England’s Tom Whitehead looks ahead to 2026 Box Euros

When defender Tom Whitehead steps onto the field against the Netherlands on Friday 26 June at the 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships in Prague, Czechia, he will make his major tournament debut for the England Box Lacrosse team aged 25.

“I've been involved with some of the England field stuff in the past and been to World Championships and Euros with that. But obviously this is my first major senior tournament and I couldn't have asked for more from the lads. It's a really welcoming environment. The coaching staff and the players, especially the more senior players, really support you and give you everything that you need as a newer player, which is brilliant.”

As one of the newer players in the 23-player England squad for the Euros, Whitehead wasn’t there in Hanover, Germany in 2022 to experience England’s famous victory over the hosts to claim a first major title, something he sees as a positive rather than pressure-building.

“Obviously, like when you mention it, when you're talking to people at work and friends, you make the joke of like, well, no pressure, but I don't think it does add any pressure.

“I think we’ve just got to go out there and show what we can do, play our way, and enjoy ourselves, and that's all we can do.”

His stress-free attitude comes from the environment that has been created by Head Coach Walt Christianson and his coaching staff over the past decade. A decade which has seen unprecedented success for the England men’s box team and includes a Euros title and two consecutive fourth place finishes at the World Championships.

“Walt's brilliant. He really knows the game inside and out and everyone knows Walt, which is always interesting. Like at the Ales Hrebsky Memorial when we were playing for London Knights, everyone's asking about Walt. It's great working with him, learning from him. Being able to learn from that, I couldn't ask for more.”

Whitehead’s preparations for the upcoming Euros have included playing in UK Lacrosse’s Summer League at Macclesfield Rugby Club along with several training and fitness sessions. It’s all these sessions and spending time with the rest of the squad that has put him in good stead ahead of the first Euros group stage match in two weeks’ time.

“There's been some really chippy games [at the Summer League] which has been really good fun and good preparation for how physical we anticipate it'll be in Prague. For myself, I'm obviously new to the squad so it's great to have experienced guys in the team around and learn from them.”

When it comes to what he’s most looking forward to during the Euros this year, Whitehead can’t wait to really let loose against quality players and quality teams.

“Being able to be really physical, do all the things you love to do as a defender, hit people hard, you don't have to feel bad about that, you don't have to apologise, you can just get stuck in and be in that head space for the best part of two weeks is really exciting.”

England start their 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships campaign on Friday 26 June against the Netherlands in the Red Group.

For more information about the tournament, click HERE.