monday 24 April
Tuesday 16 May
Wednesday 31 May
Thursday 15 June
Monday 26 June

England Euro Lax Sixes Cup squads announced

England Lacrosse is delighted to announce the two England squads heading to the 2023 Euro Lax Sixes Cup in Portugal this weekend.

Taking place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 February at the Vila Real de Santo Antonio in the Algarve region of Portugal, the Euro Lax Sixes Cup, now in its second year, will feature 12 international women’s teams, including two England squads, and eight international men’s teams, including one representing Great Britain.

The competition showcases the new proposed-Olympic and Commonwealth sixes version of lacrosse and, as such, the two England squads are jam-packed full with experienced players who have featured at The Fly and other sixes competitions over the past three years.

No less than 17 of the 27 players heading to Portugal have featured at The Fly since 2021 with 10 already ear-marked to play at the tournament again this year.

Seven of the squad have had a taste of the Euro Lax Sixes Cup before when they competed for England U23 at last year’s competition while a further eight represented the two British Lacrosse sides that eventually played each other in the final in 2022.

And the teams will be led this year by England senior women’s Head Coach and Head Coach of Rise at The Fly 2023, Michael Molster, who will be assisted by Hustle’s 2023 Assistant Coach, Georgie Hurt as well as Richard Lalor, and Harriet Rogers.

England White will take on Italy and England Red will play Netherlands in their opening group-stage fixtures on Friday before the former take on Germany Black and the latter play Belgium later in the day before the knockout rounds begin on Saturday.

To keep up to date with all things Euro Lax Sixes Cup, follow them on Instagram HERE.

England Red

Laura Beaman
Emma Brown
Alex Cant
Ella Cohen
Tara Dempsey
Anna Featherstone
Minty Loxton-Barnard
Zoe Lovibond
Anna Neville
Lizzie Rutherford
Livy Schellekens
Maddy Sketchley
Hannah Thurston
Liv Wimpenny

England White

Anna Boyne
Millie Hughes
Ella Malik
Emma Oakley
Alice Ripper
Zara Russell
Emma Savage
Tilly Shires
Georgie Southorn
Liv Thomas
Eleanor Williams
Sofia Wise
Julie Wise

Triple Arrow Camps | Spotlight on... St George's School, Harpenden

With our Triple Arrow Camps 2023 schedule just around the corner, we’re shining a spotlight on each of our 2023 host venues. This week its St George’s School, Harpenden!

Situated halfway between Luton and St Albans, St George’s School, Harpenden, has been a Triple Arrow Camps host venue for many years and will once again host two camps across Easter and summer 2023.

Hosting the fourth Easter camp on Thursday 13 & Friday 14 April as well as the final Triple Arrow Camp of the year on Tuesday 29 & Wednesday 30 August, St George’s is an independent boys & girls day and boarding school which places sport at the centre of school life.

Sporting stars such as our very own Laura Merrifield (lacrosse), Maro Itoje (rugby), George Ford (rugby), and Owen Farrell (rugby) have studied at St George’s, taking advantage of their fantastic sporting facilities, including four badminton courts, 10 basketball rings, two cricket nets, five-a-side football goals, three netball courts, and four tennis courts.

St George’s School, Harpenden Fact File

• Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire

• Established: 1907 (116 years ago)

• Type of school: non-selective day and boarding school for boys & girls aged 11-18

• No. of pupils: 1,314

• Former pupils: Laura Merrifield (lacrosse), Owen Farrell (rugby), Maro Itoje (rugby), George Ford (rugby), Denis Wright (composer)

• Website: CLICK HERE